Wes Anderson’s 40-minute featurette The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar received a standing ovation at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.
Adapted from a Roald Dahl story – Anderson’s second after Fantastic Mr. Fox – the film follows a London gambler, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, whose fortune improves after he masters a special card skill.
Before the Out of Competition screening of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Anderson was honoured with the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker prize at Venice.
The award is conferred on personalities ‘who have made a significant contribution to contemporary cinema.’ Auteurs like Takeshi Kitano, Spike Lee and Indian filmmaker Mani Ratnam among others have previously received the honour.
Anderson, 54, is known for making whimsical, idiosyncratic films with a distinctive visual style. Some of his most famous works include Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited, The Grand Budapest Hotel and The French Dispatch.
His latest full-length feature, Asteroid City, was recently released in theatres in India.
