71st San Sebastián Film Festival is showing five Filmstiftung-backed productions

• Competing for the Golden Shell: "Púan" by María Alché and Benjamin Naishtat
• Aki Kaurismäki’s "Fallen Leaves" receives the FIPRESCI Grand Prix 2023
• Festival from 22 – 30 September, 2023

The 71st Festival Internacional de Cine de San Sebastián opens next Friday, 22 September, with a total of five Filmstiftung-backed productions in the programme, all of which were produced with the participation of Cologne-based companies.

The drama "Púan" by María Alché and Benjamin Naishtat, a co-production by Pandora Filmproduktion, will have its world premiere in the Competition and therefore also has the chance of winning the Golden Shell, the festival’s main prize.

Aki Kaurismäki's much acclaimed new film "Fallen Leaves", also co-produced by Pandora Film, won the Jury Prize in Cannes and will now receive the FIPRESCI Grand Prix 2023 as Best Film of the Year during the opening gala in San Sebastián. The tragicomedy will then be shown in the "Perlak" sidebar and could also be seen in German cinemas since 14 September.

The "Horizontes Latinos" section will be presenting the documentary "The Echo" by Tatiana Huezo, a co-production of Match Factory Productions, which won two awards at this year’s Berlinale, and "The Settlers" by Felipe Gálvez, co-produced by Sutor Kolonko. Both films have already been shown at several festivals, including most recently the Toronto International Film Festival.

Furthermore, the second feature film by Michael Fetter Nathansky, "Mannequins" (AT), was selected for WIP Europa’s line-up. The film, produced by Network Movie, was shot entirely in Cologne and the surrounding area. The WIP Europa section showcases five films that are currently at the stage of post-production.

Festival Internacional de Cine de San Sebastián

The Festival Internacional de Cine de San Sebastián will run this year from 22 to 30 September and show more than 200 films. The opening film is "The Boy and the Heron" by Hayao Miyazaki. This year’s Competition Jury, chaired by Claire Denis, also includes the director Christian Petzold. The traditional Spanish ‘A’ category festival has been held in the northern Spanish coastal city of San Sebastián since 1953. The complete programme and further information can be found at www.sansebastianfestival.com.