With the title of Very Funny Things. New American Comedy, this year the San Sebastian Festival will dedicate one of its retrospectives to the new trends in North American comedy movies, a genre of long-standing Hollywood tradition which has enjoyed a revival in recent years with the so-called ‘auteur comedy’.

In addition, the Festival has decided to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Films in Progress section with the cycle In Progress. Ten years with Latin American cinema, thanks to which it will recover some of the most important titles to have passed through San Sebastian in these ten years: films completed thanks to the initiative, which went on to feature in programmes and win awards at international festivals across the world.

These two cycles join the previously announced classic retrospective dedicated to the French filmmaker, Georges Franju.

Very Funny Things. New American Comedy

VERY FUNNY THINGS. NEW AMERICAN COMEDY is the title of the thematic retrospective to be dedicated by this year’s San Sebastian Festival to new trends in American comedy movies. Comedy, a genre that already had an extremely long-standing Hollywood tradition, has seen a revival in recent decades thanks to a contemporary angle with place for irreverence, non-political correctness and social satire. A new generation of directors, screenwriters, actors and comedians have become today’s reference in the genre, a style well on the way to finding followers the world over: Peter Farrelly, Judd Apatow, Todd Phillips, Jared Hess, Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Mike Judge, Trey Parker, Matt Stone… All have increased the possibilities offered by funny films on producing an “auteur comedy” to have earned equally excellent public and critical acclaim.

The cycle will include 30 titles summarising the evolution of this new comedy starting with pioneer films from the 80s, true cult movies that laid the way for the so-called gross-out comedy with its uninhibited, iconoclastic humour making myths of actors like John Belushi and Bill Murray: Animal House (1978), Meatballs (1979), Caddyshack (1980), Porky’s (1982)… Films produced in the following decades continued to flog vindication of the social misfit as an emblematic character and vehicle for a peculiar look at contemporary American society with caricaturesque overtones: Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000), Zoolander (2001), Napoleon Dynamite (2004), The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005), The Hangover (2009)… There will also be important works by some of today’s big-name American moviemakers, authors who have approached comedy in some way or another: Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, 1993), Paul Thomas Anderson (Punch-Drunk Love, 2002), Wes Anderson (Rushmore, 1998), David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, 2008) and Gregg Araki (Smiley Face, 2007).

The cycle will enjoy the collaboration of the Euskadiko Filmategia/Filmoteca Vasca, of the Instituto Valenciano del Audiovisual y la Cinematografía Ricardo Muñoz Suay and the Filmoteca de Catalunya and will be accompanied by a book coordinated by Violeta Kovacsics

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In Progress. Ten years with latin american cinema.

The 60th edition of the San Sebastian Film Festival will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Films in Progress section with a cycle jointly organised with the San Telmo Museum recovering some of the films presented over the decade.

Created in 2002 thanks to joint collaboration between the San Sebastian Festival and the Rencontres Cinémas d'Amérique Latine in Toulouse, Films in Progress was born to support Latin American film production through aid to the completion of films at the post-production stage. A series of titles from Latin American countries selected by both festivals are presented to a group of professionals with a view to obtaining different types of aid to post-production.

Ever since its first edition, Films in Progress has permitted the completion of outstanding Latin American films that have later been presented and landed awards at major international festivals. Some of today’s most reputed Latin American filmmakers have participated in this section: Ana Katz, Celina Murga, Tristán Bauer, Federico Veiroj, Julio Hernández Cordón, Rigoberto Perezcano, Jorge Durán, Ciro Guerra and Sebastián Silva, among many others.

IN PROGRESS. TEN YEARS WITH LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA recovers 18 of the most important titles from among all those screened at San Sebastian in these 10 years. These are 18 movies completed thanks to the Films in Progress workshop which later went on to feature on programmes and win awards at international festivals across the world.

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THE FILMS IN THE CYCLE

FUERA DE JUEGO (OFFSIDE, Ecuador, 2002), Víctor Arregui
Juan, a young boy from a poor family stricken by timidity and unrequited love is driven to crime to fulfil a dream: to leave his country and try his luck in Spain. Industry Award at Films in Progress 2 (San Sebastian, 2002), participated in the Zabaltegi-New Directors competition at the 51st San Sebastian Festival (2003).

