Valladolid Festival Prizes: Alain Gomis’ ‘Dao’ Wins Golden Spike, ‘La Gradiva’ Takes Silver
Alain Gomis’ “Dao”, a family saga spanning Europe and Africa, won the Golden Spike for best film at the 71st Valladolid International Film Festival. The award recognises a three-hour work that blends fiction and documentary to explore family ties, migration and inherited traditions.
Marine Atlan’s “La Gradiva” received the Silver Spike and two additional prizes, while Lisandro Alonso won best director for “Double Freedom”. Alba Rohrwacher and Swann Arlaud took the acting awards; Sandra Wollner won the screenplay prize for “Everytime”. Spanish debut “Salen las lobas” won both the Meeting Point Audience Award and the Seminci Youth Prize.
In short
- Alain Gomis’ “Dao” won Valladolid’s Golden Spike.
- “La Gradiva” took the Silver Spike and two other awards.
- “Salen las lobas” won both audience and youth prizes.
Explained simply
The Valladolid International Film Festival, also known as Seminci, is an annual film festival held in the Spanish city of Valladolid. Its Golden and Silver Spike prizes recognise films selected by the festival jury, while other awards may be chosen by audiences or young viewers.
Alain Gomis is a French-Senegalese filmmaker whose work often explores family, identity and life across different countries. “Dao” combines scripted scenes with documentary elements, following family relationships and traditions across Europe and Africa.
The festival brings together films from Spain and around the world, giving established directors and first-time filmmakers a platform. Its range of jury, audience and youth prizes reflects different ways films can be recognised.
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