Venezuelan director Lorenzo Vigas’s striking first feature “From Afar,” about a middle-aged gay man who cruises the streets of Caracas searching for young companions, won the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion.
The jury was presided by Alfonso Cuaron. This edition was marked by plenty of prizes going to Latin American cinema and also debut directors.
Earlier fest director Alberto Barbera said this year’s edition pointed to the strength of Latin American cinema, an element he had also pointed out after the lineup was announced.
“My presence as a president counted about as much as the King Of Sweden,” said Cuaron, who was asked if his being Latin American influenced the verdict. “Even if I wanted to support Latin America, it would have had to be a bigger conspiracy.”
The unknown Vigas came to Venice with plenty of support from the Latin American film industry. Guillermo Arriaga (“Amore Perros, “21 Grams”) collaborated on the screenplay. Michel Franco, Edgar Ramirez and Gabriel Ripstein are executive producers.
Venice’s other big winner was U.S. first-time director Brady Corbet whose historical mystery drama ”Childhood of a Leader,” loosely based on a an eponymous Jean-Paul Sartre short story, scooped the Horizons’ section nod for best director and also the Lion of the Future, for best first work, awarded by a separate jury.
The Silver Lion went to Argentine auteur Pablo Trapero’s “The Clan” about Argentina’s notorious Puccio family, which kidnapped their rich neighbors in order to extort ransoms from their relatives.
Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson’s stop-motion “Anomalisa,” about a man struggling with his inability to connect with other people, took the Jury Grand Prize.
WINNERS OF THE 72ND VENICE FILM FESTIVAL OFFICIAL AWARDS
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
GOLDEN LION
“From Afar” Lorenzo Vigas
SILVER LION
“The Clan” (Pablo Trapero)
JURY GRAND PRIZE
“Anomalisa,” Charlie Kaufman Duke Johnson
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
“Frenzy” Emin Alper
ACTOR
Fabrice Luchini (“Courted”)
ACTRESS
Valeria Golino (“Per amor vostro”)
MARCELLO MASTROIANNI PRIZE FOR YOUNG PERFORMER –
Abraham Attah (“Beasts of No Nation)
BEST SCREENPLAY
Christian Vincent (“Courted”)
LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS LION OF THE FUTURE
“The Childhood of a Leader,” Brady Corbett (U.S.)
HORIZONS JURY
BEST FILM
“Free in Deed” (Jake Mahaffi)
BEST DIRECTOR
Brady Corbet ”Childhood of a Leader”
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
“ Neon Bull” (Gabriel Mascaro)
SPECIAL PRIZE FOR BEST ACTOR OR ACTRESS
Dominique Leborne (“Tempete”) by Samuel Collardey
BEST SHORT
“Belladonna,” Dubravna Turic
