The 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival took place from 19 to 27 September 2025 in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
Alauda Ruiz de Azúa's Sundays went on to win the Golden Shell, while José Luis Guerin's Good Valley Stories landed the Special Jury Prize.
Background In February 2025, a 4K restoration of Poachers was announced as a double screening at the 28th Málaga Film Festival and the 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival ('Klasikoak' section). In June 2025, the Basque medium-length films Hamaseigarrenean aidane, Ehun metro, Zergatik panpox, and Oraingoz izen gabe, restored at L'Immagine Ritrovata restoration lab in Bologna, were announced as additional screenings in the 'Klasikoak' programme.
On 11 July 2025, a line-up of 22 Spanish-produced works to be screened at the festival was announced at the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España. Later in the month, producer Esther García was announced as the recipient of a Donostia Award for Career Achievement. In August 2025, the festival announced actress and producer Jennifer Lawrence as an additional Donostia Award recipient as well as a screening of Die My Love.
Sílvia Abril, Toni Acosta, and Itziar Ituño hosted the opening gala, in which Walter Salles was bestowed the 2025 FIPRESCI Grand Prix for I'm Still Here. Daniel Hendler's 27 Nights screened as the opening film. The closing gala was hosted by Itsaso Arana and Óscar Lasarte while the screening of Kasia Adamik's Winter of the Crow closed the festival.
Juries Official Selection jury J. A. Bayona, Spanish filmmaker – Jury president , Portuguese filmmaker based in Edinburgh, Scotland Gia Coppola, American film director and screenwriter Zhou Dongyu, Chinese actress Lali Espósito, Argentine singer, actress, dancer, and model Mark Strong, British actor , film producer, founder of Les Films des Tournelles
Kutxabank-New Directors Award jury , Italian producer and programmer – Jury president Isabella Eklöf, Swedish screenwriter and film director , French filmmaker and screenwriter Beatriz Arias, Chilean film director, screenwriter and assistant director Elsa Fernández Santos, Spanish film critic
Horizontes Make & Mark Award jury Pilar Palomero, Spanish director (president) Christoph Friedel, German producer Tatiana Leite, Brazilian producer
Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award jury , French producer (president) , Spanish art curator Line Langebek Knudsen, Danish screenwriter
RTVE – Another Look Award jury María Solana, journalist and RTVE managing board member (president) Gemma Blasco, filmmaker Amaia Ereñaga, journalist
Irizar Basque Film Award jury Ane Gabarain, actress (president) , actress , journalist
Sections Official selection The official selection slate includes the following pictures:
In competition Highlighted title indicates award winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies) 27 Nights 27 noches Daniel Hendler Argentina Ballad of a Small Player Edward Berger United Kingdom Belén Dolores Fonzi Argentina Couture Alice Winocour The Currents Las corrientes Milagros Mumenthaler The Fence Le Cri des Gardes Claire Denis France Franz Agnieszka Holland Good Valley Stories Historias del buen valle José Luis Guerin 监狱来的妈妈 Xiaoyu Qin China Maspalomas , Aitor Arregi Spain Nuremberg James Vanderbilt United States SAI: disaster 災 劇場版 Kentaro Hirase, Yutaro Seki Japan Six Days in Spring Six jours ce printemps-là Joachim Lafosse Sundays Los domingos Alauda Ruiz de Azúa Los Tigres Alberto Rodríguez Spain Two Pianos Deux pianos Arnaud Desplechin France Nevděčné bytosti
Out of Competition English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies) She Walks in Darkness Un fantasma en la batalla Agustín Díaz Yanes Spain The Anatomy of a Moment Anatomía de un instante Alberto Rodríguez Spain Winter of the Crow Kasia Adamik Special Screenings Climbing for Life てっぺんの向こうにあなたがいる Junji Sakamoto Japan Fate La suerte Paco Plaza, Pablo Guerrero Spain Flores para Antonio , Isaki Lacuesta Spain Juliette Binoche France Karmele Spain Zeru ahoak Spain
