26/09/2022 - The co-production between Colombia and Europe, helmed by Laura Mora, has deservedly picked up the coveted Golden Shell at the Basque gathering

The director of The Kings of the World, Laura Mora (third from right), flanked by her producers and actors, clutching the Golden Shell for Best Film (© SSIFF/Pablo Gómez)

Colombian filmmaker Laura Mora (Medellín, 1981) paid a visit to the San Sebastián Film Festival five years ago to premiere her feature debut, the gritty and hard-hitting Killing Jesus, in the New Directors section, where the movie earned itself a Special Mention. Last week, she returned to the Basque gathering, this time in the official competition section, with her second feature, the youthful road movie The Kings of the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (a co-production between Colombia, France, Mexico, Luxembourg and Norway) which, right from its first screening, elicited lashings of enthusiastic praise. As she was getting ready to fly back to her home country after the several days spent promoting the film in San Sebastián, someone from the festival asked her not to return home just yet. Because something special was in store for her on Saturday night: the Golden Shell for Best Film at the 70^th edition of this event that, since it began on 16 September, had been filling one of the most beautiful cities in Spain with films, parties and celebrities.

The official jury, chaired by producer Matías Mosteirín and also comprising Antoinette Boulat, Tea Lindeburg, Rosa Montero, Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese and Hlynur Pálmason, also decided to hand its Special Prize to Runner [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by first-time director Marian Mathias (a co-production between the USA, Germany and France), “for its ambitious narrative commitment, its originality and the intensity that one can sense in this feature debut”, while the Silver Shell for Best Director was bestowed upon Genki Kawamura for his work on A Hundred Flowers (Japan).

In addition, on that rainy Saturday night, two young actors went up on stage at San Sebastián’s Kursaal to share the Silver Shell for Best Lead Performance: France’s Paul Kircher, for Winter Boy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christophe Honoré
film profile] by Christophe Honoré, and Spaniard Carla Quílez, for her whirlwind of teenage emotion in La maternal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pilar Palomero
film profile], the second film by Pilar Palomero. Meanwhile, Renata Lerman came out on top in the Best Supporting Performance category for her turn in The Substitute [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Argentina/Spain/Italy/Mexico/France), directed by Diego Lerman.

The remaining prizes in the official section ended up going to Manuel Abramovich – Best Cinematography for Pornomelancolía [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Manuel Abramovich
film profile] – and Dong Yun Zhou and Wang Chao, who won Best Screenplay for the latter’s film A Woman (China).

Other official trophies handed out during the closing ceremony went to Spare Keys [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (France), co-directed by Jeanne Aslan and Paul Saintillan, which picked up the Kutxabank-New Directors Award, for which another first film, On Either Sides of the Pond by India’s Parth Saurabh, snagged a Special Mention; Tengo sueños eléctricos [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valentina Maurel
film profile] (Belgium/France/Costa Rica), the feature debut by Valentina Maurel, scooped the Horizontes Award; and the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award was bestowed upon Godland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elliott Crosset Hove
interview: Hlynur Pálmason
film profile] (Denmark/Iceland/France/Sweden) by Hlynur Pálmason.

The Nest Award was presented to the short film Montaña azul (Colombia) by Sofía Salinas and Juan David Bohórquez, from the Central University of Colombia, while the Special Mention in this section went to Anabase (Switzerland), by HEAD-Geneva student Benjamin Goubet.

In addition, the Irizar Basque Film Award was handed to Suro [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mikel Gurrea
film profile], the feature debut by Mikel Gurrea, which played in the Official Section (and also picked up the FIPRESCI Award), and a well-deserved Special Mention went to To Books and Women I Sing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: María Elorza and Marian Fer…
film profile], the first film by María Elorza, which was selected for New Directors.

Lastly, the City of Donostia/San Sebastián Audience Award, which was voted on by those who watched the films in the Pearls section, was given to Argentina, 1985 (Argentina/USA) by Santiago Mitre, and the Audience Award for Best European Film was taken home by Rodrigo Sorogoyen and his Spanish flick The Beasts [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Isabe…
film profile].

Here is the full list of award winners:

Competition

Golden Shell for Best Film
The Kings of the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Laura Mora (Colombia/France/Luxembourg/Norway/Mexico)

Silver Shell for Best Director
Genki Kawamura - A Hundred Flowers (Japan)

Special Jury Prize
Runner [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Marian Mathias (USA/Germany/France)

Best Screenplay Award
Dong Yun Zhou and Wang Chao - A Woman (China)

Silver Shell for Best Lead Performance (ex aequo)
Carla Quílez - La maternal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pilar Palomero
film profile] (Spain)
Paul Kircher - Winter Boy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christophe Honoré
film profile] (France)

Silver Shell for Best Supporting Performance
Renata Lerman - The Substitute [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Argentina/Spain/Italy/Mexico/France)

Best Cinematography
Manuel Abramovich - Pornomelancolía [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Manuel Abramovich
film profile] (Argentina/France/Brazil/Mexico)

New Directors

Kutxabank-New Directors Award
Spare Keys [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Jeanne Aslan and Paul Saintillan (France)

Special Mention
On Either Sides of the Pond - Parth Saurabh (India)

Zabaltegi-Tabakalera

Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award
Godland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elliott Crosset Hove
interview: Hlynur Pálmason
film profile] - Hlynur Pálmason (Denmark/Iceland/France/Sweden)

Horizontes Latinos

Horizontes Latinos Award
Tengo sueños eléctricos [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valentina Maurel
film profile] - Valentina Maurel (Belgium/France/Costa Rica)

Nest

Nest Award
Montaña azul - Sofía Salinas and Juan David Bohórquez (Colombia) (short film)

Special Mention
Anabase - Benjamin Goubet (Switzerland) (short film)

Other awards

Irizar Basque Film Award
Suro [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mikel Gurrea
film profile] - Mikel Gurrea (Spain)
Special Mention
To Books and Women I Sing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: María Elorza and Marian Fer…
film profile] - María Elorza (Spain)

FIPRESCI Award
Suro - Mikel Gurrea

City of Donostia/San Sebastián Audience Award
Argentina 1985 - Santiago Mitre (Argentina/USA)

Audience Award for Best European Film
The Beasts [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Isabe…
film profile] - Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Spain/France)

TCM Youth Award
To Books and Women I Sing - María Elorza

(Translated from Spanish)