San Sebastián Opens 74th Festival With Ghost Song as Rebordinos Bows Out
The San Sebastián International Film Festival opens its 74th edition on September 18 with the world premiere of Fatih Akin's fantasy drama Ghost Song.
The Basque festival runs September 18-26 and brings 263 projects from 47 countries, according to Deadline. Ghost Song will open the event and then compete for the Golden Shell, the festival's top prize.
The competition line-up is crowded. It includes Jesse Eisenberg's The Debut, starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, and Pablo Larraín's Netflix horror series My Sad Dead (Mis muertos tristes). Fred Cavayé's new adaptation of Les Misérables will have its world premiere in competition, alongside Mike Leigh's Tender Loving Care.
There are first films in the mix too. Ah Biao enters competition with Border, his Chinese-language feature debut. Nicole Garcia's Milo, starring Marion Cotillard, also competes.
The festival will close on September 26 with Le Faux Soir from Michaël R. Roskam. Out of competition, Brad Pitt and director David Ayer will present Heart of the Beast. It is Pitt's first trip to San Sebastián since 2009, when he attended with Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds.
Two Donostia Awards, the festival's honour for career achievement, will be presented this year. Naomi Watts will receive one and will also screen The Housewife, the directorial debut of Canadian filmmaker Ben Shirinian. Director Werner Herzog will receive the other Donostia Award.
This edition is a farewell. José Luis Rebordinos has directed the festival since 2011 and is stepping down at the end of the year, making this his final edition in charge. Maialen Beloki has been appointed as his successor, as reported by Deadline.
The New Directors strand, which showcases debut filmmakers, will open with The Bad Son (El mal hijo), the debut feature from actor Jaime Lorente. Late additions to the wider programme include Club Kid, a feature debut, and Ira Sachs's The Man I Love, reported by Deadline.
Expect a busy red carpet. Expected attendees include Watts, Pitt, Penélope Cruz, Cotillard, Orlando Bloom, Rami Malek and Diego Luna.
What makes this stand out is the blend. A departing director, major stars, debut filmmakers and series sit in one programme. For fans, this means nine days of premieres before many of these titles find distributors and release dates.
