72nd San Sebastian Festival - 20/28 September 2023
71SSIFF - 22/30 September 2023
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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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Horizontes Latinos
Films
Films
Horizontes Latinos
Horizontes Latinos
Opening Film (In competition)
BENJAMÍN ÁVILA
ARGENTINA-SPAIN-BRAZIL
110 min.
Opening film
This feature debut by the Argentinian Benjamín Ávila bagged the Casa de America Award at Films in Progress 2011 in San Sebastian, and was later presented at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. A moving tale of false passports, hiding places in the garage, sudden house changes, made-up birthdays, secret visits to your grandmother. The story of a boy who learns how to live and to survive.
Films in Progress 20
ANTONIO MÉNDEZ ESPARZA
SPAIN-USA-MEXICO
110 min.
The feature debut by Antonio Méndez Esparza landed the Cannes Critics’ Week award. Here we follow the tale of Pedro, a married man with two daughters who tries to make a living playing music with his group on returning to Mexico after a long absence. The years of distance from his roots have changed both himself and the people he was eager to meet again.
ALICIA CANO
URUGUAY-GERMANY
73 min.
A documentary about the story of a house starting as a football club, becoming a successful transvestite brothel only to be changed into a catholic chapel, all in a small conservative village in Uruguay.
RODRIGO PLÁ
URUGUAY-MEXICO-FRANCE
81 min.
This third movie by the Uruguayan Rodrigo Plá (La zona, Desierto adentro) presented in the Forum section of the Berlin Festival looks at the conflict of a woman obliged to take care of her 80 year-old father who suffers from memory loss following an illness.
MICHEL FRANCO
MEXICO-FRANCE
102 min.
Winner of the Un Certain Regard award at the Festival de Cannes, this new film by Michel Franco focusses on a teenager bullied by her classmates. Unable to tell her father the truth, her silence will have dire consequences.
MARCELO GOMES
BRAZIL
109 min.
New film by Marcelo Gomez, participant with his first movie Cinema, aspirinas e urubus (Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures) in Films in Progress 2004 before competing in the Un Certain Regard section of the Festival de Cannes and Horizontes Latinos in 2005. This film, participant in last year’s Films in Progress at San Sebastian, revolves around Veronica, a 26 year old asked by her father to do him a last favour: to find the love of her life.
Films in Progress 20
MARIALY RIVAS
CHILE
92 min.
Following its screening in San Sebastian’s Films in Progress section last year, this directorial debut by Chilean director Marialy Rivas garnered the Best Screenplay award in the World Cinema section at Sundance and was selected in the Generation section of the Berlin Festival. The portrait of an 17 year old girl with a Evangelic family upbringing which, rebel by nature, will discover a devastating obstacle to follow the "right path".
Films in Progress 20
JUAN ANDRÉS ARANGO
COLOMBIA-BRAZIL-FRANCE
90 min.
This directorial debut by the Columbian Juan Andrés Arango competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the latest Festival de Cannes after having participated in Films in Progress at San Sebastian last year. Tomas is a black youth trying to make his way in Bogota. Looking for his young brother Jairo, he sets out on a journey that will test his ability to deal with the fear and wounds of the past.
Films in Progress 20
CARLOS REYGADAS
MEXICO-FRANCE-GERMANY-HOLLAND
120 min.
Latest work by Carlos Reygadas (Batalla en el cielo, Stellet Licht/Luz silenciosa), one of the best known Mexican filmmakers on the international scene. This competing film in the Official Selection at the Festival de Cannes, winner of its Best Director Award, describes the life of Juan and his family in a country house, a world apart of pleasure and suffering. Non-one knows if these two worlds are complementary or if they strive to eliminate one another.
MARIANO LUQUE
ARGENTINA
66 min.
Having been a project selected for "Films in Progress" at Toulouse and festivals like Cannes and the BAFICI in Buenos Aires, this directorial debut by the Argentinian Mariano Luque was presented in Berlin Festival’s "Forum" section. The film follows Carmen and her husband Rafa on a camping day of their holidays, which they cannot enjoy...
Films in Progress 19
WILLIAM VEGA
COLOMBIA-FRANCE-MEXICO
85 min.
Directorial debut from the Colombian William Vega screened as part of the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes after having won the Films in Progress award at the Toulouse Festival. This is the story of Alicia, a woman stripped of her belongings who seeks shelter at La Sirga, the boarding house belonging to her Uncle Oscar on La Cocha Lake. La Sirga too is affected by the war: Freddy, Oscar’s son, returns. Believing herself to be safe, Alicia doesn’t realise that what she fears most now lives in her house.
Films in Progress 21
ARMANDO BO
ARGENTINA-USA
90 min.
With his feature debut, the director, producer and screenwriter Armando Bo competed at the Sundance Festival and opened the BAFICI in Buenos Aires. The film stars Carlos, a divorced singer who believes himself to be Elvis reincarnated now obliged to take care of his daughter. On a journey of madness and music, Carlos will have to choose between his dream of being Elvis and his family.
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Friday: 10:00h - 14:00h
Monday to Thursday: 09:00h - 15:00h
Friday: 10:00h - 14:00h
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