Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care Wins San Sebastián Golden Shell and Best Screenplay

At the 2026 San Sebastián International Film Festival, Mike Leigh’s latest feature, Tender Loving Care, emerged as the festival’s top prize winner, taking the Golden Shell for Best Film as well as the Best Screenplay prize. The announcer’s list underscored Leigh’s status as a veteran auteur whose newest project is described in press materials as potentially his final feature. Leigh did not travel to Spain to accept the honors; he appeared via video message from New York, where he is preparing the U.S. premiere of Tender Loving Care.

The festival’s acting prizes complemented the top award. Kate O’Flynn shared the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance with Asta Kamma August (Growth of the Soil) after the juried decision. Growth of the Soil also earned its own win for Best Cinematography, linking the two films in a notable recognition of craft across categories.

Additional prizes on the night included the Silver Shell for Best Director, awarded to Amanda Kernell for Brace Your Heart, and the Silver Shell for Best Supporting Performance, given to Javier Cámara for 5 More Minutes. The Special Jury Prize went to Border (Ah Biao). The City of Donostia/San Sebastián Audience Award went to La bola negra, signaling strong audience resonance for that title.

Ira Sachs served as jury president for the awards, with a cross-disciplinary panel that included Genki Kawamura, Catherine Paillé, Alice Braga, Patricia López Arnaiz, Bill Skarsgård, and Mike Goodridge. The jury’s composition reflected a mix of directing, screenwriting, acting, and producing perspectives, mirroring the festival’s broad approach to recognizing cinema across formats and geographies.

In remarks accompanying the clip of the ceremony, Leigh expressed thanks for the honors: “What a great honour it is.” The director’s absence from the in-person presentation is contextualized by his U.S. premiere commitments, reinforcing the global nature of San Sebastián as a launching pad for international titles and careers.

Beyond Tender Loving Care, the festival’s winners list also highlighted a wide array of international work across categories, illustrating San Sebastián’s role in spotlighting both new voices and established filmmakers. The event underscores the festival’s continued importance in shaping conversations around prestige, craft, and the ways in which cinema travels between Europe, the Americas, and beyond.

Source: Deadline

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