The fourth edition of Ikusmira Berriak has started

The next edition will be divided into two stays: one in February and one in September.

The fourth edition of Ikusmira Berriak began last Monday, August 20th. During the six weeks that the residencies last, the five filmmakers chosen from the 155 proposals received Manuel Abramovich, Nele Wohlatz, Elena López Riera, Arantza Santesteban and Grigory Kolomytsev, will undertake their projects at the Tabakalera Artist's Space.

Also travelling to San Sebastián to accompany them throughout this process was the panel of experts made up of the Irish producer Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly, the Brazilian filmmaker Sergio Oksman, and the director of TorinoFilmLab, Savina Neirotti, individuals who have also attended the residents' pitch sessions. The Romanian maker Constantin Popescu will give residents a talk next week. Popescu competed last year in the Official Selection with Pororoca (Golden Shell for the best actor as a result of Bogdan Dumitrache's work). The third week of the residency, filmmakers Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel –founders of Vento Films– will share their documentary cinema knowledge and experience with the residents.

During the fourth week, residents will visit the facilities at REC Grabaketa Estudioa, and they'll have time to work individually on their projects. During the fifth week, they'll prepare their presentations for the industry, with said presentations will being made on Sunday the 23rd as part of the Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum at the Festival. Residents will also have a meeting with the students of Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola.

During their final week, residents will have their own space at the San Telmo Museum –seat of the Co-Production Forum– to undertake their one-to-one meetings with the accredited professionals who show interest in their projects. Additionally, they'll be able to participate in the rest of the industry activities and attend Festival screenings.

During the press conference for the film industry awards ceremony, to be held on Wednesday, September 26, the winner of the fourth annual edition will be made known. In addition to the financial support of 25,000 euros provided by the programme and distributed amongst the chosen projects, REC Grabaketa Estudioa is offering, as an award, its feature film post-production services – a value of 35,000 euros.

Three projects selected from previous editions of Ikusmira Berriak have been finished and screened at the Festival: the short films El extraño by Pablo Álvarez, Calipatria by Leo Calice and Gerhard Treml, and Gwendolyn Green by Tamyka Smith were presented at Zabaltegi-Tabakalera in 2016 and 2017. This year, the programme's first finished feature film made its debut in Locarno: Trote, directed by Xacio Baño, a resident during the first edition whose film will also be shown at Zabaltegi-Tabakalera.

This fourth annual edition will be the last one under Ikusmira Berriak's current structure. The next edition will be divided into two stays: one in February and one in September. The call for the fifth edition, which will be held in accordance with the new model, will close on the 31st. In October, the five selected projects will be unveiled.

More information.