The residencies of the third edition of Ikusmira Berriak, the programme providing support to audiovisual projects organised by Tabakalera-International Centre for Contemporary Culture and the San Sebastian Festival, with collaboration of the Filmoteca Vasca, and which is part of the legacy left by San Sebastian, European Capital of Culture 2016, began on August 21. Over the six weeks of the residency, filmmakers Maider Fernández Iriarte (San Sebastián, 1988), Helena Girón (Santiago de Compostela, 1988) and Samuel M. Delgado (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1987), Julia Pesce (Córdoba, Argentina, 1984) and Leo van Dijl (Kortrijk, Belgium, 1991) will develop the four selected projects in the Tabakalera Creators’ Space. To help them with the process, during the first four weeks a series of masterclasses have been organised, such as those given by producer Fernanda del Nido, founder of Setembro Cine, and filmmakers Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, the founders of Vento Films. In addition, each resident will have carte blanche to programme a film forming part of their movie references at Tabakalera.

In the fifth week of their stay, coinciding with the start of the San Sebastian Festival, the participants will prepare a pitch, a concised presentation of their audiovisual projects to international producers, sales agents and industry professionals potentially interested in co-producing and distributing their work. The presentations will take place in the frame of the Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, the meeting point for the industry professionals in the Festival. The residents will have a specific spot at San Telmo Museum, Forum’s venue, where they will have the opportunity to organise one-to-one meetings with accredited guests interested in their projects. Moreover, they will be able to participate in the Festival activities as professionals and to attend its screenings. Their stay will end, exactly, on October 1, the day after the Festival finishes.

Over the six weeks the participants will be accompanied and advised by the same experts who worked with the selection committee to choose their projects from among the 157 submitted (320% more than last year): the Locarno Film Festival Director, Carlo Chatrian; Ada Solomon, film producer - this year she presents Soldiers. Story from Ferentari at the Offficial Selection -and founder of HiFilm Productions; and Sergio Oksman, film director (Goodbye America, A Story for the Modlins, O Futebol / On Football) and head of the production company, Dok Films.

After fifteen days of work in Tabakalera, these were the first impressions of Maider Fernández Iriarte, chosen in the Basque Autonomous Community filmmakers category; Helena Girón and Samuel M. Delgado, in the filmmakers from the rest of Spain category; Julia Pesce, whose project was chosen in the international filmmakers category; and Leo van Dijl, chosen from among the participants in the International Film Students Meeting, an annual event running at the San Sebastian Festival.

The residents underline “the importance of addressing ideas”

“Ikusmira Berriak offers us the tools, both technical and human, to enable projects like ours to develop in a space which turns the focus on thought and the importance of sharing and addressing ideas, fostering encounters that help your proposal to take on new hues and unexpected ramifications”, say Maider Fernández Iriarte, Helena Girón, Samuel M. Delgado and Julia Pesce, for whom the experience of their early weeks in Tabakalera are “proving to be enormously beneficial”. “The Tabakalera premises are exceptional and we are hugely enjoying sharing the processes with the other residents. We also particularly wish to highlight the professionalism and kindness of its workers, who are doing their utmost to make our stay here as perfect as possible”, they say appreciatively. For Leonardo van Dijl this is his second time in Tabakalera’s “fascinating building”, having already participated in last year’s International Film Students Meeting selection. “The space and its scope are extraordinary”, he stresses.

“Visiting the San Sebastian Festival offers the chance to find synergies and alliances for our project, and is a very special opportunity to discover other works that inspire us”, say the residents. “I hope to work intensely on the screenplay and to learn a great deal from my fellow residents so that, when the Festival begins I can see heaps of beautiful films and relax for a while”, said Van Dijl, for whom "it is marvellous that a festival understands the importance of the creative process for an artist and of offering them a time and a place to produce their work without asking for anything in exchange”.

Ikusmira Berriak will give a cash prize of 20,000 euros to be distributed between the chosen projects. Furthermore, the REC Grabaketa Estudioa will offer its post-production services as an award for a feature film, worth 35,000 euros.

PROJECTS