A documentary about bullfighting, “Tardes de Soledad”, picked up the top award at the San Sebastian Film Festival Saturday. The film, by Spanish director Albert Serra, won the Golden Shell for best film at the festival, for its portrayal of a day in the life of a Peruvian bullfighter, Andres Roca Rey. Serra thanked the festival organizers for having selected his film after animal rights groups had campaigned against its screening.

It got a warm reception at its festival screening, even though animal rights group PACMA had denounced it as a romanticized vision of bullfighting that normalized violence towards animals. The best director prize was tied between two film-makers, Laura Carreira and Pedro Martin Calero. Careirra’s feature debut, “On Falling”, tells the story of a Portuguese worker in a Scottish warehouse struggling with the pressures of the gig economy. Perreira is a Portuguese film maker based in the Scottish capital Edinburgh.

Argentinian actor Nahuel Perez Biscayart reacts to receiving the "Horizontes" award to the best Latin American film for "El jockey / Kill the jockey" during the 72nd San Sebastian Film Festival closing ceremony in the northern Spanish Basque city of San Sebastian.--AFP photos

US director Gia Coppola (right) and Canadian actress Pamela Anderson deliver a speech after receiving the Special Award of the Jury for "The Last Showgirl".

Spanish director Albert Serra (left) delivers a speech after receiveing the "Concha de Oro" (Golden Shell) for best film award for "Tardes de soledad / Afternoons of solitude".

Spanish actress Patricia Lopez delivers a speech after receiving the "Concha de Plata" (Silver Shell) for best lead performance award for "Los destellos / Glimmers".

Joint winner of the "Concha de Plata" (Silver Shell) for best director award, alongside Spanish director Pedro Martin Calero for "El llanto / The Wailing", Portuguese director Laura Carreira receives the award for "On falling".

Irish director John Crowley poses to promote the film "We live in Time" during the 72nd San Sebastian International Film Festival in the northern Spanish Basque city of San Sebastian.

US actor Andrew Garfield poses to promote the film "We live in Time" during the 72nd San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Martin-Calero’s film, “The Wailing” (“El Llanto”), also his first feature, is a horror film about an evil presence that stalks three women. The Spanish director previously made music videos. Earlier in the week, the festival awarded a lifetime achievement award to Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. — AFP