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).
Irene Escolar (Madrid) has participated in 22 films and 30 plays, working with some of the top directors in the Spanish and European scene.
Her first lead role in the cinema, Un otoño sin Berlín / An Autumn Without Berlin (Lara Izagirre, Zinemira, 2015) earned her a special mention from the Irizar Award at the San Sebastian Festival and the Goya for Best New Actress. After participating in Competencia Oficial / Official Competition (Gastón Duprat, Mariano Cohn, Perlak, 2021), starring Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas, she appeared in the casts of Tenéis que venir a verla / You Have to Come and See It (Jonás Trueba, Made in Spain, 2021) and Las chicas están bien / The Girls Are Alright (Itsaso Arana, Made in Spain, 2022), which participated in the Official Selection at the Karlovy Vary Festival. Her other films include El séptimo día / The 7th Day (Carlos Saura, Made in Spain, 2003), Los girasoles ciegos / The Blind Sunflowers (José Luis Cuerda, 2007) and Bajo la piel de lobo / The Skin of the Wolf (Samu Fuentes, Zinemira, 2017).
Worthy of note among her works are the project Escenario 0, of which, with Bárbara Lennie, she is the actor, creator and executive producer, and the series Dime quién soy, in which she plays the lead part, premiered in 2020 at the San Sebastián Festival (Movistar Gala).
Among her latest works are the play Finlandia, directed by the prestigious theatre director Pascal Rambert, the series Largas Sombras directed by Clara Roquet for Disney +, the series Las abogadas and the film Ariel, directed by Lois Patiño.
In 2019 she won the Community of Madrid Theatre Prize. She has also received the Ojo Crítico Award bestowed by Radio Nacional, has been nominated three times for the Valle Inclán Awards and in September of this year received the Best Performance of the Year Award at the Vitoria Television Festival.