The films with RTVE participation, Mediterráneo and Érase una vez en Euskadi, will have their premieres at two galas organised by the Corporation at the 69th edition of San Sebastian Festival. RTVE, official sponsor of the Festival, will once again turn its attention to cinema thanks to a special programme broadcast from San Sebastian, its participation in other titles also programmed for screening at the festival, and yet another edition of the RTVE-Otra Mirada Award.
On Thursday, September 23, the film Mediterráneo (Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea) directed by Marcel Barrena and starring Eduard Fernández, Dani Rovira, Anna Castillo, Sergi López, Àlex Monner and Patricia López Arnaiz, will screen at the Victoria Eugenia Theatre in San Sebastian.
The film follows the not-for-profit Open Arms Foundation. It shows the struggle to survive and describes the situation of thousands of people who risk their lives every day as they flee from armed conflicts.
The first work from the director Manu Gómez, Érase una vez en Euskadi (Once Upon a Time in Euskadi), will arrive in San Sebastian’s Kursaal 2 on Wednesday, September 22.
Starring four 12-year-old children, played by Asier Flores, Aitor Calderón, Miguel Rivera and Hugo García, the film will depict the Basque Country of the 80s through their eyes. They are accompanied in the cast by Marian Álvarez, Luis Callejo, María Isasi, Vicente Romero, Ruth Díaz, Arón Piper, Yon González and Pilar Gómez.
In addition to Mediterráneo and Érase una vez en Euskadi, other films with RTVE participation will feature on the programme at the San Sebastian Festival.
Other premieres Maixabel, by Icíar Bollaín, starring Blanca Portillo and Luis Tosar, and El buen patrón (The Good Boss) by Fernando León de Aranoa, with Javier Bardem, will compete in the Official Selection for the Golden Shell; while Josefina (Josephine) the first film from Javier Marco, will compete in the New Directors section.
La hija (The Daughter) will participate in the Official Selection out of competition, following its screening at Toronto International Film Festival. It is directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca, with Javier Gutiérrez and Patricia López Arnaiz in the leading roles.
Competencia Oficial (Official Competition) an Argentine co-production directed by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn, starring Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas, will open the Perlak section. Prior to San Sebastian, the film will compete for the Golden Lion in Venice and participate in Toronto Festival.
Yet another year, the Corporation will give the RTVE-Otra Mirada Award going to feature films on subjects close to the female universe either directed, starred or written by women, or by men showing special empathy towards the world of women.
The films competing for the award will be selected by the Festival from among those having their premiere this edition and will be announced shortly.
The Corporation’s support for the cinema now grows even stronger with RTVE Play, the new on-demand video platform replacing RTVE À la carte. With a more attractive design and new functionalities, the platform is completely free and offers an extensive and constantly growing catalogue.
Cinema holds a prominent place in RTVE’s new OTT, including titles in with its participation, national and international films and those broadcast on the La 1 and La 2 channels. All are available for users at any time and on any device.
Every year RTVE participates in around 70 productions (feature films and documentaries, by well-known directors, young talents and independent filmmakers. It broadcasts almost 85% of the Spanish film seen on television, turning it into the star of its programme.
It supports our country’s most important festivals (San Sebastian, Seminci…); broadcasts the Goya, Forqué and Platino Awards; annually presents the RNE Sant Jordi Awards; and maintains its commitment to offering free and open information and Spanish film premieres on the ‘Somos cine’ portal.
Euskadi 1985. It's summer time, the holidays are finally here. Marcos and his three friends, José Antonio, Paquito and Toni, anxiously await a promising summer break from the fresh view of 12-year-olds who have little care for where, how or when. They will while away the hours in the maze life has prepared for them, in an old, turbulent and trembling Euskadi. A maze of painted walls, where rubber balls and dreams bounce together; all covered by a sky tinged with the grey of prefabricated concrete, where life and death no longer keep formal relationships.
Autumn 2015. Profoundly affected by the picture of a little boy who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, lifeguards Oscar and Gerard travel to Lesbos (Greece). Once there, the reality is horrific: thousands of people risk their lives every day, crossing the sea in precarious boats and fleeing from armed conflicts. But nobody bothers to rescue them. With Esther, Nico and other members of the team, they will fight to do what they came to do, helping those who need it. For all of them, this initiation voyage will become a life-changing odyssey. Mediterráneo is the struggle to survive in the sea, an often hostile medium where every life counts.