73rd San Sebastian Festival - 19/27 September 2025
73SSIFF - 19/27 September 2025
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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).
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Agenda
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Preston Sturges
Films
Films
Preston Sturges
USA
70 min.
Jimmy McDonald, a clerk at the Baxter Coffee Company, refuses to marry his sweetheart, Betty Casey, until he prospers. To realize his dream, Jimmy, an inveterate contest entrant, submits a slogan to the Maxford Coffee Contest. Three of his friends, Tom, Dick and Harry, decide to play a practical joke on him by making up a phony telegram informing him that he has won the $25,000 first prize. Jimmy, Betty and the entire office start to celebrate and Jim telephones his mother with the good news. Mr. Baxter, thinking that Jimmy's ideas must be good, promotes him to the advertising department. But Mr. Maxford appears, tears up his check and denounces Jimmy.
Edward Sutherland
USA
93 min.
Jim answers an advertisement for a salesman. Convinced that ?to make money, you've got to look like money?, Jim rents a suit and a diamond. The owner of the company is so impressed with Jim's knowledge and his audacity that he hires him. Jim then proposes to Emma, with whom he is in love, only to discover that she is already engaged to someone else. Now a captain of industry, Jim has diamond jewelry especially designed for him in huge proportions, and is nicknamed ?Diamond Jim?.
Mitchell Leisen
USA
66 min.
During a discussion with his wife, millionaire J. B. Ball throws her fur coat out of the window of their Fifth Avenue attic. It falls on poor working girl Mary Smith, who is soon suspected of being Ball's mistress and is assigned a luxury suite in a hotel. A casual remark she profers causes a stock exchange crisis, but in the end everything is well when Mary and John Ball Jr. find out that they are in love.
Preston Sturges
USA
101 min.
Sitting at a bar when six Marines come in, Woodrow Truesmith buys them all a beer. They have recently returned from Guadalcanal. They learn that Woodrow's father, also a Marine, died a hero in World War I and that Woodrow has been dismissed from service due to chronic hayfever. He reveals that he wrote to his mother telling her he'd been sent overseas and that he hasn't been home for a year. The Marines telephone his mother, informing her that Woodrow is a hero, before escorting him to a train and giving him several of their own medals. But Woodrow is mortified when the entire town greets him at the station.
Frank Lloyd
USA
100 min.
In the late 15th century, Parisian poet François Villon is a rebel who attracts Louis XI's attention after he raids his personal food storehouse and distributes it to the starving populace. When Louis suspects that one of his aides is allied to the Burgundians, who have surrounded the city, he visits in disguise a tavern in which François proclaims what he would do if he were king. Louis hears his remarks with amusement, but his suspicions are confirmed when he sees the Grand Constable receive a Burgundian missive.
Preston Sturges
France
83 min.
The reactions of a retired British officer living in Paris with his beautiful and frivolous French wife. His marriage difficulties take their origin from the couple's different points of view on how their child should be educated and on historic questions. The story dates back to the time when he was courting his first wife, Ursula, who feels more at ease with horses and treats them better than she does men.
James Whale
USA
81 min.
In the port of Marseilles, Honoré Panisse is in love with the pretty Madelon. For many years Panisse has played cards with Cesar, father of Marius, the boy with whom Madelon is in love. One day, Marius sends Madelon a note saying that he is going to sea for three years. Panisse once again asks for Madelon's hand. Discovering that she's pregnant, Madelon explains to Panisse that she can't marry him, although she finally agrees to do so for the sake of the child-to-be. A year later, Marius unexpectedly returns.
Mitchell Leisen
USA
86 min.
District attorney John Sargent is prosecuting Lee Leander for stealing some jewels. The case is adjourned until after Christmas. When Sargent discovers that Lee is from Indiana, he offers to drive her to her mother's house on his way home. Turned away by her parent, Lee spends Christmas with the Sargents. Having fallen in love with the girl, John tries to overturn the case, but Lee pleads guilty. As she is led away, he promises to wait until she is free.
John M. Stahl
USA
91 min.
Judge Dempsey and opera singer ?Gus? di Ruvo, whose stage name is Tino Caraffa, live in an apartment over a speakeasy owned by Tommaso Antiovi. One night, East Coast snob Henry Greene brings his innocent fiancée Isabelle Parry to the speakeasy for a drink. The judge befriends her, but Henry rebuffs him. Gus is immediately drawn to Isabelle, who is thrilled to meet him.
Preston Sturges
USA
90 min.
Dreaming of making a film about the misery of the poverty-stricken, Hollywood film director John L. Sullivan convinces his studio executives to allow him to do research by travelling cross-country disguised as a hobo. After working as a hired hand for a widow who has more in mind for him than chopping wood, he sneaks out of her house at night and hitchhikes, but the truck he gets a ride with lands him back in Hollywood. Frustrated by his failure, Sully wanders into a diner to buy a cup of coffee with his last dime, meeting a beautiful blonde actress who decides to dress as a man and join him in his experiment, living like true hoboes.
Preston Sturges
USA
79 min.
Fiery saloon singer Freddie has been incarcerated for shooting the Honorable Judge O'Toole in the rear while chasing one of her boyfriend Blackie's flames, the attractive French ?artiste? Roulette. Just as she is convincing the Judge of her innocence, Blackie and Roulette enter the courtroom and Freddie, in a jealous rage, shoots the Judge in the rear for a second time. Freddie makes the most of the ensuing confusion to grab her Mexican friend Conchita and escape by train.