New Directors The New Directors slate includes: Highlighted title indicates award winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies) Spain 南方時光 Tsao Shih-Han Taiwan Aldığımız Nefes Seyhmus Altun Bad Apples Jonatan Etzler United Kingdom Foreign Lands Чужие земли Anton Yarush, Sergey Borovkov Russia Dance of the Living La lucha José Alayón If We Don't Burn, How Do We Light Up the Night Si no ardemos, cómo iluminar la noche Kim Torres Nighttime Sounds 你的眼睛比太阳明亮 Zhang Zhongchen China Värn Shape of Momo द शेप आप मोमोज Tribeny Rai The Son and the Sea Stroma Cairns United Kingdom Vægtløs Emilie Thalund Denmark White Flowers and Fruits Shiro no Kajitsu Yukari Sakamoto Japan
Latin Horizons (Horizontes latinos) The Latin Horizon slate includes: Highlighted title indicates award winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies) Copper Cobre Nicolás Pereda Cuerpo celeste Nayra Ilic García Dolores Maria Clara Escobar, Marcelo Gomes Brazil Elder Son Hijo mayor The Ivy Hiedra Ana Cristina Barragán Landmarks Nuestra tierra Lucrecia Martel Dominga Sotomayor Chile A Loose End Un cabo suelto Daniel Hendler The Message El mensaje Iván Fund The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo La misteriosa mirada del flamenco Diego Céspedes Olmo Fernando Eimbcke A Poet Un poeta Simón Mesa Soto
Zabaltegi-Tabakalera The Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section includes: Highlighted title indicates award winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies) Always Night Siempre es de noche Luis Ortega Argentina April Tune Sol menor André Silva Santos Portugal Blue Heron Sophy Romvari Brand New Landscape Miharashi sedai Yuiga Danzuka Japan Fiume o morte! God is Shy Dieu est timide Jocelyn Charles France Schwesterherz Happiness La felicidad Paz Encina Paraguay Hen Kota György Pálfi The Ice Tower La tour de glace Lucile Hadzihalilovic Joan of Arc Jóhanna af Örk Hlynur Pálmason The Last Rapture El último arrebato Marta Medina, Enrique López Lavigne Spain Lurker Alex Russell United States No One Knows I Disappeared Bo Hanxiong China A Scary Movie Una película de miedo The Spectacle Bálint Kenyeres Strange River Estrany riu Jaume Claret Muxart The Strike La grève Gabrielle Stemmer France Two Seasons, Two Strangers 旅と日々 Sho Miyake Japan Two Times João Liberada Duas vezes João Liberada Paula Tomás Marques Portugal Under the Flags, the Sun Bajo las banderas, el sol Juanjo Pereira Urchin Harris Dickinson United Kingdom Variations Bariazioak Spain
Perlak The Perlak slate includes: Highlighted title indicates City of Donostia / San Sebastián Audience Award winner. Highlighted title indicates City of Donostia / San Sebastián Audience Award for Best European Film winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies)Nouvelle Vague Richard Linklater France A Private Life Vie privée Rebecca Zlotowski France Sentimental Value Affeksjonsverdi Joachim Trier Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Amélie et la Métaphysique des tubes Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han France The Love That Remains Ástin Sem Eftir Er Hlynur Pálmason Bugonia Yorgos Lanthimos United Kingdom Sleepless City Ciudad sin sueño Guillermo Galoe Jay Kelly Noah Baumbach The Stranger L'Étranger François Ozon FranceLa grazia Paolo Sorrentino Italy The Wizard of the Kremlin Le Mage du Kremlin Olivier Assayas France The President's Cake مملكة القصب Hasan Hadi The Secret Agent O Agente Secreto Kleber Mendonça Filho Orwell: 2+2=5 Raoul Peck The Voice of Hind Rajab صوت هند رجب Kaouther Ben Hania It Was Just an Accident یک تصادف ساده Jafar Panahi
Velodrome (Velódromo) The following pictures will be screened at the Velodrome: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Hasta que me quede sin voz Mario Forniés, Lucas Nolla Spain Band Together Rondallas Daniel Sánchez Arévalo Spain
