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 honored 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 honor she also received in 2015.
