72nd San Sebastian Festival - 20/28 September 2023
71SSIFF - 22/30 September 2023
Official
Sponsor
Sponsor
Media
Partner
Partner
Z365" or "Festival all year round" is the new strategic point of the Festival in which converge investigation, accompaniment and development of new talents (Ikusmira Berriak, Nest); training and cinematic knowledge transfer (Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, Zinemaldia + Plus, Filmmakers' dialogue); and investigation, disclosure and cinematic thought (Z70 project, Thought and Discussion and Research and publications).
Calls for entries Log-in to MY FESTIVAL
Complete this form with your details for accessing the contents reserved for registered users.
Enter your email and press send. You will receive a link through which you can reset your password
Complete this form with your details for accessing the contents reserved for registered users.
Agenda
...
Programme and tickets 
Search 
Zabaltegi
Films
Films
David Thompson
USA
52 min.
This documentary is a tribute to the Hollywood dance director whose name is synonymous with spectacular, intricately designed musical numbers, and whose contribution to the genre was unmistakable. At a time when movie musicals were little more than stage productions on film, Berkeley ignored the conventional limitations of studio space. The camera wasn't only an observer, but a participant in the opulant settings of Berkeley production numbers that thrilled depression-era audiences. His trademark style was fashioned around stars such as Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Carmen Miranda and Esther Williams. This year's San Sebastian Festival poster takes its inspiration from the water ballets created by Busby Berkeley for Footlight Parade (1933).
Arturo Ripstein
Mexico
25 min.
Short film
The story line of Crime basically amounts to a sexual encounter (potrayed with a complete lack of expressiveness) inside a house, and to an individual with a whotgun lying in wait outside for the lovers to appear who ends up shooting the man. Only a quick general view of a desolate lanscape and the somewhat decrepit house at the begninning of the film disrupts the camera's stability. (...) The only background noise is the sound of traffic on what seems to be a nearby road.Jesús Angulo (Nosferatu)
Arturo Ripstein
Mexico - Spain - Argentina
112 min.
At the end of the millenium, Mama Dorita and Papa Basilio give shelter to a group of disciples awaiting the end of the world. In their remote Mexican village, the rites of this bizarre religious community are reminiscent of Hollywood biblical films of the 50s. All are welcome at the village, and the congregation opens its arms to Nélida, a prostitute, and Tomasa, a street-wise teenager; both refugees from the misery of everyday life. As Mama Dorita lies dying, it is Tomasa that she chooses as the new prophet to inherit her mantle. In her ascent to religious power, Tomasa rebels and imposes the most unusual rules. Like a queen-bee, she is the only one who can and must have sex with each and every one of the men before the sect can be saved.
Pedro Mari Santos
Spain
13 min.
Short film
The ups and downs of a lonely character who has succeeded in overcoming his failures and finding himself an ingenuous and comical happiness that gives some kind of meaning to his life.
Carlos Salces
Mexico
10 min.
Short film
Peasant boy Luis dreams of capturing the aeroplane reflected in the water which has accumulated in the area around the maize field. After several attempts, and much to his mother's disgust, he succeeds in catching it in a wooden box. The plane is so noisy that Luis is afraid it'll waken his mother, so he hides it beneath the corn they have already harvested. The next morning the plane is dying.
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
USA
75 min.
A mixture of filmed interviews, photographic portraits and archive footage portrays the musician, lyricist and composer Lou Reed, the man who founded The Velvet Underground in 1965 with John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker, a group which had an enormous influence on many musicians of the day. In 1972, Lou Reed embarked upon a highly-productive solo career which combined non-commercial work with other more famous numbers like Walk on the Wide Side. During recent years, Reed has experimented in areas other than rock music, appearing for example in films such as Wayne Wang's Blue in the Face (1994). He also collaborated with Robert Wilson on the opera Time Rocker.
Michael Glawogger
Austria - Switzerland
90 min.
Bombay, Mexico City, Moscow, New York: seductive yet repellent monsters. The contradiction insinuates itself into the daily lives of those who populate these megacities. The film's twelve chapters tell the tales of as many other residents in the different metropolis: Oleg, the boy on the streets of Moscow; Lola, the street vendor; Babu Khan, the Indian paint recycler; Toni, an ever-so-slightly unusual New York pimp.... Day in, day out they all set about their struggle for survival with a mixture of intelligence, ingenuity and dignity. And they share the same fantasy: the dream of a better life.
Patxi Barco
Spain
9 min.
A black African emigrant knick-knack pedlar goes into a bar for a coffee and very nearly finds himself straight back out on the street at the hands of the obnoxious barman. Saved from his fate by a group of card players, he soon realises their interest in his wares is only a cover for fun at his expense. But it doesn't take long for the players to fall into the inoffensive but ego-crushing trap set for them by the "poor" African boy.
Tinieblas Gonzalez
Spain
9 min.
Sad and timorous, little Julito leads a rotten life in miserable surroundings with his drunk and embittered parents. The hand-to-mouth conditions on which the family tries to get by obliges the parents to chop off bits of their body and swap them for food at the butcher's. One afternoon, the tragic experience of being sent to get the meat opens Julito's eyes to the true and horrible vision of the real world and deprives him of his innocence in the cruelest possible way, thereby awakening a feeling of deep hatred for everyone around him.
Official Sponsor 
Media Partner 
Official Collaborators: 
Associated Institutions:
Opening hours
Monday to Thursday: 09:00h - 15:00h
Friday: 10:00h - 14:00h
Monday to Thursday: 09:00h - 15:00h
Friday: 10:00h - 14:00h
Suscribe to our newsletter
We inform you that the personal data you provide to us on completing this form will be processed by the San Sebastian Festival as the body responsible for this website. The personal data we request will be processed for the purpose of sending you our newsletter. Authorisation to do so is given through the consent of the interested party. Only the San Sebastian Festival will send you messages and we will not disclose your data to third parties. We inform you that the data you provide to us will be stored in the Mailrelay (email marketing providers) servers, located within the EU. See the Mailrelay privacy policy. If you do not enter the data appearing as mandatory on the form, we may be unable to fulfil your request. You can exercise your rights of access, rectification, limitation and deletion of data at privacidad@sansebastianfestival.com. You can consult additional and detailed information on Data Production in our privacy policy.