22/08/2008

In just under a month’s time, the doors will open at the 56th San Sebastian Film Festival (September 18-27), the most important event in the Spanish film calendar. Organisers have unveiled the Spanish titles selected for the different sections, as well as the president of the jury that will award the Golden Shell: New York-born director Jonathan Demme (who will also present his latest work, Rachel Getting Married).

Besides the three films already announced in the Official Competition (see news and news) – Javier Fesser’s Camino (“Path”), Belén Macías’ El patio de mi cárcel (“My Prison Courtyard”), and Jaime Rosales’ Bullet in the Head – Argentinean director Daniel Burman’s sixth feature, Empty Nest, will also screen. Produced by Spanish company Wanda Visión in co-production with France (Paradis Films), Italy (Classic) and Argentina, the film’s international sales are being handled by Bavaria Film International.

The Zabaltegi-New Directors section – which puts the emphasis on freedom, whether it be in terms of style, form, length or genre – will present a further four Spanish titles, all of them debut works: Amateurs by Salamanca-born director Gabriel Velázquez (produced by Escorado Producción); Daniel Hernández’s Chicos normales (“Normal Boys”, produced by Alea Docs & Films); Santiago Zannou’s El truco del manco (see news, produced by Media Films); and Andrea Martínez Crowther’s Mexican/Spanish co-production Cosas insignificantes (“Insignificant Things”, produced by Manga Films).

Other titles include Juan Vicente Córdoba’s Flores de luna (“Moon Flowers”, produced by Atalanta), in the Zabaltegi Specials section; La casa de mi padre by San Sebastian-born Gorka Merchán (produced by Monfort Producciones, Media Films and Videntia Frame) in the Basque Cinema Day section; and Mirtha Ibarra’s documentary Titón, de La Habana a Guantanamera (produced by Brothers & Sisters) in the Special Horizons section.

(Translated from Spanish)