San Sebastián: Mike Leigh’s ‘Tender Loving Care’ Wins Golden Shell
Mike Leigh’s latest and potential last feature, Tender Loving Care, has won the San Sebastián Film Festival’s top prize, the Golden Shell, alongside the award for Best Screenplay. Scroll down for the full list of winners.
Leigh’s Tender Loving Care also won the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance for actress Kate O’Flynn, who shared the prize with Asta Kamma August for her role in Growth of the Soil. That film, directed by Hans Petter Moland, also won the Jury Prize for Best Cinematography.
The Special Jury Prize was awarded to Border, directed by Ah Biao; the Silver Shell for Best Director went to Amanda Kernell for Brace Your Heart, while Javier Cámara won the Silver Shell for Best Supporting Performance for his work in 5 More Minutes. The City of Donostia/San Sebastián Audience Award went to La bola negra.
Ira Sachs presided over this year’s jury in San Sebastián. His fellow jurors were director and screenwriter Genki Kawamura, screenwriter Catherine Paillé, actress and producer Alice Braga, actress Patricia López Arnaiz, actor Bill Skarsgård, and producer Mike Goodridge.
Leigh was not present in Spain to accept his awards. The veteran filmmaker is currently in New York for the U.S. premiere of Tender Loving Care, so he sent a video message to Spain.
“What a great honour it is. Thank you for awarding Tender Loving Care, our film, but not least and especially for The Golden Shell. Thank you, thank you, and love to everybody,” Leigh said.
2026 San Sebastián winners:
Official awards – FIAPF
GOLDEN SHELL FOR BEST FILM
Tender Loving Care
Mike Leigh (United Kingdom)
Country(ies) of production: United Kingdom
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Bian jing / Border
Ah Biao (China)
Country(ies) of production: Hong Kong – USA – South Korea
SILVER SHELL FOR BEST DIRECTOR
AMANDA KERNELL (Sweden)
Garrat du váimmu / Brace Your Heart
Country(ies) of production: Sweden – Norway – Denmark – Iceland – Bulgaria
SILVER SHELL FOR BEST LEADING PERFORMANCE (shared)
KATE O’FLYNN (UK)
Tender Loving Care
Country(ies) of production: United Kingdom
ASTA KAMMA AUGUST (Sweden)
Markens grøde / Growth of the Soil
Country(ies) of production: Norway – Denmark – Germany
SILVER SHELL FOR BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
JAVIER CÁMARA (Spain)
5 minutos más / 5 More Minutes
Country(ies) of production: Spain
JURY PRIZE FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
OSKAR DAHLSBAKKEN (Norway)
Markens grøde / Growth of the Soil
Country(ies) of production: Norway – Denmark – Germany
JURY PRIZE FOR BEST SCREENPLAY
MIKE LEIGH (UK)
Tender Loving Care
Country(ies) of production: United Kingdom
Other official awards
KUTXABANK-NEW DIRECTORS AWARD
Body of Glass
Naëmi Ada (Germany)
Country(ies) of production: Germany – France
Special Mention
The World Before
Yoon Dan-bi (South Korea)
Country(ies) of production: South Korea – Japan – France
HORIZONTES MAKE & MARK AWARD
La ilusión de un verano sin fin / The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer
Alessandra Sanguinetti (USA)
Country(ies) of production: Argentina – USA
Special Mention
Moscas / Flies
Fernando Eimbcke (Mexico)
Country(ies) of production: Mexico – Spain
ZABALTEGI-TABAKALERA AWARD
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
Jane Schoenbrun (USA)
Country(ies) of production: USA – Canada
Special Mention
A veces me entra tristeza, otras veces rebelión / Sometimes Sadness, Sometimes Rebellion
María Aparicio (Argentina)
Country(ies) of production: Argentina – Spain
TABAKALERA FILM AND AUDIOVISUAL LABORATORY-NEST AWARD
Dihapus dari peta / Erased from the Map
Maarij Reka (Indonesia)
Country(ies) of production: IndonesiaFilm & Television Institute Art Indonesia Yogyakarta (Indonesia)
Special Mention
Ningú borda / Nobody Barks
Júlia Coldwell Serra (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain ESCAC (Spain)
SGAE AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC
AMINE BOUHAFA (France – Tunisia)
7h40 ce matin-là / Milo
Nicole Garcia (France)
Country(ies) of production: France
CULINARY ZINEMA AWARD
Burgundy
Michael Dweck (USA), Gregory Kershaw (USA)
Country(ies) of production: USA
IRIZAR BASQUE FILM AWARD
Txakun txakür
Elsa Oliarj-Inès (France)
Country(ies) of production: France – Spain
CITY OF DONOSTIA / SAN SEBASTIAN AUDIENCE AWARD
La bola negra
Javier Calvo (Spain), Javier Ambrossi (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain – France
CITY OF DONOSTIA / SAN SEBASTIAN AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST EUROPEAN FILM
NAZA
Yuval Abraham (Israel), Rachel Szor (Israel)
Country(ies) of production: UK
DAMA YOUTH AWARD
La ilusión de un verano sin fin / The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer
Alessandra Sanguinetti (USA)
Country(ies) of production: Argentina – USA
EUSKO LABEL AWARDS
EUSKO LABEL FIRST AWARD
Esperantza (Short film)
Josu Ozaita (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain
EUSKO LABEL SECOND AWARD
Eskuak / Hands (Short film)
Mikel Urretabizkaia (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain
LOTERÍAS AWARDS
LOTERÍAS FIRST AWARD
Prejuicios (Short film)
Javi Prada (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain
LOTERÍAS SECOND AWARD
Headscarf (Short film)
Lucía Saavedra (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain – UK
Industry awards
WIP LATAM AWARDS
WIP LATAM INDUSTRY AWARD
A Contracorriente Films, Deluxe Content Services Spain, Elamedia Estudios, Laserfilm Cine y Video, Nephilim Producciones and Pecera Estudio
Lovers Go Home!
