Preparations are underway for the San Sebastian Film Festival, which has become one of the most important movie events of the year. This week some of the participating filmmakers for the 61st edition were announced, with no shortage of Latin American talent.
Lucia Puenzo and Victoria Galardi from Argentina and Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio are the first Latinos that have been announced for the festival, which will take place in northern Spain from September 20 through the 28. Among the films announced, there are three for the Horizontes Latinos section, which hosts the most important features in Latin American cinema.
One of the films highlighted was the Mexican feature "La Jaula De Oro," a story about immigration directed by Diego Quemada-Diez. The film's actors, Karen Martinez, Brandon López and Rodolfo Domínguez received the Best Ensemble Cast Award in the "Un Certain Regard" section at the Cannes Festival.
"Wakolda" by young Argentinian filmmaker Lucia Puenzo, which deals with the life of Nazi war criminal Joseph Mengele (Alex Brendemühl), who took refuge in Argentina after the war, will also be in competition at the festival. The film was also presented at Cannes.
"Y Pensé Que Iba A Haber Fiesta," a movie about love, friendship and loneliness directed by Victoria Galardi, a filmmaker who has become a regular of San Sebastian, is also among those being presented. Galardi has presented her last two films at the festival, where she has received the "Otra Mirada" award.
"Gloria," a co-production between Chile and Spain and directed by cult filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, is a portrait of a woman entering a new phase of her life. The film stars Paulina García, who won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at last years Berlinale.
In the Zabaltegui section of different and unclassifiable films there will also be Latin American participation.
The Veronica Chen film "Coneja Blanca," which is a story that mixes anime and live action and won the Silver Biznaga Malaga Festival in 2007, will also be screened along with the documentary "Sigo siendo," by Javier Corcuera. The film covers the music of Peru in a story that is not entirely musical, told through personal stories in a country seeking to draw its identity.
The rest of the participating films will be announced throughout the month of August.