EL CIELITO (LITTLE SKY, Argentina, 2003), María Victoria Menis
Felix starts work on a small farm for a couple who live with their year-old son, Chango. A tense, silent family violence rises to the surface accompanied by a passion born with equal strength. Participant in Films in Progress 4 (2003) and presented in the Official Selection at the 52nd edition of the Festival (2004), where it landed the Arte, Futur Talent Signis and CICAE awards.

LA SOMBRA DEL CAMINANTE (THE WANDERER’S SHADOW, Colombia, 2003), Ciro Guerra
Mañe has lost a leg. He can’t find a job or pay his rent and has to bear the brunt of his neighbours’ jibes. One day he meets a‘chair man’ who makes a living carrying people on his back. Industry Award and Casa de América Award at Films in Progress 4 (2003). Competitor for the Zabaltegi-New Directors Award at the 52nd San Sebastian Festival in 2004 and at the Toulouse Festival, where it landed the Audience Award.

CINEMA, ASPIRINAS E URUBUS (CINEMA, ASPIRINS AND VULTURES, Brazil, 2004), Marcelo Gomes
A young German boy travels the deserted regions of north-eastern Brazil in the 40s with a load of aspirins to relieve pain and films to light the fantasies of those who approach his truck. Presented in Films in Progress 6 (San Sebastian, 2004) and the following year in the “Un Certain Regard” section at the Cannes Festival, competitor in the “Horizontes Latinos” section of the 53rd San Sebastian Festival (2005).

ILUMINADOS POR EL FUEGO (BLESSED BY FIRE, Argentina, 2004), Tristán Bauer
Two men among the contingent of troops sent by Argentina’s military dictatorship to recover control of the Falkland Islands meet again twenty years down the line and reminisce on their odyssey. Winner of Films in Progress 6 (San Sebastian, 2004), competitor in the Official Selection at the 53rd San Sebastian Festival (2005), where it won the Special Jury Award, and winner of the Goya for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film in 2006.

É PROIBIDO PROIBIR (FORBIDDEN TO FORBID, Brazil, 2005), Jorge Durán
Close friends Leon, a sociology student, and Paulo, a doctor-to-be, share a room. Meeting the terminally ill Rosalina, the youngsters find themselves thrown head first into the city violence. Industry and Signis Awards at Films in Progress 8 (San Sebastian, 2005), participant in Zabaltegi-New Directors at the 54th San Sebastian Festival (2006).

EL BAÑO DEL PAPA (THE POPE’S TOILET, Uruguay-Brazil-France, 2005), Enrique Fernández and César Charlone
In Melo, a miserable Uruguayan town where people scrape by on contraband dealings with the nearby Brazilian border, news of the first visit by a pope to the area has the locals dreaming of becoming rich thanks to the thousands of visitors expected. Following its participation in Films in Progress 8 (San Sebastian, 2005), it was the winner of Films in Progress 9 (Toulouse, 2006), after which it participated in the “Un Certain Regard” section at Cannes Festival and “Horizontes Latinos” at the 55th San Sebastian Festival (2007).

EL VIOLÍN (THE VIOLIN, Mexico, 2005), Francisco Vargas
The double life of Don Plutarco, his son Genaro and grandson Lucio, poor rural musicians who support the peasant rebel movement to overthrow the tyrannical government. Originally presented as a short in Films in Progress 7 (Toulouse, 2005) and completed as a feature film for the 8th edition (San Sebastian 2005), where it won the Casa de America, CICAE and Signis awards. It went on to participate in the “Un Certain Regard” section at Cannes Festival and in the “Horizontes Latinos” section at the 54th San Sebastian Festival (2006), where it landed a jury mention.

UNA NOVIA ERRANTE (A STRAY GIRLFRIEND, Argentina, 2006), Ana Katz
Ines and her boyfriend are on their way to enjoy a short holiday, but he suddenly disappears at one of the bus stops. Now Ines has to spend her days alone while trying to get back the man she loves. Second feature written, directed and starred by Ana Katz, winner of the Industry Award at Films in Progress 10 (San Sebastian, 2006), participated in the “Un Certain Regard” section at the Cannes Festival in 2007 and opened the “Horizontes Latinos” section at the 55th San Sebastian Festival.

