San Sebastian’s Ixmiraveliac Residency Program is now in its 11th year of developing an exciting new project. Created in 2015 to promote emerging talent, it partners with the Tabakare Line Ternation Centre for Contemporary Culture and the Elegance Tagene Escola (EQZE) Training Centre to provide five residents to filmmakers each year.
The program consists of eight-week stays divided into two stages, including a seven-month mentoring program between March and September, and will reach its peak during the festival’s day. During the festival, filmmakers will complete the final two weeks of their residency at Tabacarellaville, participating in professional activities such as pitching sessions, networking and personalized one-on-one meetings.
Ixmira Beliac, a testament to the success of the program, has seen a whopping 34% increase this year. Speaking to Variety before welcoming this year’s cohort to Basque cities, Ixmira Beliac’s Maiaren Franco has brought about a redefinition of the structure and methodology of programs focused on internationalization, celebrating the growing popularity of the “process of internal reflection” between 2017 and 2018. “This transformation marked a turning point. Since then, the number of submissions has steadily increased, reaching 487 projects with the latest calls.” For reference, the initial edition of the program received 30-40 proposals per year.
Since its launch, Ikusmira Berriak has supported the development of 56 audiovisual projects, of which 28 have premiered and featured at major international film festivals. “Success comes from the journey we bring together not only by supporting a particular project, but by standing behind the filmmakers themselves and supporting the overall film career,” adds Franco.
This year has proven to be a flagship cycle in terms of showing the success of the initiative. Diego Cespedes’ “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo” (Class 2020) won the highest award for a certain respect from the United Nations of Cannes, while Anna Christina Barragan’s “Ivy” (Class 2022) won the best script for Venice Horizons. Other former participants, such as Jaume Claret Muxart (“Strange River”) and Gabriel Azorín (“Last Night Conquered Thebes”), also released the film to praise in Venice.
Does the success of the program add pressure to the teams running it? “We don’t say we’re under pressure,” says Myallen. “What we feel is a deep sense of responsibility and respect for the work we do and provide. Every year, we strive consciously to reflect on ourselves to adapt to the current, ever-changing needs of fast industry.”
For example, Franco cites two awards introduced last year. It cites the Sideral Award, which offers 10,000 euros ($11,700) as a minimum guarantee for international distribution, and the Casa Wabi Award, an interdisciplinary initiative whose mission is to promote the exchange of ideas by encouraging open and constructive dialogue.
Commenting on this year’s cohort (see full profiles of all selected projects below), Franco praises the work of the selection committee, which consists of representatives from each of the partner institutions (San Sebastian Festival, Tabacarella and Exe). “Beyond innovative ideas and the themes they address, the program focuses on identifying their own film perspectives: filmmakers with a clear voice and potential to be supported over time, beyond a single project.”
Courtesy of Ikusmira Berriak Meetings and San Sebastián Film Festival
“The projects selected this year range from thrillers and genre films to deep social narratives,” the coordinator adds. “There are also stories that offer important perspectives on capitalism and class dynamics, and they capture the multiple aspects and tensions experienced by both modern society and the film industry.
Below are a short profiles of all the projects I will be participating in at this year’s Ikusmira Berriak.
“900 tons” (“900 tons”), dir. Daniel Soares – Portugal
(o som eafúria)
Soares’ short film, Bad for a Moment, won a special mention of the short film at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, and his work was screened at major events such as Locarno and Telluride. His feature debut tells the story of Sandro, a 33-year-old garbage worker who cleans up the streets of Lisbon at night and cares for his twins during the day. Despite struggling financially, Sandro acquires a sports car and lavishly funds through sex work in a move that obscures his sense of identity.
“Cowboy Billi” (“Il Cascatore”), dir. Fede Gianni – Italy, Spain
(Kino Produzioni)
Gianni’s work won awards from the director’s guilds in America and Gotham, and his brief “Cowboy Bili” premiered in the week of Venice Critics. The director’s feature debut was set in the suburbs of Rome in the 1960s. There, 12-year-old Bianca dreams of becoming a stunt rider, and Western films double as sets, just as 12-year-old Bianca promotes genderline. When the film producer is looking for male talent, she creates a new life as Billy.
“Return to the Valley” (“Retorno al Valle”), dir. Jaime Puertas Castillo – Spain
(Películas Maria Slu)
Castillo’s feature debut, “Historias de Pastores,” premiered in Rotterdam last year, and his short films were widely performed in Spain. His sophomore characterised by the sensual drama that follows young Ruz and Pedro whom he accidentally meets at an olive oil mill but is unaware of Omar’s existence in the clinic at a nearby monastery. Gradually, these three discover the parts of their relationship that God plays.
“La Colliana, un poemaferromagnéticodigitaluz y mememia,” dir. Joana Moya Blanco – Spain
(Silimirimilian movie)
Bilbao’s Moya is a geologist and interdisciplinary artist who performed the 2022 short film, “Todo Lo Cubre La Sal,” at festivals such as Málaga and Doclisboa. Her special debut, “La Colliana,” was born from a family portrait. The film experiments with the scale of geological time to investigate mountain memories through nonlinear narratives. This project has been selected by the Matadero Residency Center along with Cineteca, Noka Mentoring (Tabakalera), and Dirdira Lab.
“The Dance of the Shadows” (“La danza de las sombras”), dir. Kathy Mitrani – France
(Eddy Cinéma)
This is a feature of New York-based Columbian filmmaker Mitrani, whose short (“Buzzkill”, “Sombras Nada Más”) films have performed at major international festivals over the past five years. The film finds Yvonne on a gorgeous holiday off the north coast of Columbia. Something strange begins to happen. She clashes with a strange storm, then a dangerous storm arises, and in the end, her husband dies in a mysterious situation. Facing an unresolved crisis of faith, Yvonne must struggle to protect the honor of her family.
“Siren” (“Silena”), dir. Alexandra Laty Shev Salazar – Costa Rica
(Linterna Films)
Latishev Salazar’s debut, “Medea,” premiered in San Sebastian, played more than 50 festivals around the world, and was nominated for Costa Rica’s best international feature Oscar in 2017. “Siren” is a magical, realistic drama about women who call themselves “sirens” after their husbands get lost at the sea, and join a guesthouse where non-binary people live.
