The 69th San Sebastián International Film Festival took place from 17 to 25 September 2021 in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain. The festival opened with Zhang Yimou's One Second. Marion Cotillard and Johnny Depp were awarded the Donostia Award for lifetime achievements. The Donostia Award bestowed to Johnny Depp was mired by controversy and public scrutiny.
The competitive awards were presented on 25 September 2021. Blue Moon by Alina Grigore won the Golden Shell award, whereas Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) shared the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance (a new non-gendered category replacing the former gendered acting awards) with Danish teen Flora Ofelia Hofmann Lindahl (As in Heaven). The official poster featuring actress Sigourney Weaver was designed by Eva Villar based on a picture by Matthew Brookes.
Juries Official Selection Dea Kulumbegashvili Susi Sánchez Maite Alberdi Audrey Diwan Ted Hope Horizontes latinos María Zamora Lila Avilés Luciano Monteagudo New Directors Mary Burke Irene Escolar Suzanne Lindon Zabaltegi-Tabakalera
Miriam Heard Elena López Riera
Sections Official Selection In competition The lineup of films selected for the Official Selection is as follows: Highlighted title indicates award winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production country One Second Zhang Yimou China Arthur Rambo Laurent Cantet France BenedictionTerence Davies United Kingdom Inés Barrionuevo Argentina Romania Fever Dream Claudia Llosa As in Heaven Denmark Earwig Lucile Hadzihalilovic United Kingdom · France · Belgium The Good Boss Fernando León de Aranoa Spain Enquête sur un scandale d'État (2021 film) Enquête sur un scandale d'État France The Grandmother Paco Plaza Maixabel Icíar Bollaín Spain Zhang Ji China Who's Stopping Us Jonás Trueba Spain The Eyes of Tammy Faye Michael Showalter United States Claire Simon France
Out of competition The following works (including a short and a miniseries) were selected to screen out of competition: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Rosa Rosae. A Spanish Civil War Elegy Carlos Saura Spain Las leyes de la frontera Daniel Monzón Spain La Fortuna Alejandro Amenábar Spain The Daughter Manuel Martín Cuenca Spain
Horizontes Latinos The following films were selected for the Horizontes Latinos section: Highlighted title indicates award winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Dusk Stone Piedra Noche Iván Fund Argentina · Chile · Spain The Employer and the Employee Jesús López Madalena Madiano Marcheti Brazil Aurora Paz Fábrega The Box Lorenzo Vigas A Cop Movie Alonso Ruizpalacios Mexico Azor Andreas Fontana Prayers for the Stolen Tatiana Huezo Amparo Simón Mesa Soto
New Directors The following films were selected for the New Directors section: Highlighted title indicates award winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Carajita Silvina Schnicer, Ulises Porra That Weekend Mara Pescio Aloners Honja Saneun Salamdeul · 혼자 사는 사람들 Hong Sung-eun South Korea Between Two Dawns Selman Nacar Inventory Darko Sinko Slovenia Josephine Javier Marco Spain The Rust Juan Sebastián Mesa Hilda's Short Summer Las vacaciones de Hilda Agustin Banchero The Noise of Engines Philippe Grégoire Canada Mikado Marocco Emanuel Parvu Mass Fran Kranz United States Unwanted Nich'ya Lena Lanskih Russia Lost in Summer Shu qi shi guang Sun Liang China
Zabaltegi-Tabakalera The following films were selected for the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section: Highlighted title indicates award winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Mi iubita, mon amour Noémie Merlant France Unclenching the Fists Razzhimaya kulaki · Kira Kovalenko Russia Petrov's Flu Petrovy v grippe · Kirill Serebrennikov Playground Laura Wandel Belgium Vortex Gaspar Noé France Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn Radu Jude Florence Miailhe They Carry Death Helena Girón, Samuel M. Delgado The Great Movement Kiro Russo 107 Mothers Cenzorka Péter Kerekes Haruhara-san's Recorder Haruharasan no uta Kyoshi Sugita Japan
Perlak
The following films were selected for the Perlak section:
In competition
English title Original title Director(s) Production country Official Competition Competencia oficial Gastón Duprat, Mariano Cohn Spain, Argentina Benedetta Benedetta Paul Verhoeven France, Netherlands Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy Gūzen to sōzō Ryusuke Hamaguchi Japan Jane by Charlotte Jane par Charlotte Charlotte Gainsbourg France The Crusade La croisade Louis Garrel France Lost Illusions Illusions perdues Xavier Giannoli France The Restless Les Intranquilles Joachim Lafosse Belgium, France Between Two Worlds Ouistreham Emmanuel Carrère France Petite Maman Petite Maman Céline Sciamma France Are You Lonesome Tonight? Re dai wang shi Wen Shipei China Red Rocket Red Rocket Sean Baker United States The French Dispatch The French Dispatch Wes Anderson United States The Power of the Dog The Power of the Dog Jane Campion New Zealand, Australia Everything Went Fine Tout s'est bien passé François Ozon France
Out of competition
English title Original title Director Production country The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground Todd Haynes United States Drive My Car Doraibu mai kā Ryusuke Hamaguchi Japan Titane Titane Julia Ducournau France Nest
The following short films were selected for the Nest section, the international competition for film school students, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021:
Title Director Production country Film school À la recherche d'Aline Rokhaya Marieme Balde Switzerland HEAD – Genève after a room Naomi Pacifique United Kingdom / Netherlands / Switzerland London Film School Algo así como la noche Alván Prado Spain EFTI Crashing Waves Lucy Kerr United States California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) Fantasma neon / Neon Phantom Leonardo Martinelli Brazil Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) Hullet / The Hole Christoffer Ansel Denmark The National Film School of Denmark Ob scena Paloma Orlandini Castro Argentina Universidad Nacional de San Martín Ospalky / Rheum Kateřina Hroníková Slovakia Academy of Music and Performing Arts (FTF VSMU) Planuri de vacanta / Summer Planning Alexandru Mironescu Romania UNATC I.L. Caragiale Podul de piatrâ / Pont de pedra Artur-Pol Camprubí Spain Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola (EQZE) Rondinella / Little Swallow Nikita Merlini Switzerland ECAL / École cantonale d'art de Lausanne U šumi / In the Woods Sara Grgurić Croatia Academy of Dramatic Arts, Zagreb Ye xing ren min gong yuan / A Nocturnal Roam Feng Yi China China Film Art Research Center Yearlings Mélanie Akoka France NYU Tisch Grad Film
Donostia Award Screenings The following film was selected for the Donostia Award Screenings section: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Bigger Than Us Bigger Than Us Flore Vasseur France
Surprise film The following film was programmed as a surprise: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Pablo Larraín
Official Selection Awards Golden Shell: Blue Moon by Alina Grigore Special Jury Prize: Earwig by Lucile Hadžihalilović Silver Shell for Best Director: Tea Lindeburg (As in Heaven) Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance: Flora Ofelia (As in Heaven) & Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) Silver Shell for Best Supporting Performance: cast of Who's Stopping Us Best Screenplay: Terence Davies (Benediction) Best Cinematography: Claire Mathon (Undercover)
Special awards Donostia Award for lifetime achievements: Marion Cotillard and Johnny Depp
Nest Award: U šumi / In the Woods – Sara Grgurić Special Mention: Podul de piatrâ / Pont de pedra – Artur-Pol Camprubí
References