The San Sebastian film festival is a must-attend for the Spanish film industry due to the range of opportunities it offers by showcasing key titles to the global industry and creating the ideal networking moment to nurture fresh projects.
The 72nd edition of the festival (September 20-28), has a strong Spanish presence in the international competition. ”Spanish cinema is experiencing a great moment in quality and quality of production,” says festival director José Luis Rebordinos.
The celebratory mood will be underlined by the honorary Donostia award presented to Pedro Almodóvar. (Javier Bardem will also be hand to pick up his, awarded last year but unable to be presented to him due to the US actors’ strike.)
Of the four Spanish films in competition and three in New Directors, Rebordinos says: ”They are all very diverse. Some aim at both cinephile and mainstream audiences, others are more niche, like Albert Serra’s Afternoons Of Solitude.”
Afternoons Of Solitude is screening in competition with Pilar Palomero’s Glimmers, Icíar Bollaín’s I’m Nevenka, and The Wailing, by first-time feature director Pedro Martín-Calero.
It is the first time in competition at the Spanish festival for Serra. (His films have tended to screen at Cannes). Afternoons Of Solitude is a documentary about bullfighting, produced by Serra and Montse Triola’s Barcelona-based company Andergraun Films.
By contrast, Bollaín is in the running for the Golden Shell for the fifth time. I’m Nevenka is inspired by the true story of Nevenka Fernández, a forerunner of the #metoo movement in Spain. It is produced by Kowalski Films and Feelgood Media and stars Mireia Oriol (a Screen International Spain Star of Tomorrow in 2022) and Urko Olazabal.
Palomero also returns to competition with her third feature, Glimmers, after premiering her second, Motherhood (La Maternal), in the same section in 2022. The film won a Silver Shell for its young star, Carla Quílez.
Glimmers is produced by Mod Producciones, Misent Producciones and Inicia Films and stars Patricia López Arnaiz.
The third Spanish film in competition is Martín-Calero’s horror debut The Wailing, made as a Spain-France-Argentina co-production. Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s company Caballo Films is producing.
Paula Ortiz’s The Red Virgin (formerly known as Hildegart) is premiering as a special screening out of competition.
Small screen dramas
As a reflection of the boom in TV production in Spain, the festival is also shining a spotlight on a wealth of new series. Movistar Plus+ series Querer, by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa is screening in the official selection out of competition. It tells story of a woman who leaves her husband after 30 years of marriage and reports him for continued rape.
There are also special screenings of Disney +’s I, Addict, created by Javier Giner (also the author of the book that inspired it) and Aitor Gabilondo, and directed by Giner and Elena Trapé.
Movistar Plus + series Celeste, created by Diego San José, about a tax inspector, played by Carmen Machi, chasing a Latin American pop star, will be one of the San Sebastián Velodrome screenings.
Rising stars
San Sebastián takes pride in promoting new talent, from its investment in the Ikusmira Berriak residency programme to the inclusion of first and second time directors in the international competition.
There is also a whole section devoted to New Directors which features four from Spain this year. They are: Antón Álvarez (aka C. Tangana)’s La Guitarra Glamenca De Yerai Cortés; David Pérez Sañudo’s The Last Romantics; Sandra Romero’s Where The Silence Passes; and Cecilia Atán and Valeria Pivato’s Spain-Argentina co-production The Arrival Of The Son.
The bond the Spanish industry has with Latin America is a defining trait of the selection and industry activities. San Sebastián hosts the Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum (September 23-25) and also devotes the section Horizontes Latinos to Latin American productions. Some are set up as a Spanish co-productions, including Kill The Jockey, by Argentinian director Luis Ortega.
Spanish productions have a presence in other sections too. Culinary Zinema has two intriguing additions: Mugaritz. Sin Pan Ni Postre, about renowned chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, directed by horror specialist Paco Plaza and the second instalment of the dystopian hit The Platform by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia.
Rodrigo Cortés’ Escape is screening as a RTVE Gala, while Jon Garaño and Aitor Arregi’s Marco will close the Perlak section after premiering at Venice’s Horizons.
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