12/07/2024 - The festival has announced the Spanish-produced titles in its selection, four of which are taking part in the New Directors strand

A total of 17 Spanish-produced titles will form part of the selection of the upcoming 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival, which will unspool from 20-28 September. This year, there will be four in the competition for the Golden Shell and a further four in the New Directors section, a sizeable number that constitutes a clear sign of the current rude health of Spanish arthouse cinematic production.

Standing out among the films that will be locking horns for the festival’s top prize is one by pioneering Catalonian filmmaker Albert Serra, marking his first time taking part in the gathering. He will thus pay it a visit after having become a regular at the Cannes Film Festival. After the international success of Pacifiction [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Albert Serra
film profile], the filmmaker and artist helms his first non-fiction feature, Afternoons of Solitude [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Albert Serra
film profile], revolving around a day in the life of bullfighter Andrés Roca Rey, tackling his state of mind and the spiritual journeys he embarks on.

This year sees the return of two female filmmakers who are both familiar faces at the event: seasoned director Iciar Bollain and the young Pilar Palomero. The former, who previously picked up prizes in the section with Take My Eyes [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Yuli – The Carlos Acosta Story [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Icíar Bollaín
film profile] and Maixabel [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Icíar Bollaín
film profile], will present I am Nevenka [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Icíar Bollaín
film profile], the true story of a Spanish city councillor who paid a high price for daring to report harassment by the mayor. The latter, who did likewise with La maternal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pilar Palomero
film profile], will present Glimmers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pilar Palomero
film profile], inspired by the story Un corazón demasiado grande (Bihotz handiegia) by author Eider Rodríguez, and starring Patricia López Arnaiz and Antonio de la Torre.

These films will be joined by the work of a first-timer, Pedro Martín-Calero. The Wailing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pedro Martín-Calero, Isabel…
film profile], co-written with Isabel Peña (who teams up regularly with Rodrigo Sorogoyen) and starring Ester Expósito, follows three women who are unwittingly bound to each other and are faced with a threat that is bigger than them.

In the New Directors strand, the sophomore works by David Pérez Sañudo (who took part in this very section with his debut feature, Ane Is Missing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Pérez Sañudo
film profile]) and Argentina’s Cecilia Atán and Valeria Pivato (whose first film as a duo, The Desert Bride, partook in Un Certain Regard at Cannes) head up the selection, respectively with Los últimos románticos (Azken erromantikoak) [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Surfacing [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. Here, we also find the feature debut by Sandra Romero, As Silence Passes By [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sandra Romero
film profile], and the one by singer Antón Álvarez, better known as C Tangana – the documentary La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortés [+see also:
film review
interview: Antón Álvarez
film profile].

Standing tall among the Special Screenings and out of competition are the series by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa for Movistar Plus+, Querer, which comes on the heels of the multi-award-winning Lullaby [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alauda Ruiz de Azúa
film profile], in addition to the new film by Paula Ortiz (The Bride [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paula Ortiz
film profile], Teresa [+see also:
film review
film profile]) for Amazon, La virgen roja [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. Meanwhile, the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera and Horizontes Latinos parallel sections will include titles that were premiered at Cannes (such as the short film Southern Brides by Elena López Riera) and Berlin (such as the co-production Every You Every Me [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Fetter Nathansky
film profile] by Germany’s Michael Fetter Nathansky).

Here is the list of selected films announced so far:

Competition

I am Nevenka [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Icíar Bollaín
film profile] - Iciar Bollain (Spain)
The Wailing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pedro Martín-Calero, Isabel…
film profile] - Pedro Martín-Calero (Spain/Argentina/France)
Glimmers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pilar Palomero
film profile] - Pilar Palomero (Spain)
Afternoons of Solitude [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Albert Serra
film profile] - Albert Serra (Spain/France/Portugal)

Out of Competition

Querer - Alauda Ruiz de Azúa (Spain) (series)

Special Screenings

Yo, adicto - Javier Giner, Elena Trapé (Spain) (series)
La virgen roja [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Paula Ortiz (Spain/USA)

New Directors

La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortés [+see also:
film review
interview: Antón Álvarez
film profile] - Antón Álvarez (Spain)
Surfacing [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Cecilia Atán, Valeria Pivato (Spain/Argentina)
Los últimos románticos (Azken erromantikoak) [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - David Pérez Sañudo (Spain)
As Silence Passes By [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sandra Romero
film profile] - Sandra Romero (Spain)

Zabaltegi-Tabakalera

Every You Every Me [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Fetter Nathansky
film profile] - Michael Fetter Nathansky (Germany/Spain)
Southern Brides - Elena López Riera (Spain/Switzerland) (short film)
When It Comes (It Will Have Your Eyes) - Izibene Oñederra (Spain) (short film)

Horizontes Latinos

Most People Die on Sundays [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Iair Said (Argentina/Italy/Spain)
Maybe It’s True What They Say About Us [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Sofía Paloma Gómez, Camilo Becerra (Chile/Argentina/Spain)

Velodrome

Celeste - Diego San José, Elena Trapé (Spain) (series)

(Translated from Spanish)