The San Sebastian Festival and (H)emen, the association of professional women in audiovisual media and the performing arts, will organise a workshop at the Festival’s 69th edition. The aim will be to reflect, discuss and endeavour to reach agreements on questions related to gender equality. The debate will cover a variety of interrelated aspects, including, among others: the inclusion of professional women in the world of cinema and, particularly, in film festivals, by means of screening their films in the different sections and their participation in debate forums; the codes of ethics at festivals, particularly in the face of accusations of crimes committed against women; and recognition and equality with respect to the different sexual and gender identities.

Thanks to its Thought and Discussion area, the Festival proceeds with permanent critical reflection on gender-related matters. In this framework, an announcement had already been made in regard to a meeting on the removal of all gender distinctions from its acting awards. 

In view of the controversy surrounding the Donostia Award going to Johnny Depp, the Festival and (H)emen wish to expand upon and more deeply discuss the subject with the participation of the collectives critical towards the award, those responsible for Spanish film festivals, social and film industry stakeholders, such as the Interterritorial Workgroup on Equality in Audiovisual Media 50/50 by 2025 (GTI) in which the leading Spanish associations participate and which has almost a thousand members: AAMMA (Asociación Andaluza de Mujeres de los Medios Audiovisuales), AMMA (Asociación de Mujeres de Medios Audiovisuales de Murcia), DONA I CINEMA (Associació de dones del País Valencià), DONES VISUALS (Associació Promotora de Dones Cineastes i de Mitjans Audiovisuals de Catalunya), MIA (Asociación de Mujeres de la Industria de la Animación) and (H)emen, the Basque association of professional women in audiovisual media and the performing arts.

(H)emen and the Festival will work together on an agenda addressing the subjects to have generated debate. The conversation seeks not only to construct a space of real, open and respectful discussion, but also to offer the possibility of reaching agreements and commitments which are public and on which consensus is reached regarding these issues.

“We women experience the harshest effects of the current crises, as we were already warned by Simone de Beauvoir. The time is critical for us and from (H)emen we believe that discussion and reflection are required. We are grateful for the possibility to share our way of seeing the world and our reflections on the latest decisions made by the Festival. But, above all, we want to be part of the decisions taken in the future. We firmly believe that feminist thought and discussion can contribute new horizons and places of consensus with a view to creating a Festival which is more egalitarian and diverse. A safe place for the women of cinema, a place that better represents society”, said Lara Izagirre, president of the (H)emen association.

“The interesting aspect of this workshop will be, based on this context of real inequality, being able to reach commitments on a series of measures for the transformation of our audiovisual sector”, indicates the Interterritorial Workgroup on Audiovisual Media (GTI).

“A division was occurring between people and collectives who, in my opinion, share common objectives. The aim of this workshop is to discuss the subject calmly and with time, endeavouring to reach commitments and establish a calendar for measuring their effects”, explained the director of San Sebastian Festival, José Luis Rebordinos.

This workshop will be part of the activities encompassed by Thought and Discussion, the area created last year by the Festival as a meeting place in which to generate and transmit knowledge. In dialogue with the different Festival departments, this cross-cutting area focusses on the identification of subjects, formats and relevant people for leading the debate and developing innovative responses around the main challenges and concerns facing contemporary cinema culture and the international festival circuit. 

As well as this workshop, a permanent discussion table on effective equality will be created with the Festival. Quarterly meetings will be held to address the subjects of this year's first Festival reflection workshop and to progress gradually and jointly.