PALMARÉS · San Sebastián International Film Festival
🏆 Golden Shell (Best Film): Los domingos / Sundays (Alauda Ruiz de Azúa).
🎖️ Special Jury Prize: Historias del buen valle (José Luis Guerín).
🎬 Silver Shell — Best Director: Joachim Lafosse — Six jours ce printemps-là / Six Days in Spring.
👥 Silver Shell — Best Leading Performance (ex aequo): José Ramón Soroiz (Maspalomas) and Zhao Xiaohong (Her Heart Beats in Its Cage).
🎭 Silver Shell — Best Supporting Performance: Camila Plaate (Belén).
📝 Screenplay: Joachim Lafosse, Chloé Duponchelle, Paul Ismaël — Six jours ce printemps-là.
🎥 Cinematography: Pau Esteve — Los tigres.
🗳️ Audience Award (Best Film): The Voice of Hind Rajab (Kaouther Ben Hania).
⭐ Audience Award — European Film: Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes / Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Maïlys Vallade).
🧭 Other Awards: Kutxabank–New Directors → Vægtløs / Weightless (Emilie Thalund) · Zabaltegi–Tabakalera → La tour de glace / The Ice Tower (Lucile Hadžihalilović) · Horizontes Latinos → Un poeta (Simón Mesa Soto).
🎬 Zinemaldia – San Sebastián International Film Festival 2025
📅 Dates: 19–27 September 2025
📍 Where: Donostia / San Sebastián, Basque Country (Spain)
🌍 Edition: 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival
🎟️ Key figures:
- 254 films from 56 countries
- 38 Basque productions, including:
- 18 in Euskara
- 14 directed by women
⭐ Official poster: featuring Marisa Paredes — a heartfelt nod to a Spanish cinema icon
🎤 Ceremonies:
- Opening hosted by Sílvia Abril, Toni Acosta & Itziar Ituño
- Closing hosted by Itsaso Arana
✨ For nine days, Donostia changes gear: lively squares, packed cinemas, multilingual terraces. Here, cinema isn’t only watched — it’s in the air.
⚡ Zinemaldia 2025 — Flashes
🗓️ 27 Sep 2025 — Closing & AWARDS
🗓️ 26 Sep 2025 — Donostia Award and major media spotlight
Jennifer Lawrence, Donostia Award; tribute gala presented by J. A. Bayona and a screening of Die My Love.
Packed red carpet and front-page international headlines with Lawrence as the day’s main attraction.
Photo sessions and interviews with the jury and the teams of films still competing in the final stretch.
Last competition screenings and an almost final tally for the Audience Award.
Online film streaming services.
🗓️ 25 Sep 2025 — Surprise Film and 2030 Agenda
Surprise Film: Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro), special screenings at the Principal and Victoria Eugenia, plus a crowd event at the Velodrome the following day.
Euskadi Basque Country – 2030 Agenda Award for The Voice of Hind Rajab.
Audience meet-ups: well-attended Q&As in Perlak and Zabaltegi; word-of-mouth boosting Audience Award voting.
Strong presence of international teams from the Official Selection and Perlak at late-afternoon photocalls.
🗓️ 24 Sep 2025 — Mobilisation and mid-festival
Large march for Gaza after the screening of The Voice of Hind Rajab; broad support from the film community.
Industry prizes and announcements: mid-term balance for WIP (Europe and Latin America) and project updates with producers and sales agents.
Masterclasses and talks: screenwriting/directing sessions with jury members and attending filmmakers.
High turnout at evening screenings in Official Selection and Perlak; rising demand heading into the final stretch.
🗓️ 23 Sep 2025 — Industry and markets
Creative Investors’ Conference / Spanish Screenings (23–24): focus on financing, co-production and internationalisation; project pitches and one-to-one meetings.
Zinemaldia & Technology: demos of tools for post-production, AI and accessibility.
International networking: sales agents and programmers setting the roadmap for autumn releases.
Perlak cements audience favourites with sold-out shows and extended Q&As.
🗓️ 22 Sep 2025 — Creative campus and festival rhythm
Kabia / Tabakalera / Nest: talent programmes with screenings and mentorships; early project presentations that later surface in WIP.
Festival editorial activities (daily papers, publications and programme booklets) available at venues and online.
Half-day professional meet-ups between local producers and European/Latin-American delegations.
Cinemas in “big week” mode: busy morning shows and evening screenings with queues at the Kursaal and Victoria Eugenia.
🗓️ Sunday, 21 Sep 2025 — Agreements and Premieres
- Collaboration agreement between the San Sebastián and Shanghai film festivals, announced in the Festival Daily.
- Official Selection: screening and red carpet for Couture; the team attended, with wide photo coverage throughout the day.
- Publication of Festival Daily No. 3 (Sunday 21) with reports and interviews from the day.
- Angelina Jolie appears at the festival to present Couture, drawing major interest on her first visit.
🗓️ Saturday, 20 Sep 2025 — Protests and Public Statements
- At the National Film Award ceremony, Eduard Fernández denounces the genocide in Gaza, wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh; names of deceased children are read aloud. The festival reaffirms its public commitment to Palestine.
🗓️ Friday, 19 Sep 2025 — Opening and International Context
- Festival opening with 80,000 tickets sold and 254 productions from 56 countries.
- José Luis Rebordinos underlines the festival’s stance against genocides and dictatorships, with no bans based on nationality.
- Red-carpet protests against the genocide in Gaza; flags and slogans on display, with explicit support from Itziar Ituño.
- Opening speeches emphasising democracy, human rights and solidarity.
- Reinforcement of the role of Spanish and independent cinema in the programme.
