Other Takeaways: Europe embraces equity, a gem from Carla Simón, and international’s building industry pains Blessed by warm but hardly sweltering late summer sun — and no typical Basque txirimiri drizzle so common to other editions — the 74th San Sebastián also marks the last under festival director José Luis Rebordinos, who since 2011 has brought stability, sponsors, industry build and a close relationship to Cannes. Fittingly enough, the hallmark of this year’s 74th edition is a phenomenon which Rebordinos has contributed significantly to — the build of Spain’s film and TV industry. Just before San Sebastián, Los Javis “La Bola Negra” won the TIFF People’s Choice Award, boosting no end its status in the Oscars race.
During San Sebastián, Spain scored five nominations for the International Emmy Awards and the Spain Film Commission announced that Spanish film and TV production hit an all-time high of €5.68 billion ($6.6 billion) in 2025. Brad Pitt Seduces San Sebastián, Jesse Eisenberg Endearingly Self-Deprecating Brad Pitt spent an hour-and-a-half signing autographs and taking selfies and waxed lyrical on the performance of co-star Uber, a dog at his press conference, as David Ayer’s “The Heart of the Beast” produced by Plan B, proved one of the most popular at the festival, with critics and audiences alike. A typically self-deprecating Jesse Eisenberg said Jeremy Strong will be “amazing” playing Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Network” sequel.
Los Javis came saw and conquered with “La Bola Negra,” with Oscar Buzz fueled by its TIFF People’s Choice Award. They were also presented by Thierry Frémaux with a copy of their Cannes best director award so that both had a trophy. Most well-received films in San Sebastián’s main competition, at least from international critics, take in Yesim Ustaoglu’s Turkish road movie “What Remains,” Japanese Novelist Maha Harada’s debut feature “In My Father’s Room,” Victoria Luengo starrer “Saints” and “Border.” Mike Leigh’s “Tender Loving Care” already tops Spanish reviewers’ poll in El Diario Vasco.
So it might not be a surprise if he scores what would be a highly sentimental prize for his final film, or for Julianne Moore to build on her Toronto buzz for “The Debut,” also a hit with local scribes. Yes, San Sebastián conversation turned on what the explosive breakout of “Obsession” and “Backrooms” really meant for the U.S. or world industry. It is not a quick fix, however, for international’s multiplying woes.
San Sebastián coincided with a Variety news report that France of all places, the bastion of world arthouse cinema, is “in shambles.” And that merely seven months before a fateful presidential election which has the far right leading polls. In Brazil, despite boffo B.O. for “‘I’m Still Here” and “The Secret Agent,” “a lot of other Brazilian films make 10,000 admissions in theaters. And that kills the film.” In South Korea, “the number of films and revenues, everything’s shrinking, financiers are really struggling to invest money,” Heejeon Kim at Barunson C&C also said at the Creative Investors Conference.
And France, South Korea and Brazil regarded as three of the strongest industry drivers in in the world. With public funding stretched, European producers are turning to private equity, and The Marché du Film — Festival de Cannes is trying to give private investment in cinema more structure. In a first-time partnership, with San Sebastian’s Creative Investors’ Conference, its Investors Circle brought four investors for organized closed-door sessions with experts, running alongside the conference.
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