The Norwegian actress wins Silver Shell for Best Actress for her performance in Tuva Novotny’s drama Blind Spot.

Tjelta plays a mother trying to cope with her teenage daughter’s mental illness which has devastating effects on her family. The award was given at the awards ceremony Saturday evening.

A few days earlier, she had also been awarded Norway’s Wenche Foss Honorary Prize for her part.

Tjelta said about her Silver Shell statuette: “I am endlessly thankful to be recognised in such a humbling setting, amongst so many actresses I deeply admire. I am completely overwhelmed, and most of all thankful towards my writer and director, Tuva Novotny, for letting me take part in a project with a greater mission, which is to work preventatively in mental health matters. This is an enormous honour, and I am honestly very positively shocked!”

The Jury of the 66th San Sebastian Film Festival was presided over by US director Alexander Payne.

Blind Spot had its world premiere at Haugesund’s Norwegian International Film Festival and screened as well at Toronto’s Discovery section. The film was produced by Elisabeth Kvithyll of Nordisk Film Norway, with support among others from Nordisk Film & TV Fond. The film is currently playing in Norwegian cinemas via Nordisk Film Distribution. TrustNordisk handles world sales.

Three minority Scandinavian co-productions were awarded as well in San Sebastian:

  • Famiglia Sumergida by Argentina's Maria Alché co-produced by Norway’s 4 ½ won the Horizonte Award, 
  • Hermano Peligro by Argentina's Pablo Fendrik, co-produced by Denmark's Snowglobe won the Best Pitch Award,
  • Market Libertad by Spain’s Clara Roquet, also co-produced by Snowglobe, won the Arte International Prize at the European/Latin American Co-production Market .