🗓️ Thursday, 18 Sep 2025 — Stars and Basque Fashion
- Angelina Jolie’s first confirmed visit to San Sebastián with Couture (Official Selection), accompanied by Louis Garrel and Garance Marillier.
- Launch of the “Dressing the Stars” project: ten Basque fashion houses will dress actors and directors at galas and awards.
- Parallel activities: opening of the exhibition La Cañada. Geographies of the Invisible at Tabakalera, linked to Ciudad sin sueño.
- Boost for the DAMA Youth Award for young talents in New Directors and Horizontes Latinos.
🗓️ Wednesday, 17 Sep 2025 — Preparations and Programmes
- Presentation of participating filmmakers, actors and invited professionals.
- Reaffirmation of the programme’s international scope and diversity.
🗓️ Sept 15, 2025 — Sales update: 32,425 tickets on day one
Across the first three days, 32,425 tickets were sold (+3% vs 2024). Most in-demand screenings: Los Tigres, Deux pianos, Couture (Official); Orwell: 2+2=5, Le Mage du Kremlin (Perlak); Before the Bright Day, Bad Apples (New Directors); Limpia, Dolores (Horizontes). Sources: Cadena SER and a festival release, checked Sept 16, 2025.
🗓️ Sept 14–16, 2025 — Ticketing: schedule & venues
Staggered release: Sept 14, 9:00 am (screenings 19–21), Sept 15, 9:00 am (22–24 + earlier), Sept 16, 9:00 am (25–27 + earlier). From Sept 17, the entire festival is on sale online and at Zinemaldi Plaza (Kursaal); other cinemas sell from Sept 19. Zinemaldi Plaza box office hours: Sept 14–19: 9:00 am–8:00 pm, Sept 19–26: 8:00 am–8:00 pm, Sept 27: 8:00 am–2:00 pm. Same-day sales: online from 8:00 am; at the counter during opening hours. Max 4 tickets per screening. Allocated seating except Velódromo and Tabakalera’s Sala Z. Online channels: the Festival website and Kutxabank. Source: official Festival page, checked Sept 16, 2025.
Indicative prices: K1 Galas €50–€95; K1 evening/night €8.75–€10.50; other screenings €8.75; children €2; Velódromo closing €15; booking fee €0.65. Discounts (not cumulative): 25% for ≥10 tickets (only on €8.75 shows); Gazte Kutxabank card −50% (specific conditions); Donostia Kultura −10%; Gaztetxartela −10%; daily −50% voucher via newsletter; no discounts on Galas (except “film only”). Resale prohibited; no exchanges/refunds unless the programme changes or a screening is cancelled. Source: official, checked Sept 16, 2025.
🗓️ Sept 12, 2025 — Audience Award + 1,000 free tickets
For the 10th year, the City sponsors the Audience Award (Perlak) and sets aside 1,000 free tickets for unemployed residents registered in San Sebastián (Sept 15–17). Sources: Cadena SER and the Festival website, checked Sept 16, 2025.
🗓️ 5 September 2025 — Festival condemns “genocide” in Gaza
The Festival’s Management Committee read a statement —in Spanish and in Euskara— calling for an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages. The wording was unflinching: “genocide” and “systematic human-rights violations”. A civic jolt at the outset: less red carpet, more conscience.
🗓️ 5 September 2025 — J. A. Bayona to chair the Jury (full line-up)
The Official Selection jury brings together Laura Carreira, Gia Coppola, Zhou Dongyu, Lali Espósito, Mark Strong and Anne-Dominique Toussaint, with J. A. Bayona as president. A deliberately mixed panel —from indie filmmaking to European production and international acting— which, to be honest, promises lively deliberations.
🗓️ 5 September 2025 — Confirmed guests that lit up the build-up
The festival confirmed a sparkling line-up: Juliette Binoche, Colin Farrell, Matt Dillon, Charlotte Rampling, Paul Dano, plus filmmakers Richard Linklater, François Ozon, Jafar Panahi and Agnieszka Holland. Handy tip for audiences: when in doubt, follow who’s presenting their film.
🗓️ 3 September 2025 — Klasikoak unveils 12 restorations
A heritage programme spanning from Furtivos (1975) to El callejón de los milagros (1994), with works in Euskara and a nod to Lillian Hellman. Restored, contextualised and ready for big-screen rediscovery — the past in clear dialogue with today.
🗓️ 1 September 2025 — Opening and closing announced
27 noches / 27 Nights (Daniel Hendler) was named as the Official Selection opener; Winter of the Crow (La conspiración del cuervo) (Kasia Adamik) as the closing title out of competition. Useful diary markers: first ovation… and the final bow.
🗓️ 27 August 2025 — Culinary Zinema presents its film-and-table menu
Highlights included Morte cucina (Pen-Ek Ratanaruang) paired with Kitchen 154, plus documentary screenings with bespoke dinners (around Tetsuro Maeda, Javier Urondo) and a tribute evening to Joan Roca led by Dani García. In Donostia, “film + dinner” isn’t a novelty — it’s a ritual.
🗓️ 26 August 2025 — Jennifer Lawrence to receive the Donostia Award
The festival announced the Donostia Award for Jennifer Lawrence and a gala screening of Die My Love (dir. Lynne Ramsay). Zinemaldia also programmed a Zinemaldia+Plus session with Winter’s Bone — a nod to her breakthrough. Leaving her out before wasn’t an option; she sits here with full weight.
🗓️ 30 July 2025 — Esther García, Donostia Award + poster with Marisa Paredes
The festival announced the Donostia Award for veteran producer Esther García and unveiled the 2025 poster featuring Marisa Paredes. Two gestures telling one story: celebrating both the faces on screen and the hands that make films happen. Source: official announcement
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