The prizes for the 2015 Venice Film Festival have been announced and it was a big boom for Latin American films as the Venezuelan film From Afar (Desde allá) emerged as the big winner. The film, from debut director Lorenzo Vigas won the Golden Lion from a jury headed by Oscar winning director Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)- the film marks the first ever Venice entry from Venezuela. Also, noteworthy, Argentinean filmmaker Pablo Trapero (Carancho) won the the Silver Lion (Best Directors prize) from his crime drama The Clan. While splashier titles made up the Venice official selection- including awards hopeful The Danish Girl, the starry A Bigger Splash and Kristen Stewart-headlined Equals, neither picked up prizes.

From Afar centers around a wealthy, 50-year-old man who falls for a young man who’s a leader of a gang; the film comes from a short story from Oscar nominated screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (Babel). After the awards were handed, out Cuarón contested that his Mexican heritage had any influence in his role as jury president: “I have as much sway as the King or Queen of Sweden. My role is more representative than anything else. Even if I had wanted (to support Latin America) it would have been a bigger conspiracy and I would have had to share the money.”

It’s worth noting, however, that eventual Oscar champ Birdman opened the 2014 Venice Film Festival and made a major impact despite leaving the festival empty-handed. On the American front, Charlie Kaufman’s acclaimed stop-motion feature Anomalisa nabbed the Grand Jury Prize- that feature, which also played Telluride and set to play Toronto next, is one of the major acquisition titles of the season and features the voice talents of David Thewlis (Naked) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (Margot at the Wedding). Winners below:

• GOLDEN LION: From Afar (directed by Lorenzo Vigas)
• SILVER LION (BEST DIRECTOR): Pablo Trapero, The Clan
• GRAND JURY PRIZE: Anomalisa (directed by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson)
• VOLPI CUP (BEST ACTOR): Fabrice Luchini, L’Hermine
• VOLPI CUP (BEST ACTRESS): Valeria Golino, Per Amor Vostro
• BEST SCREENPLAY: L’Hermine– written by Christian Vincent
• MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG ACTOR: Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation
• SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: Frenzy (directed by Emin Alper)