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).
For the third year running, the San Sebastian City Council will sponsor the City of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Award. This initiative, born to celebrate the European Capital of Culture, and which remains in place as a legacy of San Sebastian 2016, is a homage by the City Council to its citizens, who have the task of giving the award.
The award connects the city to the most highly acclaimed films and to the award which enjoys greatest participation. The candidates for the City of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Award are films in the Perlak section, made up of a selection of feature films to have enjoyed critical acclaim and/or received awards at other international festivals. The films will be screened at the Victoria Eugenia Theatre and the audience attending the first showing of the film will vote for the winner. The award will be presented at the Festival closing gala.
Candidates for the City of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Award
The City of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Award is made up of two different accolades: a Best Film Award, coming with 50,000 euros, and a Best European Film Award of 20,000 euros. Thanks to this award, the two winning films will be forever connected to the city.
Last year the City of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Award for Best Film went to the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri by Martin McDonagh (which later landed two Academy Awards for the performances of Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell) and for Best European Film, to Jusqu’à la garde / Custody, by Xavier Legrand, winner of the Silver Lion for Best Director in Venice.
Free tickets for unemployed and disadvantaged groups of San Sebastián
Furthermore, the City Council, together with the Festival, will distribute 1,000 tickets for the Zinemaldia among the unemployed and disadvantaged citizens whose socio-economic situation complicates their access to film theatres.