Trueba, Rebollo, Berger and Castellitto to compete for the Golden Shell

by Sergio Ríos Pérez

27/07/2012 - In what has been a lean year for Spanish cinema at major international film festivals (with no competition presence at Cannes and Venice and only one film at the Berlinale), the selection of the only class A film competition, the San Sebastian Film Festival, is acquiring significant importance. As well as the representation of Spanish films at this year’s Donostia competition, which, as usual, has been announced prior to the rest of the programme, includes some of the most eagerly awaited films of the year.

Since the new film from one of the most important voices of Spanish arthouse cinema, Javier Rebollo, El muerto y ser feliz (see article), to the cinematic comeback of Pablo Berger with Blancanieves (see article), nine years after Torremolinos 73 [trailer], along with El artista y la modelo (see article) by Oscar-winning Fernando Trueba, and the Italian co-production Volver a nacer (photo), directed by Sergio Castellitto and starring Penélope Cruz (see article) - in total, four productions with Spanish participation, all of them with a very old profile, competing for the Golden Shell.

Out-of-competition screenings include the most ambitious Spanish production of the year, Juan Antonio Bayona’s Lo imposible, filmed in English and starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts (see article). Its world premiere will screen a few days later at the Toronto Film Festival. Also taking part in the Official Selection out of competition will be Eduard Cortés’ ¡Atraco! which has had a very busy festival year, presented in April at The Pelayos [trailer] and at the Malaga Festival (see article).

Another eight Spanish productions will be presented at San Sebastian, three of them in the New Directors section (Animals, by Marçal Forés, produced by the ESCAC film school outfit Escándalo Films; Chaika by Miguel Ángel Jiménez, shot in Siberia and Kazakshtan, and the Los increíbles David Valero’s debut documentary) and four in the Zabaltegui Especiales section (Iñaki Elizalde’s Baztan; Aitor Mazo y Patxi Telleria’s Bypass; Operación E by Miguel Courtois; the collective film 7 días en la Habana [trailer], presented at Cannes, and the documentary Zuloak (Agujeros), from the musical Fermín Muguruza).

The 60th San Sebastian International Film Festival takes place from September 21-29. For more information, visit the competition’s official website.

(Translated from Spanish)