Jaione Camborda Wins Golden Shell for Best Film at San Sebastian Film Festival 

It’s a Golden period for Jaione Camborda.

The San Sebastian Film Festival awarded the 40-year-old Spanish filmmaker’s O Corno (The Rye Horn) with the Golden Shell for Best Film.

Jaione CambordaSet on an island off the coast of Galicia in 1971, the film tells the story of a woman who earns a living harvesting shellfish. She’s also known on the island for helping other women in childbirth but has to flee and try to cross the border into Portugal after an unexpected event.

Camborda, who was born in San Sebastian, is the fourth woman to win the Golden Shell after The Kings Of The World by Colombian director Laura Mora last year, Blue Moon by Alina Grigore from Romania in 2021, and Beginning by Georgian director Dea Kulumbegashvili in 2020.

Additionally, the Best Screenplay Award went to María Alché and Benjamín Naishtat for Puan (Argentina-Italy-Germany-France-Brazil).

The Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance fell ex aequo upon Marcelo Subiotto and Tatsuya Fuji for their respective roles in Puan, by Alché and Naishtat, and Great Absence (Japan), by Kei Chika-ura, while the Silver Shell for Best Supporting Performance went to Hovik Keuchkerian for his character in Un amor (Spain) by Isabel Coixet.

Here’s the full list of winners:

San Sebastian 2023 Award Winners List

Golden Shell For Best Film
O Corno (The Rye Horn)
Jaione Camborda (Spain)
Spain – Portugal – Belgium

Special Jury Prize
Kalak
Isabella Eklöf (Sweden)
Denmark – Sweden – Norway – Finland – Greenland – Netherlands

Silver Shell For Best Director
Tzu-Hui Peng, Ping-Wen Wang (Taiwan)
Chun Xing (A Journey In Spring)
Taiwan

Silver Shell For Best Leading Performance
Marcelo Subiotto (Argentina)
Puan
Argentina – Italy – Germany – France – Brazil

Tatsuya Fujo (Japan)
Great Absence
Japan

Silver Shell For Best Supporting Performance
Hovik Keuchkerian (Lebanon)
Un Amor
Spain

Jury Prize For Best Screenplay
María Alché, Benjamín Naishtat (Argentina)
Puan
Argentina – Italy – Germany – France – Brazil

Jury Prize For Best Cinematography
Nadim Carlsen (Denmark)
Kalak
Denmark – Sweden – Norway – Finland – Greenland – Netherlands

New Directors Award
Bahadur The Brave
Diwah Shah (India)
India

Horizontes Award
El Castillo (The Castle)
Martín Benchimol (Argentina)
Argentina – France – Spain

Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award
El Auge del Humano 3 (The Human Surge 3)
Eduardo Williams (Argentina)
Argentina – Portugal – Netherlands – Taiwan – Brazil – Hong Kong – Sri Lanka – Perú

Special Mention: El Juicio (The Trial)
Ulises de la Orden (Argentina)
Argentina – Norway – France – Italy

Nest The Mediapro Nest Awards
Amma Ki Katha
Nehal Vyas (India)

Special Mention: Entre Les Autres
Marie Falys (Belgium)

Culinary Zinema Best Film Award
La Passion de Dodin Bouffant (The Pot Au Feu)
Tran Anh Hung (Vietnam)

Eusko Label Prize
First Prize: Latxa
Mike Urretabizkaia (Spain)

Second Prize: Soroborda
Paolo Tizón (Perú)

Irizar Basque Film Award
El Sueño De La Sultana / Sultana’s Dream
Isabel Herguera (Spain)

City Of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Award
La Sociedad De La Nieve / Society Of The Snow
J.A. Bayona (Spain)

City Of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Award For Best European Film
Io Capitano / I’m Captain
Matteo Garrone (Italy)

TCM Youth Award
La Estrella Azul / The Blue Star
Javier Macipe (Spain)

WIP Latam Industry Award
Los Domingos Mueren Más Personas / Most People Die On Sundays
Iair Said (Argentina)

Egeda Platino Industria Award For The Best WIP Latam
Los Domingos Mueren Más Personas / Most People Die On Sundays
Iair Said (Argentina)