Juan Sebastián Mesa (Colombia)
Country(ies) of production: Colombia – Spain – Canada – France
EGEDA PLATINO INDUSTRIA AWARD FOR THE BEST WIP LATAM
Galerna
Tatiana Huezo (El Salvador)
Country(ies) of production: Mexico – Spain
WIP EUROPA AWARDS
WIP EUROPA INDUSTRY AWARD
A Contracorriente Films, Deluxe Content Services Spain, Elamedia Estudios, Laserfilm Cine y Video, Nephilim Producciones and Pecera Estudio
Me Fjalë Tjera / In a Manner of Speaking
Val Jashari (Kosovo)
Country(ies) of production: Kosovo – Montenegro
WIP EUROPA AWARD
Me Fjalë Tjera / In a Manner of Speaking
Val Jashari (Kosovo)
Country(ies) of production: Kosovo – Montenegro
XV EUROPE-LATIN AMERICA CO-PRODUCTION FORUM AWARDS
XV EUROPE-LATIN AMERICA CO-PRODUCTION FORUM BEST PROJECT AWARD
Los Inexpertos / The Amateurs
Felipe Solari Yrigoyen (Argentina)
Country(ies) of production: Chile – Argentina – Mexico
DALE! AWARD (DEVELOPMENT LATIN AMERICA-EUROPE)
Las ilusiones / The illusions
Ingrid Pokropek (Argentina)
Country(ies) of production: Argentina – Spain
ARTEKINO INTERNATIONAL PRIZE
El último sonidero / Mourning Sound
Selma Cervantes (Mexico)
Country(ies) of production: Mexico
IKUSMIRA BERRIAK AWARDS
SIDERAL AWARD
Akira
Ekain Albite (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain – Georgia
CASA WABI – ESCINE AWARD
The Spirit Healer is Away for the Weekend
Inês Nunes (Portugal)
Country(ies) of production: Portugal
TANTA AWARD
Akira
Ekain Albite (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain – Georgia
ZINEMALDIA STARTUP CHALLENGE AWARDS
Best Spanish Project
Pixentinel
Luis Zabala (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain
Best European Project
Virtual location scouting
Antti Ahokoivu (Finland)
Country(ies) of production: Finland
Special Mention to Entrepreneurship
Virtual location scouting
Antti Ahokoivu (Finland)
Country(ies) of production: Finland
XXII LAU HAIZETARA DOCUMENTARY CO-PRODUCTION FORUM AWARDS
EPE IBAIA-ELKARGI AWARD
“HAMAKA / THE HAMMOCK” Alfonso García
Produced by: Basque Films
Spain
MUSIC LIBRARY&SFX AWARD
“PAJARRACOS / SHADY BIRDS” Zaira Zanguitu
Produced by: Señor y Señora
Spain
DOGWOOF AWARD
“DIFFERENT COLORS OF SABIR” Safaa Khatib
Produced by: Philistine Films – Ginevra Films
Palestine-Italy
RTVE-ANOTHER LOOK AWARD
Soudain / All of a Sudden
Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Japan)
Country(ies) of production: France – Japan – Germany – Belgium
COOPERACIÓN ESPAÑOLA AWARD
Cinco años, cuatro meses / Five Years, Four Months
Juan Miguel Gelacio (Colombia), Esteban Hoyos García (Colombia)
Country(ies) of production: Colombia – USA
EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY 2030 AGENDA AWARD
Ceniza en la boca / Ashes
Diego Luna (Mexico)
Country(ies) of production: Mexico – Spain
TRANSFORMA MAKE & MARK AWARD
Tender Loving Care
Mike Leigh (United Kingdom)
Country(ies) of production: United Kingdom
FIPRESCI GRAND PRIX FOR BEST FILM OF THE YEAR
One Battle After Another
Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)
Country(ies) of production: USA
Honorary awards
DONOSTIA AWARDS
Werner Herzog
Naomi Watts
ZINEMIRA AWARD
Jose Ramon Soroiz
Parallel awards
FIPRESCI AWARD
Muyou no hito / In My Father’s Room
Maha Harada (Japan)
Country(ies) of production: Japan
FEROZ ZINEMALDIA 2026 AWARD
The Debut
Jesse Eisenberg (USA)
Country(ies) of production: USA
GIDOI + SGAE AWARD FOR THE BEST SCREENWRITER IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY 2026
Alauda Ruiz de Azúa (Spain)
Los domingos / Sundays
Alauda Ruiz de Azúa (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain – France
SEBASTIANE 2026 AWARD
Tangles
Leah Nelson (Canada)
Country(ies) of production: Canada – USA
LURRA – GREENPEACE AWARD
Tristan Forever
Tobias Nölle (Switzerland), Loran Bonnardot (France)
Country(ies) of production: Switzerland
SIGNIS AWARD
Tender Loving Care
Mike Leigh (United Kingdom)
Country(ies) of production: United Kingdom
Special Mention
Vicentina pede desculpas / On Behalf of My Son
Gabriel Martins (Brazil)
Country(ies) of production: Brazil
ATENEO GUIPUZCOANO AWARD
Muyou no hito / In My Father’s Room
Maha Harada (Japan)
Country(ies) of production: Japan
RTVE & UNICEF SPAIN FILM AND CHILDHOOD AWARD
Josephine
Beth de Araújo (USA)
Country(ies) of production: USA
Special Mention
Le corset / Iron Boy
Louis Clichy (France)
Country(ies) of production: France – Belgium
