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).
Valentina Maurel (San José, Costa Rica) studied Film Directing at the INSAS in Brussels. Her graduation short, Paul is Here, received first prize from the Cinéfondation at the Festival de Cannes in 2017. Her second short film, Lucía en el limbo (2019), screened at the Semaine de la Critique of the French competition, and at the Toronto Festival, as well as receiving first prize at the Guanajuato Festival.
Her first feature film, Tengo sueños eléctricos / I Have Electric Dreams (2022), won the Horizontes Award at the San Sebastian Festival, the Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor Awards at the Locarno Festival and more than thirty accolades worldwide.
She is currently working on her third feature film, Siempre soy tu animal materno.