WIP Latam Industry Award
Mannequins (Wt)
Michael Fetter Nathansky (Germany)

WIP Europa Awards
Mannequins (Wt)
Michael Fetter Nathansky (Germany)

XII Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum Best Project Award
Todo Esto Eran Mangas / These Were All Fields
Daniela Abad Lombana (Italy)

Dale! Award (Development Latin America-Europe)
Little War
Barbara Sarasola-Day (Argentina)

Artekino International Prize
Los Días Libres / The Days Off
Lucila Mariani (Argentina)

Elamedia Euskadi Post-Production Award
After The Night, The Night
Naomi Pacifique (Switzerland – Netherlands)

Zinemaldia Startup Challenge Award
Best European Project
Hyperate.Io
Germany 

Best Spanish Project
Witscript
Spain

Ibaia-Bilibin Circular Award
Yo Terrateniente
Rodrigo Demirjian
Produced By: Tourmalet Films, Ah! Cine
(Spain – Argentina)

Dogwoof Award
December
Grzegorz Paprzycki
Produced By: Telemark, Just A Moment
(Poland Lithuania)

Ibaia-Elkargi Award
Pulso
Victoria Alvares, Quentin Delaroche
Produced By: Revoada Produçoes
(Brazil)

RTVE – Another Look Award
The Royal Hotel
Kitty Green (Australia)

Special Mention: All Dirt Roads Taste Of Salt
Raven Jackson (Usa)

Cooperación Española Award
La Estrella Azul / The Blue Star
Javier Macipe (Spain)

Euskadi Basque Country 2030 Agenda Award
Bâtiment 5 / Les Indésirables
Ladj Ly (France)

Dunia Ayaso Award
Creatura
Elena Martín Gimeno (Spain)

Special Mention: Mientras Seas Tú / Mentre Siguis Tu / While You’re Still You
Claudia Pinto Emperador (Venezuela)

Donostia Awards
Hayao Miyazaki
Javier Bardem
Víctor Erice

Zinemira Award
Paco Sagarzazu

Fipresci Award
Fingernails
Christos Nikou (Greece)

Feroz Zinemaldia 2023 Award
Un Amor
Isabel Coixet (Spain)

Euskal Gidoigileen Elkartea Award
Isabel Herguera (Spain), Gianmarco Serra (Italy)
“El Sueño De La Sultana / Sultana’s Dream” (Spain – Germany)

Sebastiane 2023 Award
20.000 Especies De Abejas / 20,000 Species Of Bees
Estibaliz Urresola (Spain)

Special Mention: Gabi, 8 Urtetik 13 Urtera / Gabi: Between Ages 8 And 13
Engeli Broberg (Sweden)

Lurra – Greenpeace Award
Aku Wa Sonzai Shinai / Evil Does Not Exist
Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Japan) 

Signis Award
All Dirt Roads Taste Of Salt
Raven Jackson (Usa)

Ateneo Guipuzcoano Award
Great Absence
Kei Chika-Ura (Japan)

Trailer Released for Leonardo Sbaraglila & Marcelo Subiotto’s Film “Puan”

Leonardo Sbaraglila and Marcelo Subiotto are officially at odds…

The first official trailer has been released for Argentinian filmmaking duo María Alché and Benjamín Naishtat’s latest feature Puan, starring the 53-year-old Argentine actor and 56-year-old Argentine actor.

Leonardo Sbaraglila, Marcelo Subiotto, Puan,The film centers on two Philosophy professors dueling to be the chair of a school’s Faculty of Philosophy.

The full synopsis reads: Marcelo has devoted his life to teaching philosophy at the Public University of Buenos Aires. When his mentor Professor Caselli dies unexpectedly, Marcelo expects to become the new head of the Department. However, his plans turn upside down with the unexpected arrival of Rafael Sujarchuk. Charismatic and seductive, Rafael returns from his pedestal in European universities to claim the vacant position. Marcelo’s clumsy efforts to prove he is the right candidate will trigger a philosophical duel while his life -and the country- enter a spiral of chaos.

Celebrated French director of photography Hélène Louvart shot the film.

