17/09/2010

All is ready for today’s opening of the 58th San Sebastian International Film Festival, the last edition to be headed by Mikel Olaciregui before he hands over the reins to José Luis Rebordinos (see news). The event will run through September 25.

Despite new budget cuts, which have forced the organisation to make some difficult choices, the selection of films is of a high standard and, as usual, the spotlight is on European and Latin American cinema.

Ten of the 18 films competing in Official Selection hail from Europe, and five of them, as previously reported (see news), are Spanish productions: Aita, Elisa K, The Great Vázquez, Black Bread and Bicycle, Spoon, Apple.

The festival will close with Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s French film Sarah’s Key [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (see news), screening out of competition.

Meanwhile, the following titles will vie for honours: Norwegian/Swedish/German co-production Home for Christmas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bent Hamer
film profile] (see news) by Bent Hamer (Kitchen Stories, 2003); UK/French/Italian film Neds [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the third feature by Peter Mullan after Orphans (1997) and The Magdalene Sisters (2002); veteran director Raúl Ruiz’s Portuguese work Mysteries of Lisbon; and German/Swiss feature Colours in the Dark, written and directed by Sophie Heldman.

Finally, the jury who will award the coveted Golden Shell, is headed by Serbian filmmaker Goran Paskaljevic. It also comprises Spanish actor José Coronado, Brit director Lucy Walker, Philippine helmer Raya Martin, Argentine filmmaker Pablo Trapero, Peruvian director Claudia Llosa and make-up artist Jo Allen.

(Translated from Spanish)