23/08/2018 - The programme of the Basque gathering's section dedicated to up-and-coming talents has been rounded off with works by European, US, Latin American and Asian debutants

UPDATE (23 August 2018): The section has been topped off with the last two titles - France's Meteorites [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Romain Laguna and China's Breeze (Qing Feng De Wei Dao) by Kung Yang.

The San Sebastián International Film Festival has begun to reveal details of the programme for its 66^th edition, which will unspool between 21 and 29 September this year. This morning, a press conference was held to disclose the identities of 13 of the titles (either first or second works) that will be duking it out to take home the Kutxabank-New Directors Award, which comes with €50,000 (intended for the director and the Spanish distributor). Three Spaniards stand out particularly among the emerging directors: Elías León Siminiani, whose new film – following the enthralling Mapa [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Notes For a Heist Film [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: León Siminiani
film profile], again produced by Avalon, was shot shrouded in the utmost secrecy; Basque helmer Koldo Almandoz, who will be showing off Ciervo [+see also:
film review
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interview: Koldo Almandoz
film profile] after his captivating feature debut, Ghost Ship [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which was premiered at Rotterdam; and Celia Rico Clavellino, who will be coming along with her feature debut, a co-production with France, Journey to a Mother’s Room [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Celia Rico Clavellino
film profile], starring Lola Dueñas and Anna Castillo. The screenplay for the latter took part in the Script Station Lab at Berlinale Talents (see the news).

The list of European representatives in the New Directors section is rounded off by a clutch of other titles: from Romania comes Hadrian Marcu with A Decent Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hadrian Marcu
film profile], a project that arose from the first edition of Glocal in Progress, starring the winner of the Silver Shell for Best Actor at last year’s edition of this very same festival, Bodgan Dumitrache; from Switzerland comes Hannes Baumgartner with his feature debut, Midnight Runner [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hannes Baumgartner
film profile]; from Denmark, Laurits Flensted-Jensen with Neon Heart [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurits Flensted-Jensen
film profile]; Ismet Sijarina will be brandishing Cold November [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ismet Sijarina
film profile], a co-production between Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia; and Core of the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Natalia Meshchaninova will be making its way to San Sebastián from Russia.

Debutant Francisco Marise will come to the Basque city all the way from Argentina with Para la guerra [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which was edited and co-produced by Spain’s Javier Rebollo (Woman Without Piano [+see also:
trailer
interview: Javier Rebollo, director of…
film profile]); his fellow countrywoman Inés María Barrionuevo will do likewise with her debut film, Julia y el zorro; and filmmaker Lila Avilés, who is taking her baby steps in feature directing with La camarista, hails from Mexico.

Finally, rocking up from Asia is Jesus, the first film by Hiroshi Okuyama, an award-winning music video director, as well as Vietnam’s Ash Mayfair with The Third Wife, the screenplay for which won the Spike Lee Film Production Fund Award in 2014.

Here is the list of selected films:

New Directors

Notes For a Heist Film [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: León Siminiani
film profile] – León Siminiani (Spain)
Jesus (Boku wa Iesu-sama ga kirai) – Hiroshi Okuyama (Japan)
Breeze (Qing Feng De Wei Dao) - Kung Yang (China)
Midnight Runner [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hannes Baumgartner
film profile] - Hannes Baumgartner (Switzerland)
Julia y el zorro – Inés María Barrionuevo (Argentina)
La camarista – Lila Avilés (USA/Mexico)
Meteorites [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Romain Laguna (France)
Cold November [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ismet Sijarina
film profile] – Ismet Sijarina (Kosovo/Albania/Macedonia)
Neon Heart [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurits Flensted-Jensen
film profile] – Laurits Flensted-Jensen (Denmark)
Ciervo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Koldo Almandoz
film profile] – Koldo Almandoz (Spain)
Para la guerra [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Francisco Marise (Cuba/Argentina/Spain)
Core of the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Natalia Meshchaninova (Russia)
The Third Wife – Ash Mayfair (Vietnam)
A Decent Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hadrian Marcu
film profile] – Hadrian Marcu (Romania)
Journey to a Mother’s Room [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Celia Rico Clavellino
film profile] – Celia Rico Clavellino (Spain/France)

(Translated from Spanish)