Further credits include editing by Livia Serpa, sound design by Fernando Ribero and production design by Julieta Dolinsky.

“We see this film as a complex and dynamic experience in which the audience participates in a kind of Chaplin-esque hilarity while, at the same time, asking questions regarding identity, existence, and the future. In Puan, the characters face an uncertain reality in which nothing is as it was,” Alche and Naishtat said of the film.

“The film begins with the death of a teacher and mentor, leaving a question that lingers throughout the film. How do those intangible elements (ideas, thoughts, lessons) persist once someone is gone? How do they continue to exist in those that remain?”

Benjamín Naishtat Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

Benjamín Naishtat is going global…

The 32-year-old Argentinian writer and director has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) in all areas.

Benjamín Naishtat

Born in Buenos Aires, Naishtat is best known for creating experimental and fictional shorts centered on historical and societal complexities. He has made a name for himself on the global film circuit: His first feature, History of Fear played at the Berlin Film Festival, and it won the Best Film Award at the Jeonju International Film Festival.

Additionally, he wrote and directed The Movement, which participated in the Cineasti del Presente section of the Locarno Film Festival.

His most recent film Rojo made its world premiere earlier this year at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Platform section; it t was also an official selection at the San Sebastián Film Festival where it won the Silver Shell for Best Director.

Guerra’s “Embrace of the Serpent” Wins Best Film at Mar del Plata Film Fest

Ciro Guerra continues his winning ways…

The 34-year-old Colombian film director and screenwriter ‘s latest film Embrace of the Serpent took the Astor award for best film at the 30th edition of the Festival Internacional de Cine de Mar del Plata, which officially closed on Saturday night.

Ciro Guerra's Embrace of the Serpent

Earlier this year, the Colombian-Venezuelan-Argentine co-production topped the Director’s Fortnight at the last edition of the Cannes Film Festival, and was selected by the Colombian Film Academy as the country’s submission for the Oscars in the best foreign-language film category.

The best actor award was delivered to the entire male cast of Pablo Larrain‘s The Club: Alfredo Castro, Roberto Farias, Jaime Vadell and Alejandro Goic.

The film, Chile’s Oscar candidate, also grabbed best screenplay for writers Guillermo Calderon, Daniel Villalobos and Pablo Larrain.

The best actress award went to Erica Rivas (Wild Tales), for Ariel Rotter‘s Incident Light.

In the Latin American competition, the jury formed by Valdivia film fest director Raul Camargo Borquez, Jang Byungwon, and Andrea Picard selected Nelson Carlo de los Santos AriasSanta Teresa & Other Stories as best film, and Natural Arpajou‘s Princesas for best short.

Benjamin Naishtat‘s Locarno entry El movimiento won best film in the local competition.

The best director award went to Fernando Salem for How Most Things Work.

The only A class festival in Latin America, Mar del Plata runs October 30 to Novenber 7.

Here’s a look at the main awards:

International Competition
Best Film: Embrace of the Serpent (Ciro Guerra)
Best Director: Ivan Ostrochovsky, for Koza.
Best Actor: the male cast of The Club – Alfredo Castro, Roberto Farías, Jaime Vadell and Alejandro Goic.
Best Actress: Erica Rivas (Incident Light)
Best Screenplay: The Club – Guillermo Calderon, Daniel Villalobos and Pablo Larrain.

Latin American Competition
Best Film: Santa Teresa & Other Stories (Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias)
Best Short Film: Princesas (Natural Arpajou)

Argentine Competition
Best Film: El movimiento (Benjamin Naishtat)
Special Mention: Docile Bodies (Matias Scarvaci and Diego Gachassin)
Best Director: Fernando Salem, for How Most Things Work.
Best Short Film: Fantastico (Matias Sposato)
Best Short Film Director: Pablo Camaiti, for Gomorra.
DAC Award for Best Argentine Film in All Competitions: Docile Bodies

Other Awards
FIPRESCI Award: Incident Light (Ariel Rotter)
Best Work in Progress: The Corroborators (Luis Bernardez)
Jury Prize Work in Progress: La helada negra (Maximiliano Schonfeld)
Alfredo Alcon Award: Guillermo Francella