Spanish Film Wins Big at San Sebastián Film Festival
Spanish filmmaker Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’sLos domingos (Sundays)made a significant impact at the San Sebastián Film Festival, which took place in Spain’s Basque Country from September 19 to 27. The film secured the Golden Shell for Best Film, along with four additional awards. This achievement highlights the film’s critical and audience appeal, marking it as one of the standout works of the festival.
Another notable film,The Voice of Hind Rajab, which previously won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, also received recognition at San Sebastián. It claimed two awards, including the Audience Award, demonstrating its broad appeal and quality.
Repeat Winners and Notable Films
Several films and filmmakers returned to the spotlight at this year’s festival.Historias del buen valle (Good Valley Stories), directed by José Luis Guerin, was awarded the Special Jury Prize. This is not the first time Guerin has received this honor; he previously won it for his 2001 filmEn construcción (Work in Progress). In addition to the Special Jury Prize,Historias del buen vallealso earned three other honors, showcasing its strong performance across multiple categories.
J.A. Bayona, the director ofSociety of the Snow, served as a member of the Official Jury alongside Portuguese filmmaker Laura Carreira, Gia Coppola (winner of the Special Jury Prize last year forThe Last Showgirl), actress Zhou Dongyu, Argentinian singer-performer Lali Espósito, actor Mark Strong, and French producer Anne-Dominique Toussaint.
Closing Ceremony and Final Screening
The festival concluded with a closing ceremony hosted by Itsaso Arana and Óscar Lasarte at the Kursaal auditorium. Following the announcement of the winners, the film that closed the edition,The Winter of the Crow, was screened, bringing the event to a memorable end.
Complete List of Honorees
Here is a detailed list of the winners and special mentions from the 73rd edition of the San Sebastián Film Festival:
Golden Shell for Best Film
- Los Domingos (Sundays)– Alauda Ruiz de Azúa (Spain, France)
Special Jury Prize
- Historias del buen valle (Good Valley Stories)– José Luis Guerin (Spain, France)
Silver Shell for Best Director
- Joachim Lafosse –Six jours, ce printemps-là (Six Days in Spring)(Belgium, France, Luxembourg)
Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance (ex aequo)
- Jose Ramon Soroiz –Maspalomas(Spain)
- Zhao Xiaohong –Jianyu Laide Mama (Her Heart Beats in its Cage)(China)
Silver Shell for Best Supporting Performance
- Camila Plaate –Belén(Argentina)
Jury Prize for Best Screenplay
- Joachim Lafosse, Chloé Duponchelle, Paul Ismaël –Six jours, ce printemps-là (Six Days in Spring)(Belgium, France, Luxembourg)
Jury Prize for Best Cinematography
- Pau Esteve –Los Tigres(Spain, France)
Kutxabank New Directors Award
- Emilie Thalund –Vaegtloes (Weightless)(Denmark)
(Special mention: Alum of the 2022 Ikusmira Berriak residency program)
Irati Gorostidi Agirretxe –Aro Berria (New era)(Spain)
Horizontes Make & Mark Award
-
Un poeta (A Poet)– Simón Mesa Soto (Colombia, Germany, Sweden)
(Special mention: Alum of the 2022 Ikusmira Berriak residency program) -
Hiedra (The Ivy)– Ana Cristina Barragán (Ecuador, Mexico, France, Spain)
(Special mention: Alum of WIP Latam 2024, Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum 2023) -
Un cabo suelto (A Loose End)– Daniel Hendler (Uruguay, Argentina, Spain)
Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award
- La Tour de Glace (The Ice Tower)– Lucile Hadzihalilovic (France, Germany)
Coup de Coeur
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Duas Vezes João Liberada (Two Times João Liberada)– Paula Tomás Marques (Portugal)
(Special mention) -
Blue Heron– Sophy Romvari (Canada, Hungary)
Nest the Mediapro Studio Award
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Ako Počúvať Fontány (How to Listen to Fountains)– Eva Sajanová (Slovakia)
(Special mention) -
The Old Bull Knows, Or Once Knew– Milan Kumar (India)
Movistar Plus+ Award for Best Short Film
- A solidão dos lagartos (The Loneliness of Lizards)– Nês Nunes (Spain, Portugal)
Tabakalera Award
- So ist das Leben und nicht anders (Life is Like That and Not Otherwise)– Lenia Friedrich (Germany)
Culinary Zinema Award
- Mam– Nan Feix (France)
Eusko Label Awards
- First Award:Hatsa (Soul)– Josu Ozaita Azpiroz (Spain)
- Second Award:Gatz Harana (Salt Valley)– Saioa Miguel (Spain)
Loterías Awards
- First Award:Maruja– Álvaro G. Company (Spain)
- Second Award:Medusas (Jellyfish)– Iñaki Sánchez Arrieta (Spain)
Irizar Basque Film Award
- Los Domingos (Sundays)– Alauda Ruiz de Azúa (Spain, France)
(Special mention:El último arrebato (The Last Rapture)– Marta Medina, Enrique López Lavigne (Spain))
City of Donostia / San Sebastián Audience Award
- The Voice of Hind Rajab– Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia, France)
City of Donostia / San Sebastián Audience Award for Best European Film
- Amélie et la Métaphysique des tubes (Little Amélie or the Character of Rain)– Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han (France)
Dama Youth Award
- La misteriosa mirada del flamenco (The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo)– Diego Céspedes (Chile, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium)
WIP LATAM AWARDS
- WIP LATAM Industry Award:Moscas (Flies)– Fernando Eimbcke (Mexico)
- Egeda Platino Industria Award for the Best WIP LATAM:A la hora de poner la mesa ya no éramos cinco (We Were No Longer Five)– Esteban Hoyos García, Juan Miguel Gelacio Ramírez (Colombia, U.S.)
