As a seasoned film enthusiast who has attended numerous international film festivals and conferences, I find myself both inspired and concerned by the latest news from San Sebastian’s 3rd Creative Conference and the San Sebastian International Film Festival.
This upcoming San Sebastian Festival is set to deliver one of its most significant installments yet, boasting a stellar lineup of stars such as Cate Blanchett, Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Tilda Swinton, and Pamela Anderson. The festival also highlights the work of influential directors including Pedro Almodóvar, Sean Baker, Costa Gavras, Edward Berger, Mike Leigh, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Joshua Oppenheimer, François Ozon, Lupita Nyong’o, Mohammad Rasoulof, Walter Salles, and Maite Alberdi, promising a truly unforgettable cinematic experience.
Nevertheless, what makes this Spanish festival stand out is its abundance of fresh talent and emerging stars in its industry competitions. Here are ten anticipations for the event, happening from September 20th to 28th at the beautiful Basque seaside resort:
Blanchett, Almodóvar, Bardem, Depp, Swinton, Anderson
Cate Blanchett, Pedro Almodóvar, and Javier Bardem will receive Donostia Career Achievement Awards at an upcoming event. Blanchett is promoting the film “Rumours,” directed by Guy Maddin and set to be released in U.S. theaters on October 18 by Bleecker Street. Meanwhile, Almodóvar and Tilda Swinton will present their success “The Room Next Door” from the Venice Film Festival. Additionally, Johnny Depp will debut his second directorial effort, “Modi,” produced under his new label IN.2 Films, which was established in 2021 with Spanish distributor A Contracorriente Films. This may account for the world premiere of “Modi” at San Sebastián.
Audrey Diwan Opens San Sebastián
Historically, San Sebastian has been known as an art film haven, often premiering many of its major films at the Toronto International Film Festival and hosting their European debuts in the elegant, seaside city of the Basque Belle Époque. Films like Berger’s “Conclave,” Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths” and Oppenheimer’s “The End” have all been screened at the Canadian festival, with Leigh and Berger receiving praise. However, Audrey Diwan’s “Emmanuelle” will have its world premiere at San Sebastian instead, opening the festival. Sales agent Goodfellas premiered “The Boy and the Heron” in Europe at last year’s San Sebastian event, which proved successful for them. Therefore, they were keen to repeat this success, and we wanted “Emmanuelle” to compete, as we have a strong affinity for the film,” says San Sebastian director José Luis Rebordinos.
San Sebástian’s New SVOD Punch
The Spanish city of San Sebastián welcomes a greater number of premieres from international streaming platforms. This makes sense given that, as of August 24th, Spain has accounted for eight out of the Top 20 most-watched non-English films and series on Netflix. One example is the horror-thriller “The Platform,” which garnered 82 million views on Netflix, and will now unveil its sequel at San Sebastián. Additionally, Netflix will debut two titles in the main competition of San Sebastián: “In Her Place,” a film by Chilean double Oscar nominee Alberdi, who is making her fiction directorial debut and generating positive buzz; and “The Man Who Loved UFOs,” directed by Diego Lerman from Argentina’s New Cinema movement (“The Invisible Eye”).
A Spanish Film Industry Revolution
In 2024, filmmakers in San Sebastian are taking larger projects or gaining more support from major streaming platforms like Movistar Plus+ and Prime Video as they produce features intended for theatrical release or original series. Icíar Bollaín’s competition entry “I’m Nevenka” is one of six films categorized as “auteur event films,” backed by Movistar Plus+, which were announced in January. The special screening “The Red Virgin” from Paula Ortiz will debut in Spanish theaters on September 27, marking the first Prime Video original to receive a wide theatrical release in the country. For many years, Spain has lacked significant national film studios like France’s Gaumont or Pathé, but with Movistar Plus+ and The Mediapro Studio increasing Spanish film production, it may finally be developing them. Industry experts will closely watch the reception of “I’m Nevenka” and “The Red Virgin” at San Sebastián and beyond.
