Sofia Coppola film wins top Venice prize

Sofia Coppola's Somewhere, the tale of an actor who sees the emptiness of his existence through the eyes of his child, has won the top Golden Lion prize at the Venice film festival.

Director Quentin Tarantino headed the jury, which unanimously chose Coppola's film as the best movie at the 11-day annual festival.

The buzz in the final days of the festival had pegged Somewhere as a sure winner, and the jury appeared to have had no doubts, either.

"This film enchanted us from its first screening," Tarantino said on Saturday. "It has the artistry we were looking for in a Golden Lion" winner, he told the closing ceremony.

Coppola has described the film, which made its world premiere at Venice, as a "portrait of today's LA."

In Somewhere, a movie star, played by Stephen Dorff, realises how empty is life is when he travels with his 11-year-old daughter, played by Elle Fanning.

Coppola, 39, herself grew up in the world of film thanks to her father, director Francis Ford Coppola. "Thanks to my dad for teaching me," Coppola said, accepting the award on Saturday.

When the film was screened at Venice, early in the festival, Coppola told reporters her father "loved" the film.

Much of Somewhere takes place in hotels, and Coppola, when presenting the film, reminisced that she and her family spent a lot of time growing up in hotels where her director father was out on location while filming.

Other awards included the Silver Lion for best director, which went to Alex de la Iglesia for his Balada triste de Trompeta (A Sad Trumpet Ballad). The Spanish director also won the best screenplay award for the film.

The top actor award was given to Vincent Gallo, who played a terror suspect plotting his escape in Essential Killing, by Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski. Best actress honours were awarded to Ariana Lebed in Attenberg, a film by Greek director Athina Rachel Tsangari.

-AAP