The winners of the 72nd Venice Film Festival have been announced, and Desde allá (From Afar) has taken home the coveted Golden Lion for Best Film.
The film, from Venezuelan director Lorenzo Vigas, centers on the relationship between an older man, Armando, and a handsome young street thug, Elder. Armando lures young men into his home with the promise of money, though he looks and never touches. Through regular visits, Elder forms an unexpected intimacy with Armando, whose past prompts Elder to commit “the ultimate act of affection.”
Largely considered the runner-up honor, the Grand Jury Prize went to Anomalisa, Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson’s American animated film. The Silver Lion for Best Director, meanwhile, went to Argentinian filmmaker Pablo Trapero for his true-crime thriller El Clan (The Clan).
Another noteworthy recognition went to Beasts of No Nation. Actor Abraham Attah was awarded the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor for his performance as a young orphan who gets drafted into the child army of a ruthless warlord (Idris Elba). Directed by True Detective season 1’s Cary Fukunaga, this marks Netflix’s first foray into original feature films.
See the full list of winners below.
Venice 72
Golden Lion: From Afar (Lorenzo Vigas)
Silver Lion for Best Director: Pablo Trapero (The Clan)
Grand Jury Prize: Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson)
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Fabrice Luchini (L’Hermine)
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Valeria Golino (Per Amor Vostro)
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor: Abraham Attah, (Beasts Of No Nation)
Best Screenplay: Christian Vincent (L’Hermine)
Special Jury Prize: Frenzy (Emin Alper)
Venice Horizons
Best Film: Free In Deed (Jake Mahaffy)
Best Director: Brady Corbet (The Childhood of a Leader)
Special Jury Prize: Neon Bull (Gabriel Mascaro)
Special Prize for Best Actor: Dominique Leborne (Tempête)
Best Short Film: Belladonna (Dubravka Turic)
Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film: The Childhood of a Leader (Brady Corbet)
Venice Classics
Best Documentary on Cinema: The 1000 Eyes of Dr Maddin (Yves Montmayeur)
Best Restoration: Salo, or The 120 Days of Sodom (Pier Paolo Pasolini)
Related Stories
•Venice Film Festival premiere of star-studded Martin Scorsese short canceled
•Ralph Fiennes makes A Bigger Splash by dancing at the Venice Film Festival
•Idris Elba prepares child soldiers for war in Beasts of No Nation trailer
