Official Selection

In this category, which awards the prestigious Concha de Oro, it is worth mentioning the screening of ‘I’m Nevenka’, directed by Icíar Bollaín. This fictional film tells the story of Nevenka Fernández, a 24-year-old Councillor for Finance at Ponferrada City Council. She was young, beautiful and full of dreams. But the mayor, accustomed to exercising his power, was immediately infatuated with her. Instead of putting up with it, Nevenka stood up and she faced her entire city, the media and the public opinion of a whole country who chose to pigeonhole her and spoke of her as a calculating exploiter.

Another Basque production, albeit outside the competition, is the series ‘Querer’, directed by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa. The series follows the story of Miren, a woman who flees the marital home and denounces her husband for continuous rape.

The director is familiar with this cinematic event, having concluded the Zinemira section in 2022 with her first feature film, ‘Cinco Lobitos’. She also triumphed at the Malaga Festival, winning the Gold Biznaga for Best Spanish Film, the Silver Biznagas for Best Actress (for Laia Costa and Susi Sánchez) and Best Screenplay, as well as the Audience Award. She also won a Goya award for Best New Director.

New directors

This year, the director David Pérez Sañudo will once again take part in this event with his latest project, ‘The last romantics’. It is a work produced by the Basque company, Irusoin.

Perlak

The Perlak section, which presents works of great international prestige, will close its programme with ‘Marco’, the latest film by Jon Garaño and Aitor Arregi. This film, starring Eduard Fernández and Nathalie Poza, explores the true story of Enric Marco, a deportee who never existed, a man who for years was able to maintain, both in the eyes of the public and his own family, a lie that is hard to imagine: that he had been a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp.

It should be noted that the world premiere of this film will take place this Friday, 30th of August, in the Orizzonti section of the prestigious Biennale di Venezia.

Zabaltegi-Tabakalera

This section will include a screening of the short film ‘When it comes (it will have your eyes)’, directed by Izibene Oñederra, which already featured in the Official Selection of the Annecy Festival. It tells the story of the unequal living conditions of the inhabitants of a small community depicted in a catastrophic situation. It is also part of the Kimuak Catalogue, coordinated by Etxepare Euskal Institutua and Zineuskadi, which aims to promote and disseminate Basque short films.

Culinary Zinema

As the closing film of this section, which focuses on the relationship between cinema and gastronomy, ‘The Platform 2’ will be screened out of competition. The eagerly awaited sequel to the global hit ‘The Platform’ is once again directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia. In this second part, starring Milena Smit and Hovik Keuchkerian, as a mysterious leader imposes his law in the platform, a new resident becomes involved in the battle against this controversial method of combatting the brutal feeding system.

It is also worth mentioning that the five films in this section will be accompanied by themed dinners, which will take place between the 23th and the 27th of September at the Basque Culinary Center. In particular, the ‘The Platform 2’ experience will be presented in a cocktail format, recreating the aesthetics and experience of the film's iconic platform. This dinner will have a capacity for 130 guests.

Velodrome

The Velodrome will host the premiere of the first episode of the eleventh season of the Go!azen series, accompanied by a live performance by the main characters, repeating last year's successful format.

Made in Spain

Another one of the films that can be enjoyed at Donostia Zinemaldia is ‘Nina’, by Andrea Jaurrieta, which has already won the Critics' Prize at the 27th Malaga Festival, cementing its position as one of the most outstanding national productions. The film focuses on the story of a woman who, at the age of 45, decides to return to the coastal town where she grew up to take revenge on the man who ruined her life and to whom the town now pays homage.

Zinemira

The Zinemira section, which focuses exclusively on Basque cinema, will showcase a wide selection of films that will compete for the Irizar Basque Film Award. These will include ‘The Williams’, by Raul de la Fuente. This story, which revolves around the experiences of the Bilbao Athletic Club players, is about racism, sibling relationships, migration, memory and identity, privilege and the discomfort it generates when you don't quite know if you are a white man in a black body, a black Basque, or simply, you feel like a foreigner. The brothers, descendants of Ghanaians, are admired players of Athletic Club de Bilbao: the first division team that only has Basque players. They will come face to face with their family history, facing a decision: to compromise or to look away.

Also featured are ‘Charlie Chaplin, a man of the world’, directed by Carmen Chaplin; ‘A Hundred Birds In The Sky’, by Arantxa Aguirre; ‘That World That Gives You Nothing’, by Ernesto del Río and ‘This Is Not Hollywood’, a film journey to learn about, understand and accept the lights and shadows of the Ibarretxe brothers, directed by Jone Ibarretxe and Nerea Falagan.

‘Lolo’s Powers’, by Nino Fontán, Miguel Alba Rico and Itziar Bernaola, will also appear in this section. This documentary discovers the figure of Lolo Rico, the creator of ‘La bola de cristal’. The documentary reveals the story of a brave, pioneer woman who rebelled against the times she lived, and managed to raise seven children by herself while launching one of the legendary shows in the history of Spanish television.

Last but not least, we will also see ‘Let It Know’, by Amaia Merino and Ander Iriarte, which won the Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the 21st San Sebastian Film and Human Rights Festival; ‘From Eight To Infinity’, by Naia Laka; and ‘Erreplika’, by Pello Gutiérrez.

RTVE Gala

RTVE will also play a prominent role in this edition with three Film Galas, including a preview of the film ‘The Girls At The Station’, by Juana Macías. The story of three girls who have grown up in a juvenile detention centre without knowing what unconditional love is.

Klasikoak

40 years after its premiere at the San Sebastian Film Festival, the feature film ‘Tasio’ (Montxo Armendáriz, 1984), restored by the Basque Film Library, will open this section.

Nest

Lastly, the international competition of short films by film students, will feature the screening of ‘The Third Landscape’, by Julen Etxebarria, reaffirming the festival's support for emerging talent. The play has been produced by Elias Querejeta Zine Eskola.

Other activities

The Lau Haizetara Forum will also take place during the 72nd edition of the festival on the 23rd, 24th and 25th of September. This forum aims to connect documentary projects with potential funders and experts in the sector. The selected projects include two from the Basque Country, ‘El arte sencillo’, by Galder Arriaga; and ‘Guardianas’, by Mireia del Pozo. This selection also includes ‘Peter’, by Lucía Montero, a project in search of a Basque co-producer that received the Lau Haizetara Award at the last Talentuaren Gunea event, a Zineuskadi initiative to promote new professionals in audiovisual production.