San Sebastian bets on Hispanic cinema
- The Golden Shell went to Venezuelan film Bad Hair. The jury presided by Todd Haynes also rewarded Spanish films Wounded (twice) and Cannibal, British title Le Week-end and Quai d'Orsay by Tavernier
Spanish cinema was the great winner of the 61st edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival, whose closing ceremony took place on Saturday (September 28). The choices of the jury presided by American director Todd Haynes, who decided to reward artistically excellent and brave films, was welcomed with satisfaction by a large part of the specialized press.
The Golden Shell for Best Film went to the modest (with a budget of just 350,000 euros) but powerful Bad Hair [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mariana Rondón
film profile] by Mariana Rondón, which brought together Venezuela, Peru and Germany (through Gunter Hanfgarn for Hanfgarn & Ufer Film und TV Produktion). The Silver Shell for Best Director rewarded another Latin-American filmmaker, Fernando Eimbcke, for Club Sandwich, an intimate work on the relationship between a mother and her son.
The Special Prize of the Jury went to the director from Seville Fernando Franco for Wounded [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fernando Franco
film profile], coproduced by Kowalski Films, Elamedia, Pantalla Partida, Encanta Films and Ferdyduke and sold all over the world by Imagina Internacional Sales. The film’s main character is a troubled woman played by Marian Álvarez, who received the Golden Shell for Best Actress for the role.
The remaining prizes of the official competition all went to European works: the Silver Shell for Best Actor went to Jim Broadbent for his role in British film Le week-end [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]; the Best Cinematography Prize went to Pau Esteve for the Spanish film Cannibal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Manuel Martín Cuenca
film profile] (read the review) and that for Best Screenplay to Antonin Baudry, Christophe Blain and Bertrand Tavernier for Quai d'Orsay [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (read the review), which also won the FIPRESCI Prize.
Finally, Icelandic film Of Horses and Men [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benedikt Erlingsson
film profile] by Benedikt Erlingsson, recently designated to represent its country in the race for the Oscar nomination, won the main prize in the New Directors section.
The complete winners’ list of the Basque festival can be found on the official website.
(Translated from Spanish)
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