A Baton Rouge native won an Oscar Sunday for his production role in the short film "Two Distant Strangers."

Van Lathan, who was born and raised in Baton Rouge, received the award as an executive producer for the live-action film, which explores police brutality and racism.

"Two Distant Strangers" was produced by the company Six Feet Over. The company was started by Lathan, Travon Free and Nicholas Maye. The film won against four other works in the Live Action Short Film category.

East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome congratulated Lathan on Monday.

"Our community here in Baton Rouge is immensely proud of Van Lathan’s accomplishments; he continues to show the world what our residents are capable of achieving," Broome said in a release. "I encourage our community to join me in congratulating him for this outstanding achievement, and may we all continue to strive to showcase the excellence of our City and Parish."

Lathan is a graduate of Southern University and attended high school at McKinley.