Kelly Reichardt’s ‘The Mastermind’ and Lav Diaz’s ‘Magellan’ share main award at Valladolid Film Week

The 70th edition of Valladolid International Film Week (Seminci) presented its top prize, the Golden Spike for best film ex-aequo to Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind and Lav Diaz’s Magellan at the closing-night ceremony on November 1. 

Reichardt’s art heist drama, starring Josh O’Connor, marks the first Spanish theatrical release by Mubi. The Valladolid win came just a day after The Mastermind opened in Spanish cinemas.

 The Golden Spike carries a €70,000 cash prize for the Spanish distributor; in this case, the sum will be split equally between Mubi and A Contracorriente Films, the Spanish distributor of Magellan. 

At the closing gala, filmmaker Albert Serra and producer Montse Triola collected the award as co-producers of Diaz’s film. They also co-produced last year’s Golden Spike winner, Alain Guiraudie’s Misericordia.

The Silver Spike, which includes a €25,000 prize for the Spanish distributor, went to Ildikó Enyedi’s Silent Friend, to be released theatrically by local streaming platform Filmin.

Further Official Selection awards included the Ribera del Duero best director prize, which went to Ezequiel Salinas and Ramiro Sonzini for the Argentinan feature The Night Is Fading Away; best actress to Eva Victor for Sorry Baby; and best actor to Harry Melling for Pillion.

Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet won the audience award.

The Meeting Point sidebar, dedicated to first or second fiction features, awarded its top prize to Pedro Pinho’s I Only Rest in the Storm, about a Portuguese environmental engineer sent to Guinea-Bissau to evaluate a major infrastructure project.

The festival closed with David Trueba’s Always Winter, screened out of competition in the Official Selection. The dramedy, based on Trueba’s own novel, follows an architect navigating a romantic breakup.

Seminici winners 2025

Golden Spike (ex-aequo)

The Mastermind
Dir: Kelly Reichardt

Magellan
Dir. Lav Diaz

Silver Spike

Silent Friend
Dir: Ildikó Enyedi

Ribera del Duero Award for best direction

Ezequiel Salinas, Ramiro Sonzini
The Night Is Fading Away

Best actress

Eva Victor
Sorry Baby

Best actor

Harry Melling
Pillion

Special mention for best actors

Lionel Corral Bernal, Lionel Corral, Alicia Corral Bernal
Lionel

Best cinematography

Christopher Blauvelt
The Mastermind

Miguel Delibes Award for best screenplay

Fernando Franco, Begoña Arostegui
Subsuelo

José Salcedo Award for best editing

Nili Feller
Yes

Audience award

Hamnet
Dir: Chloé Zhao

Fipresci award

Two Prosecutors
Dir: Sergei Loznitsa

Meeting Point 

Best feature

I Only Rest In The Storm (Port-Fr-Rom-Braz)
Dir: Pedro Pinho

Special Fundos prize

Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes (Sp-Port)
Dir: Gabriel Azorín

ESCAC Award for best director (first or second film)

Kika (Bel-Fr)
Dir: Alexe Poukine

Pilar Miró Prize for best Spanish director

Lucía Aleñar
Forastera

Meeting Point Special Mention

Nino (Fr))
Pauline Loquès

Audience award, Meeting Point Official Section

A Sad and Beautiful World
Dir: Cyril Aris

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