Mike Leigh's Tender Loving Care won the Concha de Oro at the 74th Festival de San Sebastián. Leigh missed the ceremony because of his health. His film also won the award for best screenplay, which Leigh wrote himself.
La bola negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, received the Premio del Público Ciudad de Donostia / San Sebastián in the Perlak section. Javier Cámara won the Concha de Plata for best supporting performance for Cinco minutos más. The Javis now have a stronger footing in Spain's Oscar campaign. The Festival de San Sebastián said, “La bola negra had already registered a particularly strong audience response in the Perlak section before receiving the Premio del Público Ciudad de Donostia / San Sebastián.”
Kate O'Flynn shared the acting award with Danish performer Asta Kamma August. Leigh is 83 years old. The official Festival de San Sebastián results confirm both the screenplay prize and the shared acting recognition.
For the Spanish delegation, the result went beyond one audience vote. La bola negra became one of the basic Spanish stories at the festival. Cámara's award added a separate acting success. RTVE also reported the double Spanish result at the closing ceremony.
The film had drawn attention before the ceremony. An earlier report examined its route through Spanish cinema and its Oscar prospects. EFE said, “Javier Cámara received the Concha de Plata for best supporting performance for Cinco minutos más, making his award a separate Spanish acting success alongside La bola negra’s audience victory.”
Naza received the award for best European film. The documentary has put its directors in conflict with their own country, Israel, after they showed the genocide in Gaza. The filmmakers were declared traitors there. EFE highlighted that political context in its report on the festival award.
San Sebastián rewarded a British film whose director was absent. It also recognised Spanish work through Cámara and La bola negra. Naza brought a direct political charge to the results.
RTPA reports that Mike Leigh received the Concha de Oro and Javier Cámara won the Concha de Plata for best supporting performance. La bola negra supplied the decisive Spanish result. Its public prize is the clearest sign in this festival account that the Javis' film has reached audiences beyond its creators and is next with real momentum toward the Oscars.
