Women win top awards at San Sebastian film festival

This is the first time the film festival has given gender neutral awards, without any separate categories for men and women.

Associated Press

27 Sep, 2021

Female actors and filmmakers swept the top awards at the San Sebastian film festival on Saturday, with the Golden Shell for the best film going to Blue Moon (Crai Nou) by Romanian director Alina Grigore.

American actress and producer Jessica Chastain was honoured for her portrayal of Christian televangelist Tammy Faye Messner in The Eyes of Tammy Faye at the 69th edition of Spain’s biggest film festival.

Chastain shared the best leading performance award with 16-year-old Flora Ofelia Hofmann Lindahl, who starred in the Danish film As in Heaven (Du som er i himlen). Tea Lindeburg received the best director award for the same film.

It was the first time that the film festival gave gender neutral awards, without any separate categories for men and women.

Tatiana Huezo’s Prayers for the Stolen (Noche de fuego) won the prize for the best Latin American film.

Other winners included Claire Mathon, who received the cinematography award for Undercover (Enquête sur un scandale d’état) and Lucile Hadzihalilovic whose film Earwig earned her the festival’s special prize, an honour she also received in 2015.