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SAN SEBASTIÁN 2020 Competition

François Ozon and Thomas Vinterberg to duke it out for the Golden Shell at San Sebastián

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- The first batch of titles have been announced for the gathering’s competitive Official Section, with the latest movies by the French and Danish helmers joining those of other international auteurs

François Ozon and Thomas Vinterberg to duke it out for the Golden Shell at San Sebastián
Summer of 85 by François Ozon

The 68th edition of the San Sebastián International Film Festival has started revving its engines, unveiling a few of the interesting names that will form part of its competitive Official Section and which, from 18-26 September, will be duking it out for the gathering’s top prize: the coveted Golden Shell. Standing out particularly among the first few directors announced are France’s François Ozon, a regular at the event (this will be his fifth time in competition at the festival, an event he adores), with his new movie, Summer of 85 [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, about the sexual awakening of a group of teenagers during the titular decade; and Denmark’s Thomas Vinterberg, with Another Round [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, toplined by Mads Mikkelsen and depicting a peculiar experiment that seeks to push the boundaries of creativity.

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Other European filmmakers who will be competing at San Sebastián are Lithuania’s Sharunas Bartas, who will present the international premiere of the war drama In the Dusk [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sharunas Bartas
film profile
]
in the Basque city; and Georgia’s Dea Kulumbegashvili with her debut feature, Beginning [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dea Kulumbegashvili
film profile
]
, which will also be enjoying its world premiere and broaches the topic of the harassment inflicted on a devoutly religious family.

Another well-known face on the festival circuit is Japan’s Naomi Kawase, who is also returning to San Sebastián (having previously taken part in the competition with Genpin and Vision [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
) with True Mothers, about the clash between two mothers – one biological and the other adoptive. Meanwhile, her fellow countryman Takuma Sato will bring his second film, Any Crybabies Around?, to the Spanish gathering. The feature is about how the media can dramatically turn a citizen’s life upside down.

As San Sebastián explained in a press release, In the DuskTrue MothersBeginningSummer of 85 and Another Round are some of the films that the Cannes Film Festival selected this year – a year in which it was unable to hold its 73rd edition, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. And in the coming weeks, the Basque event will continue to reveal the rest of the titles set to make up the Official Section, which will be opened, out of competition, by Woody Allen’s comedy Rifkin’s Festival [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
(see the news).

Likewise, now that the state of emergency has ended, and while hoping that the pandemic continues abating, the festival wishes to assert that it has ruled out the idea of not holding the event at all, but also dismisses the idea of organising a completely normal edition that would continue in exactly the same vein as the past few years. By prioritising adherence to the health-and-safety requirements established by the authorities, the aim is to rustle up a gathering that is recognisable and safe for the audience, the film industry and the media. In order to achieve this, the management has made several decisions: a 30% reduction in the number of screenings, the holding of some of its activities (the Co-Production Forum, Zinemaldia & Technology, the round-tables and the master classes) online, and a hybrid format (physical and virtual) for the new WIP Latam and Europa (see the news) initiatives, as well as for Ikusmira Berriak.

Here is the list of films selected so far:

Competition

Summer of 85 [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
François Ozon (France)
Another Round [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark/Sweden/Netherlands)
In the Dusk [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sharunas Bartas
film profile
]
Sharunas Bartas (Lithuania/France/Czech Republic/Serbia/Portugal/Latvia)
Beginning [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dea Kulumbegashvili
film profile
]
Dea Kulumbegashvili (France/Georgia)
True MothersNaomi Kawase (Japan)
Any Crybabies Around?Takuma Sato (Japan)

Out of competition

Rifkin’s Festival [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Woody Allen (USA/Spain/Italy)

Donostia Award Screening

Falling [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Viggo Mortensen (Canada/UK/USA/Denmark)

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(Translated from Spanish)

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