GASOLINA (GASOLINE, Guatemala, 2007), Julio Hernández Cordón
Every night, three middle-class teenagers leave the safety of their estate for a high-octane joyride on stolen petrol. Industry, CICAE and Casa de America Awards at Films in Progress 12 (San Sebastian, 2007), participated the following year at the Locarno Festival and in the “Horizontes Latinos” section of the 56th San Sebastian Festival, from which it carried off first prize.

UNA SEMANA SOLOS (A WEEK ALONE, Argentina, 2007), Celina Murga
A group of kids and teenagers are left at home alone when their parents go off on summer holidays. Their routine is interrupted with the arrival of the maid’s younger sibling. The second feature from Celina Murga participated in Films in Progress 12 (San Sebastian, 2007) and was selected for Venice Festival in 2008.

LA NANA (THE MAID, Chile, 2008), Sebastián Silva
Raquel, a servant, has spent more than half her life working for a wealthy family in Santiago and considers her position in the household to be hers and hers alone. One of the big surprises at Films in Progress 14 (San Sebastian, 2008), later screened and presented with awards at numerous international festivals (Sundance, Havana, Guadalajara, Viña del Mar, Huelva, etc.).

NORTEADO (THE CALL OF THE NORTH, Mexico, 2008), Rigoberto Perezcano
Andres, a peasant from Oaxaca, heads for Tijuana with the intention of illegally crossing the border into the USA. His repeated attempts at crossing are frustrated, but Andres refuses to give up. Winner of Films in Progress 14 (San Sebastian, 2008), TVE Award, Casa de America Award and competitor in the Zabaltegi-New Directors section at the 57th edition of the Festival (2009).

LA VIDA ÚTIL (A USEFUL LIFE, Uruguay, 2009), Federico Veiroj
Jorge has worked all his life at the Montevideo film archive. When the institution has to close its doors, he finds himself out of work and has to start a new life. Industry Award at Films in Progress 16 (San Sebastian, 2009), competitor in Zabaltegi-New Directors at the 58th San Sebastian Festival (2010), where he landed a jury special mention. Subsequently won several awards in different international competitions.

LUCÍA (LUCIA, Chile, 2009), Niles Jamil Atallah
Portrait of a generation as it struggles to recover from the wounds of the Chilean dictatorship through the story of Lucia, a factory seamstress, and her elderly father. Presented at Films in Progress 16 (San Sebastian, 2009), participated in the Zabaltegi-New Directors competition at the 58th San Sebastian Festival (2010), at the Bratislava Festival and at the Rotterdam Festival in 2011.

ROMPECABEZAS (THE PUZZLE, Argentina-France, 2009), Natalia Smirnoff
Maria del Carmen is a middle-class mother who suddenly discovers her exceptional talent for doing puzzles, opening the door to a whole new world. Casa de America Award at Films in Progress 16 (San Sebastian, 2009), competed in the official selection at the Berlin Festival, at Guadalajara, the BAFICI and in the “Horizontes Latinos” section of the 58th San Sebastian Festival (2010).

ENTRE LA NOCHE Y EL DÍA (BETWEEN NIGHT AND DAY, Mexico, 2010), Bernardo Arellano
Francisco, autistic, lives with his brother Victor, his sister-in-law Silvia and his nephew Bruno, who treat him more like a servant than a member of the family. Silvia wants rid of him and takes him to live the countryside, where he discovers a whole new world. Winner of the Films in Progress 18 Award (San Sebastian, 2010) and participant in the “Horizontes Latinos” section at the 59th San Sebastian Festival (2011).

TODOS TUS MUERTOS (ALL YOUR DEAD ONES, Colombia, 2010), Carlos Moreno
One morning, Salvador makes his way to work in the fields, only to find them occupied by a pile of bodies. But it’s election time in his town and the authorities want nothing to do with the matter. Following its participation in Films in Progress 18 (San Sebastian, 2010), the film competed in the “Horizontes Latinos” section of the 59th San Sebastian Festival (2011), after having been presented at important festivals including Sundance, Rotterdam and Cartagena de Indias.