28/07/2017 - The new films by Manuel Martín Cuenca, Jon Garaño and Aitor Arregi, and Antonio Méndez Esparza will be duking it out for the Golden Shell

As is the case every year, the San Sebastián International Film Festival (the 65th edition of which will unspool from 22-30 September) has once again announced the Spanish titles that will form part of its official selection ahead of the movies hailing from further afield.

At this year’s edition, an auteur who is already a firm fixture at the Basque gathering will be taking part in the competition for the Golden Shell. Almeria-born director Manuel Martín Cuenca returns to the festival where he presented Cannibal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Manuel Martín Cuenca
film profile] in 2013 with The Motive [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Manuel Martín Cuenca
film profile], his adaptation of the novel of the same name by Javier Cercas, set to star Javier Gutiérrez, María León and Antonio de la Torre. Flanking him, following the success of Flowers [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] in 2014, one half of its pair of directors, Jon Garaño, will be back in competition with Handia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aitor Arregi and Jon Garaño
film profile]. The movie, which this time he directed with the co-screenwriter of his previous film, Aitor Arregi, follows the real-life case of the person known as the Giant of Altzo (Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country) in the 19^th century. Finally, they are joined by Antonio Méndez Esparza, the Madrilenian filmmaker who went home with nothing less than the Grand Prize in the Cannes Critics’ Week in 2012 with his feature debut, Here and There [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pedro Hernández
film profile]. Now he is presenting Life and Nothing More [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antonio Méndez Esparza
film profile], his new take on social inequalities in North America, this time focusing on Florida.

Out of competition we find the directorial debut by the screenwriter of such titles as The Orphanage [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and The Impossible [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juan Antonio Bayona
film profile], Sergio G Sánchez. Marrowbone [+see also:
trailer
interview: Sergio G Sánchez
film profile] is a psychological thriller boasting a US and British cast that includes such names as Anya Taylor-Joy, George MacKay and Mia Goth. In the same section, we come across the first foray into small-screen entertainment by Alberto Rodríguez, who, after his success with Marshland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alberto Rodríguez
film profile] and Smoke & Mirrors [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alberto Rodríguez
film profile], is trying his hand at portraying 16^th-century Seville in the series La peste, which is being produced by Movistar Plus+. Also of note is the inclusion of Morir [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fernando Franco
film profile], the new film by Fernando Franco, following Wounded [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fernando Franco
film profile] (which won two prizes at San Sebastián and two Goya Awards in 2013), in Special Screenings.

The Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section, which shines a spotlight on works that jump between genres and formats, will host the premieres of the documentaries Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gustavo Salmerón
film profile] by Gustavo Salmerón (which took home the Best Documentary Award from Karlovy Vary not long ago) and Saura(s) [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Félix Viscarret
film profile] by Félix Viscarret, part of the Cineastas Contados series. Short films by Koldo Almandoz, Samuel M Delgado and Helena Girón, and a series by Juan Cavestany and Álvaro Fernández Armero (also for Movistar Plus+) will accompany them.

This year, there will also be Spanish premieres in the Velodrome screenings (Bomb Scared [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Borja Cobeaga, produced by Netflix, and Operation Golden Shell by Antonio Cuadri) as well as in Gala TVE (Holy Camp! [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Javier Calvo and Javier Amb…
film profile] by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi).

Lastly, as is customary, co-productions with Latin America will enjoy a strong presence across the various sections, and the Nuev@s Director@s sidebar, which was announced previously, will also play host to national films (see the news).

Competition

El autor [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Manuel Martín Cuenca
film profile] – Manuel Martín Cuenca (Spain/Mexico)
Handia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aitor Arregi and Jon Garaño
film profile] – Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño (Spain)
Life and Nothing More [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antonio Méndez Esparza
film profile] – Antonio Méndez Esparza (Spain/USA)

Out of competition

Marrowbone [+see also:
trailer
interview: Sergio G Sánchez
film profile] – Sergio G Sánchez (Spain)
La peste – Alberto Rodríguez (Spain) (series)

Special Screenings

Morir [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fernando Franco
film profile] – Fernando Franco (Spain)

Zabaltegi-Tabakalera

Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gustavo Salmerón
film profile] – Gustavo Salmerón (Spain)
Plaga – Koldo Almandoz (Spain) (short film)
Plus Ultra – Samuel M Delgado, Helena Girón (Spain) (short film)
Vergüenza [+see also:
interview: Juan Cavestany
series profile] – Juan Cavestany, Álvaro Fernández Armero (Spain) (series)
Saura(s) [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Félix Viscarret
film profile] – Félix Viscarret (Spain)

(Translated from Spanish)