William Wyler
USA
90 min.
Luisa is a young woman just released from an orphanage, whose innocence attracts the amorous advances of millionaire Konrad. To escape she tells him that she is married and when forced to produce a husband, she grabs the first name in the phone book. The unwitting victim is a lawyer, Max Sporum, who suddenly finds Konrad offering him a contract that will make him rich (Konrad hopes to impress Luisa with his generosity and then woo her away from her ?husband?). Meanwhile Max and Luisa fall in love. When the truth comes out, Konrad allows them to marry, continuing as their benefactor.
Preston Sturges
USA
81 min.
When a despondent bank cashier tries to commit suicide in a south of the border dive because he ruined his life with one crazy moment of dishonesty, he is rescued by the bartender, who relates the story of how one crazy moment of honesty caused his fall from governor of a state to bartender. Dan McGinty's climb begins at a soup kitchen where he is recruited by a crooked politician to vote at various precincts under the names of recently deceased voters. Impressed by McGinty's skill in voting thirty-seven times, as well as his lack of scruples, the political boss welcomes him at the party, and McGinty soon starts making his way up the political ladder.
Preston Sturges
USA
83 min.
In 1868, after his death, renowned Boston dentist William Thomas Green Morton, credited with discovering an ether formula to alleviate pain, is mourned only by his wife Elizabeth and his friend and former patient Eben Frost. The woman recalls her marriage to William, who was forced to leave medical school because he couldn't afford tuition to become a dentist instead. Business was limited because patients experienced excruciating pain during the operations. William therefore continued his study of ether, trying it on himself, until succeeding in extracting teeth without inflicting pain.
Preston Sturges
USA
97 min.
While travelling aboard an ocean liner, Charles Pike falls for Jean Harrington, a cardsharp who works with her father. Similarly falling in love with Charlie, Jean tells her father that she intends to go straight. But Charlie calls off the whole thing on learning her profession. Hurt, Jean's thoughts turn to revenge. The Harrington's encounter a friend who is also a con artist and Jean arranges to pose as their niece, Lady Eve Sidwich of England. Meeting Lady Eve at a party, Charlie is astonished by her resemblance to Jean.
Preston Sturges
USA
100 min.
Grumpy town policeman Kockenlocker forbids his daughter Trudy from attending a farewell dance for soldiers. Trudy rebels and pretends that her childhood friend, the homely, stuttering Norval Jones is taking her out to the movies. Knocked on the head, Trudy loses her memory, only vaguely recalling that she had used an assumed name to marry someone the night before, as apparently confirmed by the wedding band she now wears. Some time later she learns that she is pregnant. Still unaware of her husband's identity, a lawyer confirms that her marriage is legal even though she used an assumed name and has no idea who the groom was.
Preston Sturges
USA
88 min.
A bride and groom are inexplicably prevented from attending their own wedding by their exact doubles, who marry in their place. Six years later, Tom and Gerry Jeffer's Park Avenue apartment manager shows their apartment to prospective tenants while they are still in residence because they are behind in rent. Gerry is frustrated because Tom, a struggling architect, has continually rejected her attempts to use her beauty to get financial backers for his projects. Gerry accidentally meets John D. Hackensacker III, one of the wealthiest men in the world.
William K. Howard
USA
76 min.
After the funeral for Tom Garner, the much-hated president of the Chicago & Southwestern Railway Company, Henry, his elderly secretary, talks to his wife about Tom, whom she despises and blames for the death of 400 men during a strike and for ?kicking out? his wife of many years to make way for someone young and pretty. Henry, who was Tom's friend, asserts that the latter cannot be judged by ordinary standards and relates various scenes from Tom's life.
Preston Sturges
USA
90 min.
After Harold Diddlebock scores the winning touchdown for his college's football team, he is approached by E. J. Waggleberry, an advertising tycoon, who offers him a job. Twenty-two years later Harold is still working as bookkeeper when he is fired by Waggleberry for lack of ambition. On the street, he meets Wormy, a racetrack tout who sensing an opportunity takes his sad ?friend? to a bar. There bartender Jack concocts a special drink for Harold (?The Diddlebock?), who has never imbibed alcohol. The drink emboldens Harold, who bets $1,000 on a horse which, to everybody's surprise, wins the race.
Preston Sturges
USA
105 min.
Returning to New York from a visit to his native England, renowned conductor Sir Alfred de Carter is greeted at the airport by his beautiful young wife Daphne, with whom he is deeply in love. His brother-in-law, August Henschler, having misunderstood Alfred's request that he watch over Daphne during his absence, had hired Sweeney, a private detective, to follow her, now giving Alfred the report. Having ripped up the document and thrown August from his study, Alfred is astonished to learn that, late one night, while wearing a negligee, Daphne had gone to his secretary Tony's room.
Rouben Mamoulian
USA
84 min.
Russian servant Katusha Maslova awaits the arrival of her childhood playmate, Prince Dimitri, who is returning after six years to visit his aunts, Marie and Sophie, for whom Katusha works. Dimitri and Katusha spend the summer happily and he promises to visit her the following summer. But Dimitri doesn't appear, having started to lead the life of a cavalier military man, riding, drinking and womanizing. When he does finally return two years later, the couple spend a night at the greenhouse. Some time later, on discovering her pregnancy, Marie and Sophie fire Katusha, but she firmly refuses to reveal her seducer's name.
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