The San Sebastián Film Festival will receive a key economic boost from Spain’s Ministry of Digital Transformation and Civil Service to consolidate its industry events, which include the Creative Investors’ Conference, co-organized with CAA Media Finance.
Also, the best Spanish project prize at San Sebastian’s Zinemaldia Startup Challenge, a new tech pitching session, will rise to €30,000 ($34,800).
The support recognizes the reality of San Sebastián. Under directors Mikel Lejarza and all the more José Luis Rebordinos, San Sebastián has developed an informal market, bulwarked by a significant contingent of top Spanish and French sales agents keen to push slates with titles not just a San. Sebastián but also Venice and Toronto as far longer sales cycles require them to work deals across multiple markets.
The festival’s lineup and Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum attracts the cream of Latin American directors and producers, led this year by “Spencer” helmer Pablo Larraín and Argentina’s Benjamín Naishtat (“Rojo”) with new films in competition and Celina Murga with a just-announced project at the Forum.
Meanwhile, Spain’s government launched in 2021 a Spain Audiovisual Hub of Europe Plan with a €1.6 billion ($1.85 billion) budget, financed by Next GenerationEU funds, part of the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience facility.
San Sebastián’s industry boost also forms part of second phase Spain AVS Hub.
“With this commitment to the San Sebastián Festival, we reinforce an infrastructure which is strategic for the Spanish audiovisual world, given its ability to attract investment, create opportunities, connect talent with international financing and project the image of the initiative: Spain Audiovisual Hub of Europe,” Spanish Minister for Digital Transformation Oscar López said Tuesday.
