San Sebastián: Mike Leigh’s ‘Tender Loving Care’ Wins Golden Shell & Best Screenplay

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. Watch on Deadline 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 – FIAPFGOLDEN SHELL FOR BEST FILMTender Loving CareMike Leigh (United Kingdom)Country(ies) of production: United KingdomSPECIAL JURY PRIZEBian jing / BorderAh Biao (China)Country(ies) of production: Hong Kong – USA – South KoreaSILVER SHELL FOR BEST DIRECTORAMANDA KERNELL (Sweden)Garrat du váimmu / Brace Your HeartCountry(ies) of production: Sweden – Norway – Denmark – Iceland – BulgariaSILVER SHELL FOR BEST LEADING PERFORMANCE (shared)KATE O’FLYNN (UK)Tender Loving CareCountry(ies) of production: United KingdomASTA KAMMA AUGUST (Sweden)Markens grøde / Growth of the SoilCountry(ies) of production: Norway – Denmark – GermanySILVER SHELL FOR BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCEJAVIER CÁMARA (Spain)5 minutos más / 5 More MinutesCountry(ies) of production: SpainJURY PRIZE FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHYOSKAR DAHLSBAKKEN (Norway)Markens grøde / Growth of the SoilCountry(ies) of production: Norway – Denmark – GermanyJURY PRIZE FOR BEST SCREENPLAYMIKE LEIGH (UK)Tender Loving CareCountry(ies) of production: United KingdomOther official awardsKUTXABANK-NEW DIRECTORS AWARDBody of GlassNaëmi Ada (Germany)Country(ies) of production: Germany – FranceSpecial MentionThe World BeforeYoon Dan-bi (South Korea)Country(ies) of production: South Korea – Japan – FranceHORIZONTES MAKE & MARK AWARDLa ilusión de un verano sin fin / The Illusion of an Everlasting SummerAlessandra Sanguinetti (USA)Country(ies) of production: Argentina – USASpecial MentionMoscas / FliesFernando Eimbcke (Mexico)Country(ies) of production: Mexico – SpainZABALTEGI-TABAKALERA AWARDTeenage Sex and Death at Camp MiasmaJane Schoenbrun (USA)Country(ies) of production: USA – CanadaSpecial MentionA veces me entra tristeza, otras veces rebelión / Sometimes Sadness, Sometimes RebellionMaría Aparicio (Argentina)Country(ies) of production: Argentina – SpainTABAKALERA FILM AND AUDIOVISUAL LABORATORY-NEST AWARDDihapus dari peta / Erased from the MapMaarij Reka (Indonesia)Country(ies) of production: IndonesiaFilm & Television Institute Art Indonesia Yogyakarta (Indonesia)Special MentionNingú borda / Nobody BarksJúlia Coldwell Serra (Spain)Country(ies) of production: Spain ESCAC (Spain)SGAE AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL MUSICAMINE BOUHAFA (France – Tunisia)7h40 ce matin-là / MiloNicole Garcia (France)Country(ies) of production: FranceCULINARY ZINEMA AWARDBurgundyMichael Dweck (USA), Gregory Kershaw (USA)Country(ies) of production: USAIRIZAR BASQUE FILM AWARDTxakun txakürElsa Oliarj-Inès (France)Country(ies) of production: France – SpainCITY OF DONOSTIA / SAN SEBASTIAN AUDIENCE AWARDLa bola negraJavier Calvo (Spain), Javier Ambrossi (Spain)Country(ies) of production: Spain – FranceCITY OF DONOSTIA / SAN SEBASTIAN AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST EUROPEAN FILMNAZAYuval Abraham (Israel), Rachel Szor (Israel)Country(ies) of production: UKDAMA YOUTH AWARDLa ilusión de un verano sin fin / The Illusion of an Everlasting SummerAlessandra Sanguinetti (USA)Country(ies) of production: Argentina – USAEUSKO LABEL AWARDSEUSKO LABEL FIRST AWARDEsperantza (Short film)Josu Ozaita (Spain)Country(ies) of production: SpainEUSKO LABEL SECOND AWARDEskuak / Hands (Short film)Mikel Urretabizkaia (Spain)Country(ies) of production: SpainLOTERÍAS AWARDSLOTERÍAS FIRST AWARDPrejuicios (Short film)Javi Prada (Spain)Country(ies) of production: SpainLOTERÍAS SECOND AWARDHeadscarf (Short film)Lucía Saavedra (Spain)Country(ies) of production: Spain – UKIndustry awardsWIP LATAM AWARDSWIP LATAM INDUSTRY AWARDA Contracorriente Films, Deluxe Content Services Spain, Elamedia Estudios, Laserfilm Cine y Video, Nephilim Producciones and Pecera EstudioLovers Go Home!Juan Sebastián Mesa (Colombia)Country(ies) of production: Colombia – Spain – Canada – FranceEGEDA PLATINO INDUSTRIA AWARD FOR THE BEST WIP LATAMGalernaTatiana Huezo (El Salvador)Country(ies) of production: Mexico – SpainWIP EUROPA AWARDSWIP EUROPA INDUSTRY AWARDA Contracorriente Films, Deluxe Content Services Spain, Elamedia Estudios, Laserfilm Cine y Video, Nephilim Producciones and Pecera EstudioMe Fjalë Tjera / In a Manner of SpeakingVal Jashari (Kosovo)Country(ies) of production: Kosovo – MontenegroWIP EUROPA AWARDMe Fjalë Tjera / In a Manner of SpeakingVal Jashari (Kosovo)Country(ies) of production: Kosovo – MontenegroXV EUROPE-LATIN AMERICA CO-PRODUCTION FORUM AWARDSXV EUROPE-LATIN AMERICA CO-PRODUCTION FORUM BEST PROJECT AWARDLos Inexpertos / The AmateursFelipe Solari Yrigoyen (Argentina)Country(ies) of production: Chile – Argentina – MexicoDALE! AWARD (DEVELOPMENT LATIN AMERICA-EUROPE)Las ilusiones / The illusionsIngrid Pokropek (Argentina)Country(ies) of production: Argentina – SpainARTEKINO INTERNATIONAL PRIZEEl último sonidero / Mourning SoundSelma Cervantes (Mexico)Country(ies) of production: MexicoIKUSMIRA BERRIAK AWARDSSIDERAL AWARDAkiraEkain Albite (Spain)Country(ies) of production: Spain – GeorgiaCASA WABI – ESCINE AWARDThe Spirit Healer is Away for the WeekendInês Nunes (Portugal)Country(ies) of production: Portugal TANTA AWARDAkiraEkain Albite (Spain)Country(ies) of production: Spain – GeorgiaZINEMALDIA STARTUP CHALLENGE AWARDSBest Spanish ProjectPixentinelLuis Zabala (Spain)Country(ies) of production: SpainBest European ProjectVirtual location scoutingAntti Ahokoivu (Finland)Country(ies) of production: FinlandSpecial Mention to EntrepreneurshipVirtual location scoutingAntti Ahokoivu (Finland)Country(ies) of production: FinlandXXII LAU HAIZETARA DOCUMENTARY CO-PRODUCTION FORUM AWARDSEPE IBAIA-ELKARGI AWARD“HAMAKA / THE HAMMOCK” Alfonso García Produced by: Basque Films SpainMUSIC LIBRARY&SFX AWARD“PAJARRACOS / SHADY BIRDS” Zaira Zanguitu Produced by: Señor y Señora SpainDOGWOOF AWARD“DIFFERENT COLORS OF SABIR” Safaa Khatib Produced by: Philistine Films – Ginevra Films Palestine-ItalyRTVE-ANOTHER LOOK AWARDSoudain / All of a SuddenRyusuke Hamaguchi (Japan)Country(ies) of production: France – Japan – Germany – BelgiumCOOPERACIÓN ESPAÑOLA AWARDCinco años, cuatro meses / Five Years, Four MonthsJuan Miguel Gelacio (Colombia), Esteban Hoyos García (Colombia)Country(ies) of production: Colombia – USAEUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY 2030 AGENDA AWARDCeniza en la boca / AshesDiego Luna (Mexico)Country(ies) of production: Mexico – SpainTRANSFORMA MAKE & MARK AWARDTender Loving CareMike Leigh (United Kingdom)Country(ies) of production: United KingdomFIPRESCI GRAND PRIX FOR BEST FILM OF THE YEAROne Battle After AnotherPaul Thomas Anderson (USA)Country(ies) of production: USAHonorary awardsDONOSTIA AWARDSWerner HerzogNaomi WattsZINEMIRA AWARDJose Ramon SoroizParallel awardsFIPRESCI AWARDMuyou no hito / In My Father’s RoomMaha Harada (Japan)Country(ies) of production: JapanFEROZ ZINEMALDIA 2026 AWARDThe DebutJesse Eisenberg (USA)Country(ies) of production: USAGIDOI + SGAE AWARD FOR THE BEST SCREENWRITER IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY 2026Alauda Ruiz de Azúa (Spain)Los domingos / SundaysAlauda Ruiz de Azúa (Spain)Country(ies) of production: Spain – FranceSEBASTIANE 2026 AWARDTanglesLeah Nelson (Canada)Country(ies) of production: Canada – USALURRA – GREENPEACE AWARDTristan ForeverTobias Nölle (Switzerland), Loran Bonnardot (France)Country(ies) of production: SwitzerlandSIGNIS AWARDTender Loving CareMike Leigh (United Kingdom)Country(ies) of production: United KingdomSpecial MentionVicentina pede desculpas / On Behalf of My SonGabriel Martins (Brazil)Country(ies) of production: BrazilATENEO GUIPUZCOANO AWARDMuyou no hito / In My Father’s RoomMaha Harada (Japan)Country(ies) of production: JapanRTVE & UNICEF SPAIN FILM AND CHILDHOOD AWARDJosephineBeth de Araújo (USA)Country(ies) of production: USASpecial MentionLe corset / Iron BoyLouis Clichy (France)Country(ies) of production: France – Belgium