Coverage
DocLisboa 2026 News, reviews, interviews and more
October 15 – 25 Lisbon
News
Mike Leigh Wins the Golden Shell at San Sebastián with Tender Loving Care
26 de Septiembre · 2026

The San Sebastián Film Festival announced the winners of its 74th edition on Saturday, with Tender Loving Care, the new film by Mike Leigh, emerging as the major winner of the Official Selection. The film received the Golden Shell for Best Film, as well as the awards for Best Screenplay and Best Leading Performance for Kate O’Flynn. Presented as a possible final work from the British filmmaker, the film was honored by the jury headed by U.S. director Ira Sachs.

Leigh’s recognition makes Tender Loving Care the most awarded film of this year’s edition, taking three of the competition’s major prizes. The Screenplay Award went to Leigh himself, while O’Flynn was recognized for her leading performance. Argentine director María Aparicio, meanwhile, received a Special Jury Mention for A veces me entra tristeza, otras veces rebelión, her second feature film.

Among the audience awards, La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, received the San Sebastián Audience Award. The Spanish film, a queer work spanning different periods of recent history, follows its recognition in San Sebastián just one week after receiving the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The second audience award, for Best European Film, went to NAZA, the documentary directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. The film presents an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza and adds another recognition to its international festival run since its premiere.

All the winners:

OFFICIAL SELECTION AWARDS

Golden Shell for Best Film: “Tender Loving Care,” Mike Leigh

Special Jury Prize: “Border,” Ah Biao

Silver Shell for Best Director: “Brace Your Heart,” Amanda Kernell

Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance: “Tender Loving Care,” Kate O’Flynn; “Growth of the Soil,” Asta Kamma August

Silver Shell for Best Supporting Performance: “5 More Minutes,” Javier Cámara

Jury Prize for Best Cinematography: “Growth of the Soil,” Oskar Dahlsbakken

Jury Prize for Best Screenplay: “Tender Loving Care,” Mike Leigh

OTHER OFFICIAL AWARDS

New Directors Award: “Body of Glass,” Naëmi Ada
Special Mention: “The World Before,” Yoon Dan-bi

Latin Horizons Award: “The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer,” Alessandra Sanguinetti
Special Mention: “Flies,” Fernando Eimbcke

Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award: “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” Jane Schoenbrun
Special Mention: “Sometimes Sadness, Sometimes Rebellion,” María Aparicio

Best Original Music Award: “Milo,” Amine Bouhafa

Audience Award for Best Film: “La Bola Negra,” Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi

Audience Award for Best European Film: “NAZA,” Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor

Irizar Basque Film Award: “Txakun txakür,” Elsa Oliarj-Inès

Culinary Zinema Award: “Burgundy,” Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw

RTVE Another Look Award: “All of a Sudden,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Spanish Cooperation Award: “Five Years, Four Months,” Juan Miguel Gelacio and Esteban Hoyos García

Transforma Award: “Tender Loving Care,” Mike Leigh

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED AWARDS

Nest Award: “Erased From the Map,” Maarij Reka
Special Mention:
“Nobody Barks,” Julia Coldwell Serra

Euskadi Basque Country 2030 Agenda Award: “Ashes,” Diego Luna

Zinemaldia Startup Challenge Best Spanish Project: Pixentinel, Luis Zabala

Zinemaldia Startup Challenge Best European Project: Virtual Location Scouting, Antti Ahokoivu

Zinemaldia Startup Challenge Special Mention for Entrepreneurship: Virtual Location Scouting, Antti Ahokoivu

WIP Latam Industry Award: “Lovers Go Home!,” Juan Sebastián Mesa

Egeda Platino Industria Award For The Best WIP Latam: “Galerna,” Tatiana Huezo

WIP Europa Industry Award: “In a Manner of Speaking,” Val Jashari

WIP Europa Award: “In a Manner of Speaking,” Val Jashari

XIII Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum Best Project Award: “The Amateurs,” Felipe Solari Yrigoyen

DALE! Award: “The Illusions,” Ingrid Pokropek

Artekino International Award: “Mourning Sound,” Selma Cervantes

Casa Wabi-ESCINE Award: “The Spirit Healer Is Away for the Weekend,” Inês Nunes

Tanta Award: “Akira,” Ekain Albite

Sideral Award: “Akira,” Ekain Albite

Music Library & SFX Award: “Shady Birds,” Zaira Zanguitu

Dogwoof Award: “Different Colors of Sabir,” Safaa Khatib

Epe-Ibaia-Elkargi Award: “The Hammock,” Alfonso García

Eusko Label Micro Short Film Award: “Esperantza,” Josu Ozaita
Runner-up: “Hands,” Mikel Urretabizkaia

Loterias Award: “Prejuicios,” Javi Prada
Runner-up: “Headscarf,” Lucía Saavedra

Latest News
Asociate a Caligari
Un espacio para el cine de autor
Proyecciones
Acceso web ilimitado
Newsletter exclusivo
Y más
Asociarme
Suecia · 1957
American Cinematheque at Caligari
El séptimo sello
Ingmar Bergman
Det sjunde inseglet
Miércoles 14/octubre · 19.30 hs
Gaumont