San Sebastian local entries announced

by Vitor Pinto

17/08/2006 - Antonio Chavarrías's Las vidas de Celia [trailer], Víctor García León's Vete de mí and Javier Rebollo's Lo que sé de Lola [trailer] are the three domestic entries in official competition at the upcoming San Sebastian International Film Festival (September 21-30).

Competing for the Golden Shell, these three titles show a diversity of genres and styles, bringing together well-known Spanish actors and promising directors.

Antonio Chavarrías' new film Las vidas de Celia – four years after Volverás – is a Spanish/Mexican thriller based on the investigation of the murder of a young girl, set in a working-class area of a Catalonian city. The film features an interesting cast that includes Najwa Nimri (The Method [trailer]), Luis Tosar (Take My Eyes [trailer]) and Daniel Giménez Cacho (La mala educación [trailer]).

On lighter note, the cast of Vete de mí includes Juan Diego Botto, Cristina Plazas and Rosa María Sardá. The film is a comedy with hints of black humour and drama directed by Víctor García León, whose debut feature was Más pena que Gloria (2001).

Lastly, Spanish/French co-production Lo qué sé de Lola (see news) marks one of the most anticipated directorial debuts of the contemporary Spanish film scene. Rebollo, who had already directed Lola Lueñas (Volver [trailer, film focus]) in his three acclaimed short films, once again casts the Spanish actress to tell the story of a Lola, a woman who is the object an unexpected attention from a lonely man played by Michaël Abiteboul (Manderlay [trailer]).

Also screening in the official section, although out of competition, is the documentary Más allá del espejo by Catalan director Joaquím Jordá, who will receive the 2006 National Award of Cinematography posthumously.

The Zabaltegi competition sidebar section will include four more local titles, three of them directed by Basque filmmakers, which will also vie for the Altadis Award for new directors (first and second film) and the Montblanc Award for new scriptwriters: Iñaki Dorronsoro's Distancia [trailer], Fernando Bernués and Mireia Gabilondo's Kutsidazu bidea, Isabel, Judith Colell's 53 días de invierno and Spanish/UK title Bosque de sombras [trailer] by Koldo Serra.

All eight films are world premieres. Further European and international films in the festival's sections are still to be announced.