Spain’s 70th Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci) concluded on November 1 with Kelly Reichardt’s “Mastermind” and Lav Diaz’s “Magellan” sharing the highest honor, the Golden Spike for Best Picture.
The jury, made up of Spanish director Elena López Riera, Italian producer Laurentina Guidotti, French critic Serge Tubiana, Portuguese director João Pedro Rodríguez and Romanian critic Mihai Chirilov, marked the fourth tie in the event’s 70 years, following in 1963, 1971 and 1984. He paid tribute to two important writers.
The Mastermind, Mubi’s first official release as a Spanish distributor, was cited for “elegantly and ironically” deconstructing genre rules to reveal “desire, fantasy, and failure.”
Mastermind, an existential whimsy about a working-class drifter’s descent into art-world thievery, won Best Cinematography for Christopher Blauvelt “for its sophistication of atmosphere and lighting that meshed perfectly with Reichardt’s story.”
Díaz’s Magellan, the Philippines’ Oscar-nominated film, was praised for “transporting us from the present to the past and rereading colonial history through a complex and critical lens.” Spain’s co-production support by Albert Serra and Montse Triola’s Underground Film and Tenerife-based El Viaje Film underlines the strengthening of Spain’s, and indeed the Valladolid Film Festival’s, interconnectedness with Spain and the world film community.
magellan
Provided by Rosa Film
Valladolid’s Silver Spike commissioned Ildiko Enyedi to write Silent Friend, a lyrical and timeless story linked to a centuries-old ginkgo tree in a German botanical garden. Our environmentally friendly efforts also earned us a Green Spike.
The Best Director award went to Argentine Ezequiel Salinas and Ramiro Sonzini’s The Night Is Already Gone, which was praised as a tender and clear reminder of cinema as a space for encounter and political resistance amid the current turmoil in Argentina’s film and television industry.
The acting award went to Eva Victor for her directorial debut, “Sorry, Baby,” and Harry Melling for “Pillion.” Both performances, the jury said, “masterfully carried the bittersweet drama, humanized the film, and unleashed its emotional core.”
The special award went to non-professional Lionel Corral Bernal, Lionel Corral and Alicia Corral Bernal. “Lionel,” a Spanish-French co-production directed by Carlos Sais, is a collaboration between Iconica and Promenade, about a family trio whose “honesty and the power of emotion” blur fiction and life.
Spain’s Fernando Franco and Begoña Arostegui won the Miguel Delibes Award for Best Original Screenplay for “Sabzuelo,” a story about abuse, revenge, and family deception in the aftermath of a tragic car accident.
Franco’s fourth feature, to be sold by Elle Driver, is produced by LaZona, Kowalski Films, Ferdydurke and Blizzard Films, with release in Spain scheduled via LaZona Pictures, marking the banner’s foray into high-end distribution alongside production.
silent friend
Provided by Film Boutique
Nili Ferrer won the editing award for “Yes,” which was described as “both a puzzle and a mental challenge,” produced with pinpoint precision.
Under José Luis Cienfuegos, who will serve as director from 2023, Valladolid is strengthening the industry’s access to Spain’s indie sector, serving as the second major fall hub for domestic launches after San Sebastian, while expanding its business through the independent market Merci, co-hosted with Adisin.
The festival, positioned as a select author event that is increasingly becoming a year-end hub for producers, distributors and sales organizations to announce titles for domestic release and international travel, reported attendance of more than 100,000, an increase of approximately 6% year over year.
This year’s tributes included honorary spikes to French actress and director Mia Hansen-Love and Spanish actor Luis Callejo, as well as recognition of Spain’s top film schools ECAM in Madrid and ESCAC in Catalonia for their role in developing young talent.
And awards:
main competition
Golden Spike (formerly Equo)
“Mastermind” Kelly Reichert,
“Magellan” Lav Diaz
silver spikes
“Silent Friend” Ildiko Enyedi
Ribera del Duero Award for Best Director
Ezequiel Salinas & Ramiro Songini “The Night Is Fading Away”
Best Actress Award
Eva Victor: “Sorry, baby”
Best Actor Award
Harry Melling “Pillion”
Special Notes — Performers
Lionel Corral Bernal, Lionel Corral & Alicia Corral Bernal, “Lionel”
Best Cinematography Award
Christopher Blauvelt “The Mastermind”
Miguel Delibes Award for Best Screenplay
Fernando Franco & Begoña Arostegui “Subsuelo”
Jose Salcedo Award for Best Editing
Nili Ferrer: “Yes”
meeting place
meeting point award
“Just resting in the storm” Pedro Pinho
Fundos Special Award
“Last night I conquered the city of Thebes” Gabriel Azorin
ESCAC Award for Best Director
Alexe Pukin “Kika”
Special note
Pauline Roques “Nino”
alchemy
grand prize
Leonor Neuvo “Brakna”
Special note
Damien Hauser “Memories of Princess Mumbi”
historical era
grand prize
Federico Veiroi “Face to Face”
special award
Vladlena Sandu “Memory”
Special note
Alexander Rodnyansky & Andriy Alferov “Notes of a True Criminal”
Dr. spanish award
Candela Sotos “Yrupẽ”
Dr. Spanish special award
Ruben Seca “Los Cangrejos”
Other feature awards
Pilar Miró Award for Best Spanish Coach
Lucia Arenhal “Fostera”
mini mince award
John Holmberg “Super Charlie”
Seminchi Youth Award
Jean Komasa “Good Boy”
short film award
golden spike
Jacob Ladani Janso “Living Stone”
silver spikes
Marta Reis Andrade “Dog Alone”
silver spikes
Gil Sera “No Skate!”
Best European Short Film Award
Hedda Mjoen “Mercy”
Best Spanish Short Film Award
“September Oaks” Lucia G. Romero
Spanish Short Film Special Award
“Abortion Party” Julia Mellen
Castilla y Leon Short Film Award
Alberto Arica “Darshan”
Movistar Plus+ Short Film Project Award
“El cuerpo en cuestión” Maria Herrera
unofficial award
rainbow spike
“Between Dreams and Hopes” Farnoush Samadhi
green spike
“Silent Friend” Ildiko Enyedi
Green Spike — Special Mention
“Hair, Paper, Water” Nicola Groh & Truong Minh Quy
Fiplessi Award
“The Two Prosecutors” Sergei Loznitsa
Audience Award — International
“Hamnet” Chloe Zhao
Audience Award — Meeting Point
Cyril Alice “Sad and Beautiful World”