New Talent
According to Rebordinos, there’s an intentional mix of established and emerging talent at the festival, with newcomer directors taking home top prizes frequently. This year, three debut films competing in the main San Sebastián competition are generating buzz: “On Falling,” a Scotland-set immigrant story by Laura Carreira produced by Sixteen Films (Ken Loach’s producer); “Bound in Heaven,” from China’s Xin Huo; and “The Wailing,” a horror film from Pedro Martín Calero, featuring Ester Expósito (“Elite”). Rebordinos describes “The Wailing” as a classic horror movie that reveals its deeper meaning in the final quarter of an hour.
Other Buzz Titles
San Sebastián boasts an abundance of fresh talent beyond its surface level. Notable films chosen for the New Directors competition are Akaki Popkhadze’s “In the Name of Blood,” a gritty crime drama that explores themes of faith and family, and Koya Kamura’s “Winter in Sokcho,” which delicately portrays the journey of a young woman seeking her identity and the intricacies of human relationships. Anticipated productions slated for San Sebastián’s Co-Production Forum include Gabriela Amaral Almeida’s body horror film “She, Crocodile,” from Brazil, as well as “Only Love Exists,” by Natalia López Gallardo, who won in Berlin with “Robe of Gems.” Additionally, “Her Lightness,” a story revolving around a woman’s late-found freedom, by Cuba’s Rosa María Rodríguez, has received positive buzz and multiple awards at Locarno’s Open Doors.
3rd Creative Investors ’ Conference
Roeg Sutherland from CAA Media Finance, Vincent Maraval of Goodfellas, and Jeremy Thomas from Recorded Picture Company are planning to attend the 3rd Creative Conference in San Sebastian, which receives backing from CAA Media Finance. Notable figures in the global film industry, particularly those based in Europe, are expected to either speak or be present. There’s a lot on the agenda, including addressing issues such as the US distribution bottleneck, finding paths for growth amidst slow post-pandemic box office recovery and decreasing investment from global streamers. Previous editions have seen open and honest discussions, which are particularly relevant at this time.
Doc Feature Surge
Title Introduction – One of the highly anticipated films this season is “The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortés,” directed by Antón Álvarez, also known as popular singer-songwriter C.Tangana, opens in an innovative style with a close-up of Yerai Cortes’ guitar. The scene shifts to Álvarez discussing his encounter with Cortés over coffee at Madrid’s Cafe Gijón, under the shimmering trail of Elon Musk’s Starlight satellite across the city sky. The narrative then transitions into a rocket launch, where the control room chatter intertwines with the melodious strumming of Cortés’ guitar. Similar to Albert Serra’s “Afternoons of Solitude,” depicting a day in the life of a bullfighter, documentaries are taking center stage at San Sebastián this year more than ever before. The primary reason: Their ability to be so creatively daring.
Basque Build
According to Rebordinos, Spanish cinema, with a special focus on Basque cinema, is thriving. There’s an abundance of productions – out of 100 submissions, 20 Basque films were selected for this year’s festival alone. He believes that the quality of Basque cinema has never been higher, referencing the Venice selection for “Marco.” The Basque region’s tax incentives are attracting international productions, benefiting local companies and technicians by allowing them to refine their skills. Furthermore, he mentions that a mini star system has developed in Basque Cinema, with Nagore Aranburu (“Flowers”) from Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s “Querer,” the lead actress of the biggest series at this year’s San Sebastián, as an example. This year also saw the world premieres of “The Platform 2” and “I’m Nevenka,” making Basque film and TV particularly strong at San Sebastián in 2024. For some time now, EbMaster has been noting this trend, but it is especially evident in 2024.
Do Cry For Us in Argentina
As a movie enthusiast, I’ve been following the recent developments in Argentinian cinema with great concern. Unlike the U.S. government’s unsuccessful attempts in Europe during the ’90s to dismantle film subsidy systems as part of free trade agreements, our very own President Javier Milei has managed to halt the incentive disbursements from our film agency INCAA in a single stroke. This decision, which will become more detrimental by next year, is truly catastrophic for Argentine cineastes like me.
Callum McLennan and Rafa Sales Ross contributed to this article.
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2024-09-20 08:17