The festival’s big winner was Georgian writer/director Dea Kulumbegashvili’s debut feature “Beginning,” taking four of the jury prizes including Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actress, and the Golden Shell for Best Film. A psychological portrait of the effects of an extremist attack on a rural place of worship, “Beginning” was originally slotted for a Cannes competition premiere, and also played the Toronto International Film Festival. Next, it will head to the ongoing New York Film Festival. Other highlights included Florian Zeller’s Oscar hopeful “The Father,” winner of the Audience Award — and a likely Best Actor nominee next year for Anthony Hopkins’ devastating turn as a man wrestling with dementia. Mads Mikkelsen took the Silver Shell for Best Actor for his performance as a drunken teacher in Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round,” hot off acclaim in Toronto. Eliza Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” a February 2020 stateside opener hit hard by the pandemic, also picked up an award outside the official selection.
Led by president Luca Guadagnino, the jury members included Joe Alwyn, Marisa Fernández Armenteros, Michel Franco, and Lena Mossum. See the full list of winners below. Official Selection Prizes Golden Shell for Best Film: “Beginning,” Dea Kulumbegashvili Special Jury Prize: “Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan,” Julien Temple Silver Shell for Best Director: “Beginning,” Dea Kulumbegashvili Silver Shell for Best Actress: “Beginning,” Ia Sukhitashvili Silver Shell for Best Actor: “Another Round,” Mads Mikkelsen Best Screenplay: “Beginning,” Dea Kulumbegashvili and Rati Oneli Best Cinematography: “Any Crybabies Around?,” Yuta Tsukinaga Other Festival Prizes New Directors’ Award: “Last Days of Spring,” Isabel Lamberti New Directors’ Award (Special Mention): “Slow Singing,” Dong Xingyi Latin Horizons Award: “Identifying Features,” Fernanda Valadez Latin Horizons Award (Special Mention): “One in a Thousand,” Clarisa Navas San Sebastian Audience Award: “The Father,” Florian Zeller Audience Award for Best European Film: “The Mole Agent,” Maite Alberdi Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award: “The Metamorphosis of Birds,” Catarina Vasconcelos Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award (Special Mention): “The Woman Who Ran,” Hong Sang-soo TVE Another Look Award: “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” Eliza Hittman TVE Another Look Award (Special Mention): “Gull,” Kim Mi-jo
Spanish Cooperation Award: “Identifying Features,” Fernanda Valadez Irizar Basque Film Award: “Where is Mikel?,” Amaia Merino and Miguel Angel Llamas Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
