"I’ve had the opportunity to put into practice the ideas and research I had been developing at EQZE"

1. How has your internship experience been, and how has it contributed to your training?

2. What would you highlight about the day-to-day routine in your workplace?

3. What learnings do you draw from this experience for your professional future?

NATALIA ORASANIN

1. My work placement at Courtisane really helped me develop as a curator. What I valued most was the freedom I was given to develop a programme from initial design to presentation, receiving thoughtful and enriching feedback throughout. It gave me the opportunity to put the ideas and research I had been developing at EQZE into practice, not only when selecting films, but also through curatorial writing, programme presentations and post-screening discussions. Having the space to think about and explore these ideas in greater depth in such an open and collaborative environment was incredibly rewarding, as was being present during the festival and seeing the work take shape in dialogue with the audience.

2. What I would highlight most about my day-to-day experience at Courtisane was the opportunity it gave me to be closely involved in all stages of the process. It was also extremely useful to meet and talk with members of the public, artists, researchers, and curators, especially during the festival. Seeing how the films adapt to different spatial and technical conditions added another layer to the process and deepened my understanding of how context influences the way films are received. This experience enabled me to gain greater insight into how curatorial decisions are made and, in particular, how these decisions take shape within the context of a festival like Courtisane.

3. What I take away from this experience for my future professional career is a clearer understanding of curatorial practice as something that is both conceptual and deeply situated. Working at Courtisane showed me how ideas develop through dialogue, rethinking and careful attention to detail and context. It also boosted my confidence in my ability to navigate the various dimensions of curatorial work, from research and programming to chairing sessions and collaborating with artists. Perhaps most importantly, it strengthened my view of curating as an ongoing process of negotiation, rather than a fixed set of decisions.

IZARO CUESTA

1. The work placement that formed part of my studies at Elías Querejeta Zinema Eskola have been of great help to me, both professionally and personally. I engaged in three different work placements at different institutions: the San Sebastián International Film Festival (SSIFF), Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture and the Artium Museum of Contemporary Art. These three placements have broadened my knowledge base and expanded my professional skills. I have finally gained firsthand experience of how things work in exhibitions, museums, interviews, festivals, and similar settings. Having had the opportunity to engage in these work placements has prompted me reflect on and question everything I still have to learn and research; if I had not had the opportunity to put this knowledge into practice at these kinds of institutions, I would not really know how to approach it in the cultural and artistic world.

2.What I would highlight about my work placement at the SSIFF and Artium was the face-to-face interactions with professionals and artists. I really enjoyed being able to talk to people, have the opportunity to ask questions, observe person's gestures first hand and listen to their opinions, rather than reading about them on a screen or on paper. I feel that this direct contact has made the entire work placement experience more valuable for the future, since it has helped me learn how to interact with colleagues and with artists, who are also my colleagues. Furthermore, I especially enjoyed the work and tasks I carried out during this work placement, as I had never performed them in a professional setting before, and I think they helped me gain a lot of experience and see with my own eyes how different jobs, different venues—like exhibition halls or event spaces—and different artists and their works actually function.

3. Looking ahead to my future professional career, I feel happy because having completed three work placements in different fields and with different professionals has given me a much richer and more varied experience. Each work placement taught me something different, and what I enjoyed most was being able to put what I had learned into practice in a real-world environment and contribute through my knowledge. Now, when looking for work and when in an actual post, I feel I have many more resources than before, including access to resources I was previously unaware of where I can find help and information. I now feel much more prepared to work professionally in these types of institutions or elsewhere. At this point, I would like to continue working and developing my skills, learning and applying what I learn, in order to further enhance my knowledge and make the most of new opportunities.

JOSÉ EMILIO GONZÁLEZ

1. My work placement at Xcèntric, CCCB's cinema, has been one of the best professional experiences I have had to date, since it gave me a very clear understanding of how a cinema with a very specific curatorial vision operates within a cultural institution. My role was to support the production of the 2026 season's screenings, which required me to help track down prints, negotiate rights, receive materials and perform other tasks that are perhaps often overlooked but are essential for building the exhibition experience, such as designing programme guides and banners for each screening and updating the website. This proved invaluable to my development, providing me with the tools I needed to understand the step-by-step process of putting together a public film season. Furthermore, being privileged enough to attend all of Xcèntric's screenings (something I used to long for when I was in Mexico City) and to regularly access its archives has only deepened my love of film and further developed my appreciation of avant-garde cinema.

2. Without a doubt, the highlight of my day-to-day experience was collaborating with and learning from Gloria Vilches, the head of Xcèntric and my mentor for these past six months. She is a person of great wisdom and boundless generosity. From her, I have learned the creative aspects of curatorial practice, such as the need to bring together diverse programmers and what method to follow when deciding on the order of a programme: which short film goes where? What narrative does the programme create if a film is screened here rather than there? But beyond that, Gloria has an admirable work ethic, taking great care of her team, her colleagues, the films, distributors and filmmakers. The fact that she plans sessions well in advance, pays meticulous attention to detail, and even responds to emails with great diligence and care are all things she does with great diligence and care. I believe she is the reason why Xcèntric is the great programme it is. These ethical practices are not common in the world of film and the audiovisual industry; but she does things differently.

3. As I mentioned in my previous answer, I have gained a strong work ethic from my work placement, which I hope to apply and pass on during my future career. I have also learned valuable programming skills, ranging from the creative to the practical. Although I was already familiar with the field, my time at Xcèntric gave me a better knowledge of the various experimental film distributors around the world, as well as their respective catalogues. And I also enjoyed six incredible months that culminated in the opportunity to present my Hipótesis project at EQZE, thanks once again to the trust Gloria Vilches placed in me. I am very grateful to the school and to Xcèntric for an opportunity I never imagined I would have.

The postgraduate in Film Curating Studies focuses on the large body of theoretical knowledge (partly inherited from the plastic arts) and explores different programming traditions and schools. In addition to the study and critical review of these movements, the course also encourages students to rethink the film distribution and access conditions and formulas in a new (and uncertain) turning point for the traditional exhibition model, which has been called into question by the rise of streaming platforms and the gradual disappearance of movie theatres.

In addition to cultivating each participant's unique criterion and outlook, the course also provides the tools necessary for the complete development of film projects, from initial conception to final execution. The specialist course also strives to encourage budding curators to engage in research work, to explore the worlds of film criticism and essay writing and to engage in various academic activities. 

One of the fundamental traits of this course is its constant professional and teaching contact with the institutions that support and generate it. Students can work on various curatorial projects, including those proposed by Tabakalera and the San Sebastián Film Festival.

Information brochure [PDF]