Z365" or "Festival all year round" is the new strategic point of the Festival in which converge investigation, accompaniment and development of new talents (Ikusmira Berriak, Nest); training and cinematic knowledge transfer (Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, Zinemaldia + Plus, Filmmakers' dialogue); and investigation, disclosure and cinematic thought (Z70 project, Thought and Discussion and Research and publications).
Even seven months after his triumph at Berlin with Black Coal, Thin Ice, the director and scriptwriter Yinan Diao is still astounded by the fact that he won the Golden Bear in the German capital. “The mere fact that I won there was something incredible for me. In this respect festivals are very like football; the favourites don’t always win and surprises often occur”.
Although to a certain extent Black Coal, Thin Ice is a classic film noir, it transcends the demands of the genre. As the director explains, “I don’t like to provide the audience with a closed view of the story. A good film must be like a river, that flows on but is full of obstacles so that the audience is forced to choose which is the best path to take.”