Genre cinema, the magic of watching films in a dark theatre and homage to the audience compose the main storyline inspiring the opening gala of the San Sebastian Festival’s 67th edition. The ceremony will be presented by Cayetana Guillén Cuervo and Loreto Mauleón, while its director will be Borja Crespo. Other guests will be the filmmakers Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (Los Javis), Leticia Dolera and Paul Urkijo, as well as the president of the official jury Neil Jordan, the director of Blackbird Roger Michell and the actor Sam Neill. The gala will take place tomorrow, Friday 20, at 21:00 in the Kursaal Auditorium.

In 2018, the Festival launched a new line of auteur galas, commissioning the opening ceremony to Borja Cobeaga, Diego San José and Borja Echevarría, who focussed their script on humour. This year Borja Crespo has been given the task of writing and directing the gala together with Susana Fernández and, once again, Echevarría. The three will also produce the other Donostia Awards (Penélope Cruz, Costa-Gavras, Donald Sutherland), Basque Cinema and closing galas.

On the one hand, the objective is to vindicate genre cinema, which is seeing “increasing presence” at the Festival as well as throughout Spanish cinema in general and Basque cinema in particular—both of which will enjoy high profile at the gala. “We want to defend a cinema of strong independent slant yet which sits very well with the audience. Although it tends to affiliate with genres such as comedy, horror or fantasy, that are not always entirely popular with festival juries and serious critics, it often spawns authentic masterpieces”, explains Crespo, who underlines the importance of the videos to be screened in the Kursaal by Morgan Crea, the official Festival television. 

On the other, the ceremony will also celebrate the “ritual of enjoying films in a dark theatre and on a big screen, without distractions”, while paying tribute to two kinds of spectators: the ordinary cinema-goer who “packs out” the screenings at San Sebastian and the film critic or journalist, “whose profession enables creators to grow and the audience to enjoy different readings”. There will also be the odd nod to the world of comics related to the cinema in the shape of the bumpers to be drawn by Paco Roca, Carlos Vermut, Koldo Serra, Raquel Alzate and Mamen Moreu.  

During the gala, different guest personalities will announce the section contents and activities; the FIPRESCI Grand Prix will be presented to ROMA, the film by Alfonso Cuarón; and the Official Jury chaired by Neil Jordan will make a brief appearance on stage. Finally, the director Roger Michell, the producer David Bernardi and the actor Sam Neill will introduce Blackbird, the opening film of the Official Selection.

The opening gala will be broadcast live on Spanish Television’s La 2 channel, ETB1, eitb.eus and the Festival website. 

Director and hosts

Bilbao’s Borja Crespo is a director and film producer, illustrator and strip cartoonist. He has made music videos, commercials, short films and television programmes. He has also advised and coordinated events related to the cinema and comic worlds as a cultural manager (GRAF, Tracking Bilbao, Getxo Comic Fair, etc.) as well as having curated several exhibitions, some of which have been seen at the San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival.

The actress from Madrid Cayetana Guillén Cuervo, one of Spanish cinema’s most popular faces, will co-host the gala together with Loreto Mauleón, an actress from San Sebastian known for her participation in series including Goenkale, El secreto del Puente Viejo and Patria, and for acting in films such as La máquina de pintar nubes (The Cloud Painting Machine, 2009) and Bi anai (Two Brothers, 2011).