Also expect the world premieres of the next from ‘Spencer’ director Pablo Larraín, J.A. Bayona, Fernando Trueba and multiple instances of the power of current Spanish filmmaking Ten takes on this year’s San Sebastián Film Festival, which runs Sept. 18-26 at the picturesque Basque Country resort: Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz, Naomi Watts and More Last in San Sebastián way back then with “Inglourious Basterds,” Brad Pitt returns for “Heart of the Beast.” Busiest star of the festival? Penelope Cruz, fresh off a TIFF Special Tribute Award, at San Sebastián with “The Invite,” “Bunker” and “La Bola Negra,” all moreover Oscar contenders, as Awards season conversation spills over into San Sebastián.
Watts receives a prestigious Donostia Award Sept. 19, New German Cinema leading light Werner Herzog picks up his at San Sebastián’s Sept. 18 opening ceremony. San Sebastián-CAA Media Finance Creative Investors Conference From 2022, speakers like Roeg Sutherland, Patrick Wachsberger, Vincent Maraval and Neon’s Sarah Colvin have laid it on the line on how to confront challenges in the U.S. (cost, contracting budgets, unreliable tax breaks) and Europe (most recently, the need to scale), plus more promisingly, an evolution in U.S. theatrical audiences. Speakers this year take in execs from Acme AI & FX, Black Bear International, Media Capital Technologies, Mubi, Neon, Studiocanal and Sumerian Pictures, the Larraín brothers and Rodrigo Teixeira.
Topics include the New U.S. Landscape, Europe’s Current Challenges & Opportunities and Vincent Maraval’s Insights from Goodfellas. In 2024, the last year for which figures are available, global streamers poured €2.0 billion ($2.3 billion) into Spain, €0.8 billion ($0.9 billion) into France, €0.7 million ($0.8 billion) into Germany, according to the European Audiovisual Observatory.
Spain made 423 features last year, France 228: Cannes Marché du Film Focus report estimates. In TV, Netflix Spain has just shepherded the Mallorca shoot, much in the Mallorquín local language, of “Rafa,” the first non-English language series to score a Primetime Emmy nomination. That power plays out across the whole festival.
Launching its first movie slate, SVOD-pay TV Movistar Plus talked about backing event auteur films. In “La Bola Negra,” from Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, it has its biggest yet. And another: San Sebastián’s Made in Spain, its recent Spanish standouts strand, framed an average 11 films over 2018-22.
In 2026, it will showcase 24 including Pedro Almodovar’s “Bitter Christmas” and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beloved” (though the both have opened in Spain). Playing out of competition are “After Society,” J.A. Bayona’s follow up to “Society of the Snow,” and Oscar winner Fernando Trueba’s country-hopping “Bajañí.” “Flamenco Sketches,” from double San Sebastián Golden Shell winner Isaki Lacuesta, bows in Zabaltegi.
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