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).
Mark Adams, the artistic director of the Edinburgh Film Festival, explains that although his festival is smaller and more intimate than San Sebastian’s, they both take place in cities that people want to come to and where they can walk around and engage with the local lifestyle. They are both also festivals that among other things like to celebrate the local talent of their two small nations: in his case Scotland, whereas here the focus is on Basque filmmakers.
However, he points out that a major difference with San Sebastián is that, as Edinburgh is a capital city and there’s so much going on culture-wise, this splits audiences, so you don’t see as many people going to see films there.
As for what his ideal festival would be like, he thinks that it could be a combination of what Edinburgh and San Sebastián offer. The perfect festival for him is one where both guests and audience enjoy the experience.