Sofia Coppola's Somewhere wins Venice Golden Lion

Venice’s Golden Lion has been awarded to Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere, starring Stephen Dorff as a self-absorbed actor whose life changes through his relationship with his daughter (Elle Fanning).

Coppola was last on the Lido with her breakout film Lost In Translation in 2003, then in Venice’s now-defunct Upstream section. During the festival Coppola told journalists that her first three films were one body of work, and with Somewhere she is “starting on a new body of work.”  She also said that she thought about iconic films set in LA like American Gigolo and Shampoo.

Presenting the award, Jury President Quentin Tarantino, sporting dark Ray Bans said “This film won the prize unanimously  – it enchanted us from our first screening and it was even a situation where we would be talking about another film and arguing for another film and we’d start talking about that film again. It had the artistry we were looking for in a golden lion. I have to say that is my tremendous… momento…I have to say it is my tremendous honor to give the golden lion of the 67th Venice film festival to Sofia Coppola for Somewhere.”

Accepting her award, Coppola said, “It means so much. Thank you Marco (Mueller) for inviting us to have our premiere in Venice … thank you everyone the actors Stephen and Elle and the producers – thanks to my dad for teaching me… thank you to the jury I can’t believe it thank you very much.”

Venice’s Silver Lion for the best director went to Alex De La Iglesia for his A Sad Trumpet Ballad about two circus clowns in love with the same woman. The film also took the Osella for best screenplay, which Iglesia also wrote.

Jerzy Skolimowski took Venice’s Jury prize for his late entrant film Essential Killing, a thriller about a Taliban insurgent. The film also earned the Coppa Volpi for best actor for Vincent Gallo.

Skolimowski picked up Gallo’s prize saying “I am sure Vincent you are around here somewhere – come on man be brave. (Gallo was absent from all press events – even for his own film in competition Promises Written In Waterwas reportedly on the Lido).

“I am sure he wants to thank his director most of all and the script writer who also Skolimowski and the producer who financed his payment, Skolimowski,” he said.

Tarantino’s jury also decided to give a special ad-hoc gold lion for a director’s body of work. That award went to Monte Hellman whose Road To Nowhere about a filmmaker who gets involved in a crime while shooting his latest film, was in competition this year.

Hellman said the film, financed by his son Jared and daughter Melissa, was “the most collaborative work of his career.”

The Coppa Volpi per best actress went to Arian Labed in the Greek film Attenberg Athina Rachel Tsangari.

“I want to thank Athina, with whom we constructed this personality and I don’t feel comfortable here on the stage but this is a really fantastic moment,” Labed said.

Osella for best technical contribution, an award for photographic direction went to Mikhail Krichman the luminously shot Russian title Silent Souls (Ovsyanki) by Aleksei Fedorchenko.

The Luigi De Laurentiis Lion of the Future award for a first work went to  Turkish entry Majority, an Istanbul-set Romeo and Juliet story by Seren Yuce (sold by Match Factory) from Venice Days.

The Marcello Mastroianni for best young actor or actress went to Mila Kunis from The Black Swan who accepted the award via video link from Los Angeles where she was on set.

Golden Lion for Best Film
Somewhere by Sofia Coppola

Silver Lion for Best Director
Alex de la Iglesia for A Sad Trumpet Ballad

Special Jury Prize
Essential Killing by Jerzy Skolimowski

Special Lion for Work Achievement
Monte Hellman

Coppa Volpi for Best Actor
Vincent Gallo for Essential Killing

Coppa Volpi for Best Actress
Ariane Labed for Attenberg

Marcello Mastroianni award (for young actor/actress)
Mila Kunis for Black Swan

Osella for Best Script
Alex de la Iglesia for A Sad Trumpet Ballad

Osella for Best Technical Contribution
Mikhail Krichman (cinematographer) for Silent Souls

Luigi De Laurentis Award - First film
Majority by Seren Yüce

Orizzonti (Horizons) Prize
Verano de Goliat by Nicolàs Pereda

Special Orizzonti Jury Prize
The Forgotten Space by Noel Burch, Allan Sekula

Orizzonti Award - Short Film
Coming Attractions by Peter Tscherkassky

Orizzonti Award - Medium-Lenght Film
Tse (Out) by Roee Rosen

Special Mention
Jean Gentil by Israel Cardenas, Amelia Laura Guzman

Venice Short Film Nominee for the European Film Awards
The External World by David O’Reilly

FIPRESCI Award
Best Film Venezia 67: Silent Souls by Aleksei Fedorchenko
Best Film Orizzonti and International Critics Week: El Sicario - Room 164 by Gianfranco Rosi