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 [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Albert Serra
fiche film], the filmmaker and artist helms his first non-fiction feature, Afternoons of Solitude [+lire aussi :
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bande-annonce
interview : Albert Serra
fiche film], 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 [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], Yuli – The Carlos Acosta Story [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Icíar Bollaín
fiche film] and Maixabel [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Icíar Bollaín
fiche film], will present I am Nevenka [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Icíar Bollaín
fiche film], 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 [+lire aussi :
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bande-annonce
interview : Pilar Palomero
fiche film], will present Glimmers [+lire aussi :
critique
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interview : Pilar Palomero
fiche film], 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 [+lire aussi :
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interview : Pedro Martín-Calero et Isa…
fiche film], 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 [+lire aussi :
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interview : David Pérez Sañudo
fiche film]) 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) [+lire aussi :
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bande-annonce
fiche film] and Surfacing [+lire aussi :
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bande-annonce
fiche film]. Here, we also find the feature debut by Sandra Romero, As Silence Passes By [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Sandra Romero
fiche film], and the one by singer Antón Álvarez, better known as C Tangana – the documentary La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortés [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Anton Alvarez
fiche film].

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 [+lire aussi :
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interview : Alauda Ruiz de Azúa
fiche film], in addition to the new film by Paula Ortiz (The Bride [+lire aussi :
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bande-annonce
interview : Paula Ortiz
fiche film], Teresa [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film]) for Amazon, La virgen roja [+lire aussi :
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fiche film]. 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 [+lire aussi :
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interview : Michael Fetter Nathansky
fiche film] by Germany’s Michael Fetter Nathansky).

Here is the list of selected films announced so far:

Competition

I am Nevenka [+lire aussi :
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interview : Icíar Bollaín
fiche film] - Iciar Bollain (Spain)
The Wailing [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Pedro Martín-Calero et Isa…
fiche film] - Pedro Martín-Calero (Spain/Argentina/France)
Glimmers [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Pilar Palomero
fiche film] - Pilar Palomero (Spain)
Afternoons of Solitude [+lire aussi :
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interview : Albert Serra
fiche film] - 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 [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Paula Ortiz (Spain/USA)

New Directors

La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortés [+lire aussi :
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interview : Anton Alvarez
fiche film] - Antón Álvarez (Spain)
Surfacing [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film] - Cecilia Atán, Valeria Pivato (Spain/Argentina)
Los últimos románticos (Azken erromantikoak) [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film] - David Pérez Sañudo (Spain)
As Silence Passes By [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Sandra Romero
fiche film] - Sandra Romero (Spain)

Zabaltegi-Tabakalera

Every You Every Me [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Michael Fetter Nathansky
fiche film] - 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 [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] - Iair Said (Argentina/Italy/Spain)
Maybe It’s True What They Say About Us [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Sofía Paloma Gómez, Camilo Becerra (Chile/Argentina/Spain)

Velodrome

Celeste [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Diego San José
fiche série] - Diego San José, Elena Trapé (Spain) (series)