ARTICLE 1

The San Sebastián Festival aims to make a positive contribution to the development of film culture and the film industry, likewise recognising the role of the cinema as a space for reflection, dialogue and social transformation.

ARTICLE 2

The 74th edition of the San Sebastián Festival will take place in the city of Donostia-San Sebastián from 18-26 September 2026.

ARTICLE 3

All of the films presented at the 74th edition of the San Sebastián Festival will be selected by its Selection Committee, headed by the Festival Director and advised by a network of international delegates made up of professional specialists in the world of film and film festivals.

ARTICLE 4

The Festival institutes a new accolade, the Transforma Make & Mark Award, which joins the Other Awards category. 

ARTICLE 5

The objective of the Transforma Make & Mark Award is to recognise the cinematic works which, in addition to their artistic excellence, promote a gaze committed to the major challenges of our time and which help, through culture, to achieve a positive transformation in society. The Award will go to films that generate reflection and critical awareness and that address questions related, among others, to inclusion, diversity, human rights, social justice and any other significant aspect for building a more just, inclusive and sustainable society.

ARTICLE 6

Becoming a candidate for the Transforma Make & Mark Award will depend on a pre-selection of four or five films, made by the Festival executive from among all those participating in the different competitive sections at the 74th edition of the San Sebastián Festival.

The pre-selection can include films from the Official Selection and from those other competitive sections of the Festival designed to accommodate new cinematic voices and proposals, such as New Directors, Nest and others forming part of the edition's competitive programme.
No specific entry will be required to compete for the Award.

ARTICLE 7

To decide the Award, the Jury will study both the artistic and the cinematographic quality of the pre-selected works and the relevance of their social impact, especially focusing on their capacity to generate reflection, promote critical awareness and contribute to achieving a positive transformation in society through culture. 

ARTICLE 8

The Transforma Make & Mark Award will be decided by an International Jury expressly constituted for the award.

The Jury will be made up of three people, one of them representing the San Sebastián Festival, and the other two personalities of recognised prestige in the field of culture, cinema, creation, social transformation or related disciplines, appointed by mutual agreement between the San Sebastián Festival and Transforma Make & Mark.

Persons holding direct interests in the production, financing, distribution or commercial exploitation of the pre-selected films cannot serve on the jury.

ARTICLE 9

The Transforma Make & Mark Award will come with 10,000 euros, going to the distributor of the winning film in Spain.

The prize money will have the purpose of contributing to the promotion, distribution and reach of the winning film in the Spanish territory.

ARTICLE 10

The Transforma Make & Mark Award will endorse the winning film and will be announced and presented during the Closing Gala of the San Sebastián Festival.

The Award cannot be declared void or be granted ex aequo to more than one film.

ARTICLE 11

Accepting the Transforma Make & Mark Award does not constitute an assignment of rights to its intellectual property or to exploitation of the cinematographic work.

ARTICLE 12

The producers or representatives of the winning film, and its distributor in Spain, undertake to mention obtaining of the Transforma Make & Mark Award in all advertising, promotional and press material for the film, using the official Festival and Transforma Make & Mark logos, in keeping with the indications established by the organisation.

ARTICLE 13

In the event of unexpected disagreement or failure to comply with these rules, the Festival Executive reserves the right to make the decision it considers most appropriate, in accordance with the FIAPF regulations.

In the event of discrepancy when interpreting these Rules, the Spanish text will prevail.

Any doubts regarding the understanding or application of these rules will be settled by the San Sebastián Festival Executive.