09/11/2023 - The Basque gathering specialising in documentary and short films is all set to take place from 10-17 November, with 128 titles from 43 countries on its schedule

The Zinebi International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Bilbao is poised to fire the starting pistol on its 65th edition in the Arriaga Theatre on 10 November, and the gathering will continue unspooling in the Basque city until the 17th. In total, 128 films from 43 countries – more than half of which have been directed by women – will get an airing at the festival. Thirty-four of these are Basque-produced efforts, and more than half of the movies set to be screened will be enjoying their Spanish premieres in Bilbao.

As is customary, several Honorary Mikeldi Awards will be handed out at the third-oldest international film festival in Spain, to three prominent names in contemporary international cinema. One will go to an individual whom Zinebi labels the “greatest living documentary filmmaker”, 93-year-old US director Frederick Wiseman, for “his decisive contribution to the definition of what most of us understand as cinematographic documentaries, specifically within the realms of observational documentary”. Originally scheduled to chat to Albert Serra on stage and be presented with his award at the opening ceremony, ill health has meant that he is unable to attend the event in the end. However, the Spanish premiere of his latest, Venice-screened doc Menus Plaisirs - Les Troisgros [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] will still be on the agenda in the “Beautiful Docs. Panorama of World Documentaries” section. Another Honorary Mikeldi will be bestowed upon Portuguese helmer Rita Azevedo Gomes – thus paying tribute to her talent to “conjure up respect for the cultural legacy on which her work is based” – who will pick up her prize at the closing ceremony. The third honorary accolade will be handed to Bilbao-based film critic Félix Linares, who has enjoyed a long professional career that extends far beyond his myriad television appearances.

The features partaking in the Official Section, the ZIFF Zinebi International Competition for First Films, comprise nine feature debuts from as many countries, produced this year and never before seen in Spain, which will be duking it out for the ZIFF Grand Award of €12,000, plus the €2,000 Young Jury Prize. They are In the Shadow of Light by Ignacia Merino Bustos and Isabel Reyes Bustos (Chile), Chestnut by Jac Cron (USA), A Good Place [+see also:
film review
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interview: Katharina Huber
film profile] by Katharina Huber (Germany), In the Rearview [+see also:
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film profile] by Maciek Hamela (Poland/France/Ukraine), Milk [+see also:
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interview: Stefanie Kolk
film profile] by Stefanie Kolk (Netherlands), Playland by Georden West (USA/UK), A Song Sung Blue by Zihan Geng (China), What Doesn’t Float by Luca Balser (USA) and Noise by Tamara García Iglesias (Spain).

Another of Zinebi’s main sections is “Beautiful Docs. Panorama of World Documentaries”, which presents a carefully curated batch of the best documentary features that have been enjoyed by audiences worldwide during 2023. This year, the following ten titles will be on show: the latest Berlinale Golden Bear winner, On the Adamant [+see also:
film review
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interview: Nicolas Philibert
film profile] by Nicolas Philibert (France/Japan); Our Body [+see also:
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film profile] by Claire Simon (France), who was an Honorary Mikeldi recipient in 2019; Romance Scam [+see also:
film review
interview: Virginia García del Pino
film profile] by Virginia García del Pino (Spain); the aforementioned Menus Plaisirs – Les Troisgros by Frederick Wiseman (France/USA); Callas – Paris 1958 by Tom Volf (Netherlands); Viva Varda! by Pierre-Henri Gibert (France); Cinema Laika by Veljko Vidak (France/Finland); Bye Bye Tiberias [+see also:
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interview: Lina Soualem
film profile] by Lina Soualem (France/Palestine/Belgium/Qatar); Anselm [+see also:
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film profile] by Wim Wenders (Germany); and The Mother of All Lies by Asmae El Moudir (Morocco/Egypt/Saudi Arabia/Qatar).

Besides the 20 shorts being shown in the Bertoko Begiradak – Views From the Basque Country strand, which brings audiences the most recent Basque productions, there are six features set to get an airing. They are Aire! by Gentzane Martinez de Osaba, Arantzazu 36 cm, 5 siglos, 1 pueblo by Pello Sarasua, A Deep Breath, Women Filmmakers by Bertha Gaztelumendi and Rosa Zufía, Manolo Kabezabolo (Si todavía te kedan dientes es ke no estuviste ahí) by José Alberto Andrés Lacasta, Somewhat Wild by Ainhoa Gutiérrez del Pozo and Oltaz Gonález Abrisketa, and Wikiemekumeok DOnk by Mentxu Ramilo Araujo, Marta Macho Stadler, Make Irigoyen Perurena, Marisa Barrena Larruzea and Nerea Uriarte Goitia.

This year marks 80 years since the birth of Basque filmmaker Iván Zulueta, and to mark the occasion, Zinebi is setting up various activities in remembrance of the Rapture director, and will be screening all of the material from the Zulueta archives, restored by the Spanish Cinemathèque, across five sessions.

This is all capped off by the industry activities taking place as part of Zinebi Networking and the Bilbao Professional Documentary Film Forum, a space dedicated to promoting audiovisual production in the documentary sector, which Cineuropa will be covering in more detail in the coming days.

After the entirely in-person gathering held last year, Zinebi will be extending its screenings to the free EITB digital platform Primeran, offering members of the public a selection of Basque-produced films that have already been screened at previous editions of the festival. The event will also have a special collection on the Filmin platform, with dozens of films already screened at earlier iterations of the gathering.