Blessed by warm but hardly sweltering late summer sun – and no typical Basque txirimiri drizzle so common to other editions, –  the 74th San Sebastián also marks the last under festival director José Luis Rebordinos who since 2011 has brought stability, sponsors, industry build and a close relationship to Cannes. 

Fittingly enough, the hallmark of this year’s 74th edition is a phenomenon which Rebordinos has contributed significantly to – the build of Spain’s film and TV industry. 

Just before San Sebastián, Los Javis La Bola Negra won the TIFF People’s Choice Award, boosting no end its status in the Oscars race. During San Sebastián, Spain scored five nominations for the International Emmy Awards and the Spain Film Commission announced that Spanish film and TV production hit an all-time high of €5.68 billion ($6.6 billion) in 2025. Ten takeaways from this year’s edition:

Brad Pitt Seduces San Sebastián, Jesse Eisenberg Endearingly Self-Deprecating

Brad Pitt spent an hour-and-a-half signing autographs and taking selfies and waxed lyrical on the performance of co-star Uber, a dog at his press conference, as David Ayer’s The Heart of the Beast produced by Plan B, proved one of the most popular at the festival, with critics and audiences alike. A typically self-deprecating Jesse Eisenberg said Jeremy Strong will be “amazing” playing Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin’s San Sebastián 10 Takeaways, From Brad Pitt to Buzz Titles and Multiple Deals Larunbata, 2026ko irailaren 26a 36 Industria Zinemaldiaren Egunkaria MOVISTAR PLUS The Social Network sequel. Los Javis came saw and conquered with La Bola Negra, with Oscar Buzz fuelled by its TIFF People’s Choice Award. They were also presented by Thierry Frémaux with a copy of their Cannes best director award so that both had an trophy. 

Buzz Titles

Most well-received films in San Sebastián’s main competition, at least from international critics, take in Yesim Ustaoglu’s Turkish road movie What Remains, Japanese Novelist Maha Harada’s debut feature In My Father’s Room, Victoria Luengo starrer Saints and Border. Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care already tops Spanish reviewers’ poll in El Diario Vasco. So it might not be a surprise if he scores what would be a highly sentimental prize for his final film, or for Julianne Moore to build on her Toronto buzz for The Debut, also a hit with local scribes.

And the Deals:

• Martin Scorsese mentee Celina Murga (The Freshly Cut Grass) is prepping her next pic, The Rehearsals, about how caring for someone can also bring love, connection and a renewed sense of life.

• Mikel Gurrea’s awaited Saints, toplined by The Beloved star Victoria Luengo, was swooped on by M-Appeal in a deal announced just before the festival.

• Latido Films has picked up international sales rights to Flamenco Sketches, from double San Sebastián Golden Shell winner Isaki Lacuesta 

• Main competition frontrunner In My Father’s Room was pre-sold to France, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong ahead its san Sebastian world premiere. It now heads to Busan.

• Mexico’s Sula Films has boarded Tatiana Huezo’s anticipated Galerna, a top Industry Award winner at San Sebastián from “Roma” producer Pimienta Films

• Another Golden Shell contender, Chinese filmmaker Ah Biao’s feature debut Border, was picked up for sales by Paris-based Reel Suspects.

• New Regency acquired international rights to Genesi, detailing in part Ferran Adria’s transformation of El Bulli restaurant into a haute cuisine legend. Netflix will release in Spain, Europe, Latin America and the U.S.

• Lee Kang-sheng, Miranda de la Serna and Marcelo Subiotto are set to star in RT Features’ Bodies of Summer, from Berlin winner Iván Fund (The Message). 

• Filmax has swooped on Javier Giner’s This Solitude, one of the buzziest feature debuts at this year’s San Sebastián.

• Txintxua Films (Intimacy) boarded This Is the Memory I Would Like to Have of Mom a San Sebastián Forum title from Berlin Perspectives first feature winner Martínez Bucio (The Devil Smokes).

• Mexico’s Martfilms is co-producing Looking for Sam, Mariana Rondón’s follow-up to her acclaimed coming -of-age drama Bad Hair” and one of the major titles at this year’s San Sebastián Co-Production Forum.

• Urban Sales boarded Ricardo Alves Jr.’s religious cult thriller The French Teacher ahead of its San Sebastián premiere.

• Helsinki and London-based The Yellow Affair snatched up world sales rights to Rodrigo García Saiz’s buzzy drama Morro ahead of its world premiere at San Sebastián’s New Directors strand.

• El Sol Ermitaño launched at San Sebastián with pic in post title Lovers Go Home, which went on top the festival’s Industry Awards.

• In a second San Sebastián deal, Latido Films will rep world sales on 200 Lives, Paco Rabal, a bio of the Spanish screen legend narrated by Rabal himself. 

• Again working a San-Sebastián-Busan axis, Taiwanese coming-of-age drama Will You Still Be My Friend was boarded for sales by Moveria

JOHN HOPEWELL, ALEX RITMAN, CALLUM McLENNAN