Venezuelan film `From Afar` wins Venice Golden Lion

Venice: Venezuelan film "Desde Alla" (From Afar), a drama that deals with repressed gay love, won the top Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival Saturday on a night to remember for Latin American cinema.

The debut feature by director Lorenzo Vigas was picked as best film by a jury chaired by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron from a selection of 21 films from around the world.

The Silver Lion for best director went to Argentina`s Pablo Trapero for "The Clan", a crime movie based on a real-life story of a prosperous family of kidnappers in Buenos Aires which has been a huge hit on home soil.

American duo Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson took the Grand Jury Prize for their acclaimed and highly original stop animation feature for adults "Anomalisa."

Italy`s Valeria Golina won the best actress award for "Per amor vostro" (For Your Love), a Naples-set drama by Giuseppe Gaudino. France`s Fabrice Luchini was named best actor for his role in Christian Vincent`s "L`Hermine."

But there was no recognition for British production "The Danish Girl", one of the pre-festival favourites in which Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne plays a transgender artist.