WIP EUROPA AWARDS
- WIP Europa Industry Award:Sieben Tage Februar (February, Seven Days)– Tatjana Moutchnik (Germany, Austria)
- WIP Europa Award:Sieben Tage Februar (February, Seven Days)– Tatjana Moutchnik (Germany, Austria)
XIV EUROPE-LATIN AMERICA CO-PRODUCTION FORUM AWARDS
- XIV Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum Best Project Award:No me dejen morir solo (Do Not Let Me Die Alone)– Francisco Rodríguez Teare (Chile, Belgium)
- DALE! Award (Development Latin America-Europe):Lo que sigue es mi muerte (What Follows is My Death)– Laura Baumeister (Mexico, Spain)
- Artekino International Prize:La piel del león– Alvaro Brechner (Uruguay, Brazil)
- Casa Wabi-ESCINE Award:No me dejen morir solo (Do Not Let Me Die Alone)– Francisco Rodríguez Teare (Chile, Belgium)
- QCinema Award:Lo que sigue es mi muerte (What Follows is My Death)– Laura Baumeister (Mexico, Spain)
IKUSMIRA BERRIAK AWARD
- Sideral Award:La koreana, un poema ferromagnético de luz y memoria– Joana Moya Blanco (Spain)
ZINEMALDIA STARTUP CHALLENGE AWARD
- Best European Project:Novel Fire Masks Engineered with 3D Technology– Raoul Peltier (U.K.)
- Best Spanish Project:Quickets– Felipe Ortiz (Spain)
- Special Mention to Entrepreneurship:Quickets– Felipe Ortiz (Spain)
XXI LAU HAIZETARA DOCUMENTARY CO-PRODUCTION FORUM AWARDS
- Music Library & SFX Award:Mariana X BHP– Renan Flumian (Brazil, Chile)
- Euroregional Documentary Award:Altxaliliak– Maia Iribarne Olhagarai (Spain, France)
- EPE-IBAIA-ELKARGI Award:La increíble historia de una película que no hemos visto– Claudia Chávez Levano, Christine Mladic Janney (U.S.)
- RTVE – Another Look Award:Las Corrientes (The Currents)– Milagros Mumenthaler (Switzerland, Argentina)
(Special mention:Belén– Dolores Fonzi (Argentina)) - Cooperación Española Award:Historias del buen valle (Good Valley Stories)– José Luis Guerin (Spain, France)
- Euskadi Basque Country 2030 Agenda Award:The Voice of Hind Rajab– Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia, France)
- Dunia Ayaso Award:Los Tortuga (The Exiles)– Belén Funes (Spain, Chile)
(Special mention:Mi amiga Eva (My Friend Eva)– Cesc Gay (Spain))
HONORARY AWARDS
- Donostia Awards: Esther García, Jennifer Lawrence
- Zinemira Award: Asier Altuna, Telmo Esnal
- Fipresci Award:Los Domingos (Sundays)– Alauda Ruiz de Azúa (Spain, France)
- Feroz Zinemaldia 2025 Award:Los Domingos (Sundays)– Alauda Ruiz de Azúa (Spain, France)
- GIDOI + SGAE Award for the Best Screenwriter in the Basque Country 2025: Borja Cobeaga –Los aitas (Breaking Walls)(Spain, Belgium)
- Sebastiane 2025 Award:Maspalomas– Jose Mari Goenaga, Aitor Arregi (Spain)
- Lurra – Greenpeace Award:Historias del buen valle (Good Valley Stories)– José Luis Guerin (Spain, France)
- Signis Award:Los Domingos (Sundays)– Alauda Ruiz de Azúa (Spain, France)
- ATENEO GUIPUZCOANO AWARD:Nuremberg– James Vanderbilt (U.S.)
