Pacified takes Golden Shell

The Endless Trench also a big winner in San Sebastian

by Amber Wilkinson

Pacified took the Golden Shell
Pacified took the Golden Shell Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival
Brazilian film Pacified (Pacificado), directed by an American and produced by, among others, Darren Aronofsky, won the Gold Shell at San Sebastian Film Festival. Texan director Paxton Winters' film, which tells the story of a teenager who begins to found a relationship with her long-incarcerated and freshly released father, also won the Silver Shell for best acting for Bukassa Kabengele.

Spanish film The Endless Trench - directed by Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga - also won a clutch of awards. The story of tells a man who hides from Franco for decades behind a false wall in his father's home, stars Antonio de La Torre and Belén Cuesta and took home the Silver Shells for best script and direction, having already snagged the FIPRESCI critics' prize and Basque film award earlier in the week.

German star Nina Hoss and Spanish actress Greta Fernández won the best actress Silver Shell, ex aqueo, for their roles in Ina Weisse's The Audition and Belén Funes' A Thief's Daughter. Hoss plays and obsessive violin teacher in Weisse's chilly character study, while Fernández stars as a single mum trying to navigate her relationship with her estranged father in Funes' drama.

There was also a Special Jury Prize for Alice Wincour's Proxima and a cinematography Jury Prize for Laura Merians' work on Pacified.

Full list of awards

  • Golden Shell Pacificado (Pacified), directed by Paxton Winters
  • Special Jury Prize Proxima, directed by Alice Winocour
  • Director Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga, The Endless Trench
  • Actress Silver Shell Greta Fernandez and Nina Hoss, for A Thief's Daughter and The Endless Trench respectively (ex aqueo)
  • Actor Silver Shell Bukassa Kabengele,
  • Cinematography Jury Prize Laura Merians, Pacified
  • Screenplay Silver Shell Luiso Berdejo, Jose Mari Goenaga, The Endless Trench
  • New Directors Jorge Riquelme Serrano for Algunas Bestias (Some Beasts)
  • Horizontes Romina Paula for De Nuevo Otra Vez (Again, Once Again)
  • Films in Progress Sin Señas Particulares (Non Distinguishing Features), directed by Fernanda Valadez
  • Glocal in Progress Prize Galaktika e Andromedes (Andromeda Galaxy), directed by More Raça
  • EFADs-CAACI Europe-Latin America Co-Production Grant La Hija de Todas Las Rabias (Daughter of Rage), directed by Laura Baumeister
  • Arte International Prize La Hija de Todas Las Rabias (Daughter of Rage), directed by Laura Baumeister
  • Rec Grabaketa-Estudia Post Production Award Sem Dor (Painless), directed by Michael Wahrmann
  • FIPRESCI award film]The Endless Trench[/film]
  • Share this with others on...
News

Desert dogs Zeshaan Younus and Renee Gagner on I’ve Seen All I Need To See

Inviting curiosity Ildikó Enyedi on the value of science, perception, discovery and Silent Friend

Streaming Spotlight: the rites of Spring We shine our Beltane spotlight on films in which the old ways linger

Fighting fit for a debut feature Valéry Carnoy talks toxic masculinity, memory, confidence and Belgian 'soft-power'

Collective power We look ahead at the programme of this year's Folk Film Gathering

First wave of titles announced for Fantasia 2026 Sensory strangeness, queer vampires, sinister shopping and more lined up for Montreal.

More news and features

We're bringing you news and reviews from the San Francisco Independent Film Festival and Queer East.



We're looking forward to Cannes.



We've recently brought you coverage of Visions du Réel, Fantaspoa, Overlook, BFI Flare and SXSW, the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, the NY Rendezvous with French Cinema, the Glasgow Film Festival, the Berlinale, Sundance and Palm Springs.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.

Interact

Don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon and Bluesky.


It's a busy time for festivals and here's the latest from the spring events:


Cannes 16 titles added to line-up


Cannes Announces full jury


Cannes Directors' Fortnight selection


Cannes Payal Kapadia heads Critics' Week jury