Rye Horn takes top award in San Sebastian

Local director Jaione Camborda's period drama wins Golden Shell

by Amber Wilkinson

Janet Novás in The Rye Horn
Janet Novás in The Rye Horn Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival

Jaione Camborda's The Rye Horn took the top award of the Golden Shell as San Sebastian Film Festival drew to a close last night. The San Sebastian-born director's second film is set in 1970s Galicia and relates the struggles of a woman who finds herself forced to flee on a smugglers' route between Spain and Portugal.

The Best Director Silver Shell went to to Tzu-Hui Peng and Ping-Wen Wang for Taiwanese film A Journey In Spring and the Silver Shell for Best Screenplay went to María Alché and Benjamín Naishtat for Argentinian comedy Puan. Its star Marcelo Subiotto also won a Silver Shell for his portrayal of the hapless philosophy professor at the film's heart, which he shared, ex-aequo, with Tatsuya Fuji for his role in Japanese dementia drama Great Absence.

Jaione Camborda with her Golden Shell for Rye Horn
Jaione Camborda with her Golden Shell for Rye Horn Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival

In an unusual move in festival terms these days all of the gender neutral acting awards went to male performances with the jury, led by French director Claire Denis, giving the Best Supporting gong to Hovik Keuchkerian for his bear-like performance in Isabel Coixet's Un Amor. Certainly there was no shortage of great female performances, including Laia Costa, who plays a woman who has retreated to the countryside in the same film and Emmanuelle Devos's wife-in-denial in A Silence.

It was also a good night for Greenland-set Kalak, which took home awards a Special Jury Prize for Isabella Eklöf and the cinematography prize for Nadim Carlsen.

The full list of awards is below:

  • Golden Shell for Best Film: The Rye Horn, dir, Jaione Camborda
  • Special Jury Prize: Kalak, dir, Isabella Eklöf
  • Silver Shell for Best Director: A Journey in Spring, dir, Peng Tzu-Hui, Wang Ping-Wen
  • Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance (ex-aequo): Marcelo Subiotto for Puan and Tatsuya Fuji for “-Great Absence
  • Silver Shell For Best Supporting Performance: Hovik Keuchkerian for Un Amor
  • Jury Prize For Best Screenplay: María Alché, Benjamín Naishtat for Puan
  • Jury Prize For Best Cinematography: Nadim Carlsen for Kalak
  • Kutxabank-New Directors Award - Bahadur The Brave, dir, Diwa Shah
  • Horizontes Award: The Castle, dir, Martin Benchimol
  • Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award: The Human Surge 3, dir, Eduardo Williams
  • Nest Award: Amma Ki Katha, dir, Nehal Vyas
  • Special mention: Entre les autres, dir, Marie Falys
  • Culinary Zinema Best Film Award: The Taste Of Things (The Pot-au-Feu), dir, Dir: Tran Anh Hung
  • San Sebastián Audience Award: Society Of The Snow, dir JA Bayona
  • San Sebastián Audience Award for European Films: Io Capitano, dir, Matteo Garrone
  • Irizar Basque Film Award: Sultana’s Dream, dir, Isabel Herguera
  • TCM Youth Award: The Blue Star, dir, Javier Macipe
  • Fipresci Award: Fingernails, dir, Christos Nikou
  • Agenda 2030 Euskadi Basque Country Award: The Undesirables, dir, Ladj Li
  • Dunia Ayaso Award: Creatura, dir, Elena Martin Gimeno
  • Special Mention: While You’re Still You (The Yellow Ceiling), dir, Claudia Pinto
  • Eusko Label First Prize: Latxa, dir, Mikel Urretabizkaia
  • Eusko Label Second Prize: Soroborda, dir, Paolo Tizón
  • DALE! Award: Little War, dir Barbara Sarasola-Day
  • Artekino International Prize: The Days Off, dir, Lucila Mariani
  • XII Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum Best Project Award: These Were All Fields, dir Daniela Abad Lombana
  • WIP Latam Industry Award: Most People Die on Sunday, dir Iair Said
  • Egeda Platino Industria Award For The Best WIP Latam: Most People Die on Sunday, dir Iair Said
  • WIP Europa Industry Award: Mannequins, dir, Michael Fetter Nathansky
  • WIP Europa Award: Mannequins, dir, Michael Fetter Nathansky
  • Ikusmira Berriak Award: After the Night, the Night, d.ir Naomi Pacifique
  • Zinemaldia Startup Challenge Best Spanish Project: WitScript
  • Zinemaldia Startup Challenge Best European Project: Hyperate.io
  • RTVE Another Look Award: The Royal Hotel, dir Kitty Green
  • RTVE Another Look Award (Special Mention): All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, dir, Raven Jackson

Honorary Awards

  • Donostia Awards: Hayao Miyazaki, Javier Bardem, Víctor Erice
  • Zinemira Award: Paco Sagarzazu
  • Share this with others on...
    News

    Expanding the possible Fernanda Salgado on fantasy, reality, Jan Švankmajer and Ana, En Passant

    A burning thing Sneha Mehta and Teddy Stern on falling in love with Mumbai, and making Getar Hero

    Nothing is impossible Paul Rowley on moving to New York, the Pulse massacre, and Gays Against Guns

    ‘The only thing that makes a story universal is emotions’ Warsaw’s Industry panel discuss reaching audiences abroad

    The only thing worth saying Chuko and Arie Esiri on adapting Mrs Dalloway and making Clarissa

    European Film Academy shortlist announced 68 features vie for nomination

    More news and features

    We're bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the London Film Festival and Newfest.



    We're looking forward to the Belfast Film Festival, Halloween Frightfest, the Cheltenham International Film Festival and the Leeds International Film Festival.



    We've recently brought you coverage of the New York Film Festival, Grimmfest, Beyond Fest, the San Sebastian International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival.



    Read our full for more.


    Visit our festivals section.

    Interact

    Don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon, Instagram and Bluesky.


    It's a busy time for festivals and here's the latest:


    London Winners announced


    Tallinn Black Nights UK co-production joins Works In Progress


    Warsaw What Belongs To Others takes top prize


    Tallinn Baltic Competition, Rebels With A Cause and Critics' Picks titles announced


    Dinard I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning named Best Film