Venezuelan Drama ‘From Afar,’ Charlie Kaufman’s ‘Anomalisa’ Take Top Prizes at Venice Film Festival

Report From Venice

Festival also recognizes Robert Pattinson’s “Childhood of a Leader,” Cary Fukunaga’s “Beasts of No Nation”

Venezuelan director Lorenzo Vigas’ debut “From Afar” (“Desde Alla”) and Charlie Kaufman‘s experimental “Anomalisa” were among the big winners at the 72nd Annual Venice Film Festival awards on Saturday.

“From Afar,” about an older gay man (Alfredo Castro) who strikes up a turbulent relationship with a street thug (Luis Silva), took the Golden Lion for Best Film. The Silver Lion for best director went to another Latin American, Pablo Trapero, for his Argentine kidnapping thriller “The Clan.”

Kaufman’s “Anomalisa,” a stop-motion animation about a customer-service guru experiencing an existential crisis, nabbed Venice’s Grand Jury Prize.

French writer-director Christian Vincent’s “Courted” took home two prizes, for Vincent’s screenplay as well as Fabrice Luchini’s lead performance as a prickly middle-aged judge who softens when he encounters a juror whom he once loved.

Meanwhile, Valeria Golina won best actress prize for “Per amor vostro.”

Abraham Attah, who plays a child soldier opposite Idris Elba in Cary Fukunaga’s Netflix release “Beasts of No Nation,” was recognized with a Best Young Actor award.

Brady Corbet, known for his performances in “Simon Killer” and “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” took the Horzions Award for Best Director with his debut feature “The Childhood of a Leader” starring Robert Pattinson.

See the complete list of Venice winners, courtesy of Twitter:

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