The 82nd Venice Mostra to host the world premiere of two feature films developed at EQZE

Orizzonti, the second most important section at the Venice International Film Festival, will host the world premiere of two feature films developed at Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola. The films are Estrany riu (Strange River), the debut work of Jaume Claret Muxart (Sant Cugat del Vàlles, 1998), a Filmmaking Studies student from the first intake year at the EQZE; and Hiedra, the third feature film by Ana Cristina Barragán (Quito, 1987), a student from the third intake year. This edition of Orizzonti is composed of 19 films.

Estrany riu tells the story of a bike trip along the Danube taken by two brothers, Dídac and Biel, and their family, during a holiday is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious young man. Starring Nausicaa Bonnín and Jordi Oriol, along with the young actors Jan Monter, Bernat Solé, Francesco Wenz and Roc Colell, the film is a co-production between Spain and Germany, led by Alma Cinema AIE and involving ZuZú Cinema and Miramemira on the Spanish side, and Schuldenberg Films on the German side. Estrany riu also received funding from 3CAT and was supported by Eurimages, ICAA, ICEC, FFF Bayern and DFFF. Jaume Claret Muxart’s previous works have been premiered at events such as the Rotterdam International Film Festival, FIDMarseille, the San Sebastián International Film Festival and the Seminci among others.

Hiedra tells the story of a woman (played by Karla Souza) who spies on teenagers living as siblings in an orphanage. Produced by Botón Films (Ecuador) in co-production with BHD Films (Mexico) and Ciné Sud Promotion (France), the film received funding from the Ecuadorian Cultural Fund for the writing, development, production and post-production phases. It also had support from Ibermedia, EFICINE, ICAA and CNC Aide aux cinémas du Monde. Ana Cristina Barragán’s films have premièred at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and the San Sebastián International Film Festival, where her debut film, Alba, received a Special Mention from the Jury in the Horizontes Latinos section in 2016.

Both projects participated in the 2022 Ikusmira Berriak residency programme, run by EQZE in collaboration with the San Sebastián International Film Festival and the Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture.

Significant international recognition

Over the past year, a significant number of films developed at Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola have achieved remarkable international recognition, strengthening the school's presence at some of the world's most prestigious film festivals.  Among them, the feature film El diablo fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemados en la misma caja), directed by Ernesto Martínez Bucio, was awarded the prize for Best Debut Film at the Berlinale. At the same festival, Duas vezes João Liberada by Paula Tomás Marques was also selected.

Other productions developed at EQZE have been selected at prestigious festivals such as the Rotterdam Film Festival (La durmiente by Maria Inês Gonçalves and La nostra habitació by Jaume Claret Muxart), Cannes Festival (A solidão dos lagartos by Inês Nunes), FIDMarseille (Fuck the polis by Rita Azevedo Gomes – Grand Prize of the International Competition), the Locarno Film Festival (Olivia by Sofía Petersen), the Karlovy Vary Film Festival (Duas vezes João Liberada by Paula Tomás Marques), and the Jeonju International Film Festival (Ulysses by Hikaru Uwagawa), among others.

The 82nd Venice International Film Festival will be held from 28 August to 7 September.