Made in Spain The films in the 'Made in Spain' programming include: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Abril, It's Not Winter Today Abril, hoy no es invierno Mabel Lozano Spain The Delights of the Garden Las delicias del jardín Fernando Colomo Spain The Designer Is Dead Gonzalo Hergueta 8 Julio Medem Spain Almudena Spain Samana Sunrise Amanece en Samaná Rafa Cortés ¡Caigan las rosas blancas! Albertina Carri Close to the Sultan En la alcoba del sultán Silent Struggle En silencio Sara Sálamo Spain Fragments Fragmentos Spain The Imminent Age L'edat imminent Col·lectiu Vigília Spain The Good Manners La buena letra Celia Rico Clavellino Spain Fury La furia Gemma Blasco Spain Undercover La infiltrada Arantxa Echevarría Spain The Black Land La terra negra Alberto Morais The Exiles Los Tortuga Belén Funes My Friend Eva Mi amiga Eva Cesc Gay Spain Queen of Coal Miss Carbón Agustina Macri Away Molt lluny Gerard Oms The Story of Us Nosotros Spain Romería Carla Simón Spain San Simón Miguel Ángel Delgado Sirāt Oliver Laxe Deaf Sorda Eva Libertad Spain The Sleeper. The Lost Caravaggio The Sleeper. El Caravaggio Perdido Álvaro Longoria Everything I Don't Know Todo lo que no sé Ana Lambarri Tellaeche Spain A Free Man Un hombre libre Laura Hojman Spain The Portuguese House Una quinta portuguesa Avelina Prat
RTVE Galas RTVE will hold presentation galas for the following films: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) The Dinner La cena Manuel Gómez Pereira The Gentleman Ya no quedan junglas Luis Gabriel Beristáin Hidden Murder Parecido a un asesinato Antonio Hernández The Truce La tregua Miguel Ángel Vivas
Klasikoak The 'Klasikoak' section includes the following films: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Poachers (1975) Furtivos José Luis Borau Spain Midaq Alley (1994) El callejón de los milagros Jorge Fons Mexico Aniki-Bóbó (1942) Manoel de Oliveira Portugal Un revenant (1946) Christian-Jaque France Barry Lyndon (1975) Stanley Kubrick United Kingdom The Family Game (1983) 家族ゲーム Yoshimitsu Morita Japan (1983) Vestida de azul Antonio Giménez-Rico Spain (1985) Alfonso Ungría Spain (1985) Spain (1985) Xabier Elorriaga Spain (1986) Spain
Surprise film The following title was programmed as a surprise film: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Frankenstein Guillermo del Toro United States
Awards Official selection jury awards
The official selection jury awards are listed as follows: Golden Shell: Sundays Special Jury Prize: Good Valley Stories Silver Shell for Best Director: Joachim Lafosse (Six Days in Spring) Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance: Zhao Xiaohong () & Jose Ramon Soroiz (Maspalomas) Silver Shell for Best Supporting Performance: (Belén) Jury Prize for Best Cinematography: Pau Esteve Birba (Los Tigres) Jury Prize for Best Screenplay: Joachim Lafosse, Chloé Duponchelle, and Paul Ismael (Six Days in Spring)
Other official awards Kutxabank-New Directors Award: Weightless Special Mention: Aro berria Horizontes Make & Mark Award: A Poet Special Mention: The Ivy & A Loose End Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award: The Ice Tower Special Mentions: Two Times João Liberada & Blue Heron City of Donostia / San Sebastián Audience Award: The Voice of Hind Rajab City of Donostia / San Sebastián Audience Award for Best European Film: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Nest Award: How to Listen to Fountains Special Mention: The Old Bull Knows, Or Once Knew Irizar Basque Film Award: Sundays Special Mention: The Last Rapture Dama Youth Award: The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo RTVE – Another Look Award: The Currents
Donostia honorific awards Donostia Award: Esther García Jennifer Lawrence
Non-official awards FIPRESCI Grand Prix: I'm Still Here (Walter Salles) FIPRESCI Award: Sundays Feroz Zinemaldia Award: Sundays SIGNIS Award: Sundays Sebastiane Award: Maspalomas
References