‘Happy as Lazzaro,’ from Europe, wins top Chicago Film Festival award

The 54th Chicago International Film Festival on Friday awarded its top honor, a Gold Hugo, to “Happy as Lazzaro,” an Italian-Swiss-French-German co-production. Alice Rohrwacher directs this winsome tale of a simple soul from a tobacco farm who’s mistaken for a terrorist.

Various juries announced winners at the AMC River East 21, where the annual festival wraps up Sunday.

Other awards by the International Competition Jury included a Silver Hugo Jury Prize to “Joy” (Austria) by Sudabeh Mortezai. A best director Silver Hugo went to Jia Zhangke for “Ash Is Purest White” (China/France), for which Zhao Tao also earned a Silver Hugo as best actress. Both dramas depict resolute women navigating criminal landscapes.

Jesper Christensen from Denmark won a best actor Silver Hugo for his role in “Before the Frost.” “At War” (France) received a best screenplay Silver Plaque. Co-writer Stephane Brize also directed this union strike drama.

“Birds of Passage,” a Colombian-Mexican-Danish-French co-production, landed two Silver Plaques: one for cinematography and another for art direction.

Other juries determined awards in other categories. The New Directors Film Competition jurors for first or second features recognized “The Third Wife” (Vietnam) by Ash Mayfair with a Gold Hugo. A Silver Hugo went to “The Mercy of the Jungle” (Belgium/France/Rwanda) by Joel Karekezi.

Jurors for documentary feature films voted a Gold Hugo to “[Censored],” an unsettling analysis of censored film clips by Australian filmmaker Sari Braithwaite. Tied for Silver Hugos were two works with anthropological themes: “Ex-Shaman” (Brazil) by Luiz Bolognesi and “The Raft” (Sweden) by Marcus Lindeen.

In the Outlook Competition for LGBQT films, “Retablo” (Peru/Germany/Norway) by Alvaro Delgado Aparicio won a Gold Q-Hugo. A Silver Q-Hugo was awarded to “Rafiki” (Kenya/South/Africa/Germany/Netherlands/France/Norway/Lebanon) by Wanuri Kahiu.

The fifth annual Roger Ebert Award went to “Little Tickles” (France), co-directed by Andrea Bescond and Eric Metayer. The short drama “Hashtag Perfect Life” by Michael Paulucci received the Chicago Award. Festival founder Michael Kutza picks the annual Founder’s Award: “Beautiful Boy” by Felix van Groeningen.