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SAN SEBASTIÁN 2020 Competition / Out of Competition / New Directors / Zabaltegi-Tabakalera

Pablo Agüero and Antonio Méndez Esparza spearhead Spanish representation at the 68th San Sebastián Film Festival

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- Spanish-French-Argentinian co-production Akelarre and US-Spanish title Courtroom 3H form part of the official selection of the Basque festival

Pablo Agüero and Antonio Méndez Esparza spearhead Spanish representation at the 68th San Sebastián Film Festival
Akelarre by Pablo Agüero

Of the 14 Spanish-produced films included in the 68th San Sebastian International Film Festival, taking place from 18–26 September, only two are in the running for the Golden Shell: Akelarre [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pablo Agüero
film profile
]
, a historical film directed by Argentinian director Pablo Agüero, and a co-production of his home country, France and Spain (it was also the winning film of the Art Kino International Prize of the 6th Europe-Latin America Coproduction Forum 2017); and Courtroom 3H [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antonio Méndez Esparza
film profile
]
, a feature-length documentary, filmed and co-produced in the United States, by Antonia Méndez Esparza. It is worth noting that both directors have appeared in numerous previous editions of the festival. Agüero’s most recent appearance in the festival was 5 years ago with Eva Doesn’t Sleep [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, and Méndez Esparza in 2017 with Life and Nothing More [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antonio Méndez Esparza
film profile
]
, also filmed on the other side of the Atlantic.

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It is worth highlighting that two big Spanish television shows will be making an appearance in this year’s edition of the festival: Patria [+see also:
series review
series profile
]
, adaptation of Fernando Aramburu’s eponymous novel, and directed by Aitor Gabilondo for HBO Europe, which will be showing a special screening at San Sebastian. Also making the line-up are six episodes of Riot Police [+see also:
series review
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
series profile
]
 directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen for Movistar Plus+, with a cast including Vicky Luengo, Raúl Arévalo, Álex García, Hovik Keuchkeria, Roberto Álamo, Raúl Prieto and Patrick Criado. Although these television series form part of the official selection, they are out of competition.

Unconventional and risky filmmaker Juan Cavestany has found an opening in the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera category with his latest creation: An [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juan Cavestany
film profile
]
Optical illusion [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juan Cavestany
film profile
]
, a film about a couple supposedly travelling to New York, starring Carmen Machi and Javier Cámara. Three other Spanish shorts make up this category: Correspondence (Correspondencia) by Catalan filmmaker Carla Simón (Summer 1993 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carla Simón
film profile
]
) and Chilean director Dominga Sotomayor; Ya no duermo, by San Sebastian native Marina Palacio; and Autoficción, an experimental work and USA/Spain/New Zealand co-production, lead by Bilbao native Laida Lertxundi.

The New Directors category, which always discovers emerging talents in cinema, will see two Spanish debuts: David Pérez Sañudo (Bilbao, 1987) competes with Ane [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Pérez Sañudo
film profile
]
, a feature-length filmed in the Basque country; and Spanish-Danish co-production Last Days of Spring [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Isabel Lamberti
film profile
]
, set in Madrid’s Canada Real shantytown, directed by Isabel Lamberti (Bühl, 1987). Imanol Rayo (Pamplona, 1984) will present his second feature-length film, Death Knell [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Imanol Rayo
film profile
]
, based on Miren Gorritxategi’s novel, 33 ezkil.

Finally, it should be noted that the festival will open on the 18th September with Woody Allen’s latest film, Rifkin’s Festival [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, a Spain/US/Italy co-production. The Perlak category will include Chile/US/Germany/Holland/Spain co-production The Mole Agent [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maite Alberdi
film profile
]
, directed by Chilean director Maite Alberdi. After winning the EFADs-CAACI Award at the 2017 Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, The Mole Agent (El agente topo) had its world premiere at Sundance Festival last year. Warner Spain and the San Sebastián Film Festival will be showing a charity screening of El verano que vivimos [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, a drama directed by Gallician Carlos Sedes, starring Blanca Suárez, Javier Rey and Pablo Molinero.

Films announced:

Competition

Akelarre [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pablo Agüero
film profile
]
Pablo Agüero (Argentina/Spain/France)
Courtroom 3H [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antonio Méndez Esparza
film profile
]
Antonio Méndez Esparza (USA/Spain)

Out of Competition

Riot Police [+see also:
series review
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
series profile
]
Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Spain) (TV series)
Rifkin’s Festival [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
Woody Allen (Spain/USA/Italy) (opening film)

Special Screenings

Patria [+see also:
series review
series profile
]
Aitor Gabilondo (Spain) (TV series)

New Directors

Ane [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Pérez Sañudo
film profile
]
David Pérez Sañudo (Spain)
Death Knell [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Imanol Rayo
film profile
]
Imanol Rayo (Spain)
Last Days of Spring [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Isabel Lamberti
film profile
]
Isabel Lamberto (Spain/Netherlands)

Zabaltegi-Tabakalera

An Optical Illusion [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juan Cavestany
film profile
]
Juan Cavestany (Spain)
Correspondence – Carla Simón y Dominga Sotomayor (Chile/Spain) (short)
Ya no duermo – Marina Palacio Burgueño (Spain) (short)
Autofiction – Laida Lertxundi (Spain/USA/New Zealand) (short)

Perlak

The Mole Agent [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maite Alberdi
film profile
]
Maite Alberdi (Chile/Spain/USA/Germany/Netherlands)

Other activities

El verano que vivimos [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
Carlos Sedes (Spain)

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(Translated from Spanish by Jasmine Haniff)

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