At 37 years old, Kimberley Tell has already built a career that many actors take decades to achieve. The Saraqusta Film Festival knows this well and, for that reason, will award her the Saraqusta Award on the opening day of its sixth edition, April 24, 2026. This is a well-deserved recognition for an actress who has made the period genre her natural territory, never losing her freshness or authenticity.
Born in Lanzarote on March 10, 1989, to an English mother and a Danish father, Tell grew up among three cultures and three languages. She studied Fine Arts in Barcelona, financed her education by singing and modeling, and never abandoned painting or music (she is the vocalist for the group Primary Colors). This well-rounded artistic background is evident in each of her characters: she builds emotional layers with the same precision as painting a canvas or composing a melody.
Her breakthrough came with roles that demanded historical accuracy. In Velvet, she already showed that she could inhabit the 1950s with ease. Then came 45 revoluciones (1960s Spain), the war drama Ebro, from cradle to battle, and, above all, her most acclaimed work to date: Queen Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg in the series Ena (TVE, 2025). Her physical and emotional transformation in that production has been highlighted by critics as one of the best portrayals of a real figure in recent years of Spanish audiovisual media.
In film, her role in Planeta 5000 (2020), shot entirely in Aragon, emotionally connects her with the festival that is now honoring her. But it’s not just her resume. Tell brings to historical cinema something that is scarce: a contemporary perspective without anachronisms. Her characters are not mere museum figures; they are complex, contradictory, and deeply human women.
Why does Kimberley Tell matter? Because she is proving that period cinema does not need established stars from another generation to connect with today’s audience. With her blend of international roots, solid acting training (she has studied in Barcelona and New York), and an artistic sensitivity that goes beyond mere performance, she represents the future of the genre in Spain. She is the proof that one can be young, multifaceted, and still meticulous with history.
The Saraqusta Film Festival, which celebrates cinema that looks to the past to understand the present, has chosen the perfect actress to open its sixth edition. On April 24, when Kimberley Tell receives her award in Zaragoza, it will not only recognize a career but celebrate the generational shift that Spanish historical cinema so desperately needed.
Welcome to the festival, Kimberley. Your crown already has a name: Saraqusta Award.
