Thought and Discussion, the cross-cutting area at San Sebastian Festival seeking to find answers to the challenges faced by international festivals and contemporary cinematic culture by means of proposals distributed throughout the year, will organise at the 69th edition a programme of masterclasses – which return to the physical format following last year's parenthesis – round tables and presentations on cinematic creation, gender equality and sustainability.

The film archivist and head of restoration at American Zoetrope, James Mockoski, will explain his work with the films of moviemaker Francis Ford Coppola including Apocalypse Now and those screening in the Klasikoak section, The Rain People and The Outsiders: The Complete Novel. Mockoski will give his talk in Room Z in Tabakalera on Tuesday 21from 18:30 - 20:00.

Nest will also come with another two meetings linked to its 20th anniversary. On Monday 20, at 11:00, in the Tabakalera cinema, the French filmmaker Céline Sciamma, whose film Petite maman will screen in Perlak, will participate in one of the conversations with the film students selected in Nest. In the same venue, on Wednesday 22 at 15:30, it will be the turn of Belgian filmmaker Laura Wandel, who returns to the Festival's film students meeting after being selected in 2007 with her short film Murs. Wandel will present in Zabaltegi-Tabakalera her first feature film, Un monde / Playground, following its release in Un Certain Regard at the Festival de Cannes, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize.

In addition, on September 21 a podcast will be recorded live at the Tabakalera cinema, open to festival pass holders and the general public, with Nest students who formerly participated in the meeting and are now pursuing their careers in film: Kiro Russo (Nueva vida / New Life, Nest 2015), Inês de Lima (De madrugada / At Dawn, Nest 2017), Mina Fitzpatrick (Wandervogel, Nest 2017) and Óscar Vincentelli (Guillermo + Violeta, Nest 2018).

The Festival and (H)emen, the association of professional women in audiovisual media and the performing arts, will organise an internal working day 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 discussion 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.

In addition, the series conference Identities and diversity. Stories that change structures, organised in collaboration with Europa Creative MEDIA Desk Euskadi, will reflect on the portrayal of diverse identities, moderated by the journalist and author Valeria Vegas. The writer and screenwriter Bob Pop will take part in the debate. Furthermore, a round table moderated by Rolando Salazar, director of the Lima Gay, Lesbian and Trans Film Festival, will analyse the challenges facing LGBTIQ+ cinema in Latin America.

Another part of the Thought and Discussion activities will focus on detecting the changes taking place in the film industry due to the pandemic or to ecological awareness. On the one hand, a round table promoted by Europa Distribution will analyse the effects of the pandemic on the film industry and how film distribution and dissemination have changed. On the other, the yearly meeting with the European Film Forum, co-organised with Creative Europe MEDIA, will address transformation of the sector towards a more sustainable and digital industry. Specifically, one of the panels will reflect on the film industry's ecological undertaking as part of the European Green Deal while the second will focus on the uses of Big Data and digital technologies in the development of activities and business models in the European audiovisual industry.

Also related to the innovation of technological tools, Zinemaldia & Technology will run in Tabakalera on Thursday at 12:30. This activity, which will reflect on the links between technology and audiovisuals, will dedicate its fourth edition to virtual production, which will be discussed at a round table moderated by AC Coppens. In addition, as part of the Department of Industry's programme of round tables, ProFicció, PROA, Catalan Films and EFA will be discussing co-production opportunities with Europe.

Lastly, the pedagogical capacity of the audiovisual field will be the subject of the round table Audiovisuals and education. Education in audiovisuals, promoted by Egeda and moderated by the critic and arts administrator Fernando Rodríguez Lafuente.

These talks are in addition to the masterclass by the Italian director and screenwriter Paolo Sorrentino, who will present È Stata La Mano di Dio / The Hand of God, following its screening at Venice Festival. The author of La grande bellezza / The Great Beauty will talk about his latest film and his ties with the seventh art at the Tabakalera cinema on Wednesday 22, from 19:00-20:30.

Céline Sciamma. Monday 20, 11:00-12:15, Tabakalera cinema. For film students only.

Tuesday 21, 16:00-18:00, Tabakalera cinema. General public: prior registration through the Tabakalera website (from September 15).
Accreditation holders: through the Festival ticket booking system.

Tuesday 21, 18:30-20:00, Room Z, Tabakalera. General public: collection of invitations from the Tabakalera information desk (from September 17). Accreditation holders: through the Festival ticket booking system.  

Wednesday 22, 15:30-17:45 (screening + masterclass), Tabakalera cinema. General public: prior registration through the Tabakalera website (from September 15).
Accreditation holders: through the Festival ticket booking system.

Wednesday 22, 19:00-20:30, Tabakalera cinema. General public: collection of invitations from the Tabakalera information desk (from September 17). Accreditation holders: through the Festival ticket booking system.

Identities and diversity. Stories that change structures. In collaboration with Europa Creativa MEDIA Desk Euskadi. Saturday 18, 17:00-18:30. Kursaal – Press Club. For accreditation holders, priority Industry. Live broadcast on the Festival website.

Promoted by Europa Distribution. Monday 20, 10:30-12:00. Function Hall - San Telmo Museum. With industry accreditation. Available on Industria Online.

Transformation of the European audiovisual ecosystem: towards a more sustainable and digital industry. Co-organised with Creative Europe MEDIA. Function Hall – San Telmo Museum. Monday 20, 16:00-18:00. For accreditation holders, priority Industry. Live broadcast on the Festival website.

PANEL 1 / Green Focus: new sustainability challenges facing the audiovisual industry.
PANEL 2 / Cinema and Big Data: use and application of Artificial Intelligence tools for audience analysis

Tuesday 21, 11:00-12:30. Function Hall – San Telmo Museum. With industry accreditation. Available on Industria Online.

Promoted by Egeda. Tuesday 21, 17:00-18:00. Kursaal - Press Club. With industry and press accreditation.

Promoted by ProFicció / PROA, Catalan Films and with the support of EFA. Tuesday 21, 17:30-19:00. Function Hall – San Telmo Museum. With Industry accreditation. Available on Industria Online.

Virtual production: a journey to the future of cinema. Thursday 23 - 12:30-14:00. Room Z, Tabakalera. For accreditation holders, priority Industry.