Today marks the start of the 26th edition of the Nantes Film Festival that will once again dedicate a special place to Basque film, thanks to the “La Fenêtre Basque” (The Basque Window) section, supported by the Etxepare Basque Institute. This year, two Basque films compete in the official section: Amama and Lejos del mar (Far from the Sea). In addition the Opera Prima section also includes two films made in the Basque Country: An Autumn without Berlin by Lara Izagirre and Pikadero filmed in Euskera by Scottish director Ben Sharrock.
Nantes, France. The Nantes Spanish Film Festival (March 17-28) will once again dedicate a special place for Basque film in its Basque Window section. Supported by the Etxepare Basque Institute with the collaboration of the Basque Filmoteca, gives entry to a large number of the best Basque productions of the year, and in general, to the works of the most prominent Basque filmmakers. A privileged shop window, at a festival that gathers some 26,000 spectators and all of the French movie industry.
This year, two Basque films will compete in the Official Section Amama (Asier Altuna) and Lejos del mar (Imanol Uribe).Their directors will be at the festival to present them in person. This is the first visit to Nantes for Asier Altuna and Marian Fernandez, producer of Amama. Uribe has been to the festival several times, and is the winner of the Public Prize for Honey from Oranges in 2013, according to the Etxepare Institute.
In the Opera Prima section, another two Basque films will compete for the award that went last year to Mikel Rueda from Bilbao. An Autumn without Berlin on the shores of the Loira thanks to director, Lara Izagirre and its producer Gorka Izagirre, while Pikadero (Ben Sharrock) will be presented by its lead actor, Joseba Usabiaga. Euskera is present in the two main competitive sections.
In the documentary section Walls by Migueltxo Molina and Pablo Iraburu will participate, and will be defended by the latter. In the Shorts Section, all of the Kimuak 2015 will be shown, but it will be Deullum by Tucker Davila Wood that will be seeking the audience award in its screening in the competition section Nantes Opera.
Besides the festival, with the collaboration of the San Telmo Museum, a tribute will be made to Hernani production Elias Querejeta with the showing of Elías vida mía (Elias my Life) cureated by renowned photofrapher, Pedro Usabiaga from Donostia. The character of Querejeta will be very present from beginning to end, since Fernando Leon de Aranoa will inaugurate the festival with A Perfect Day and the producer’s daughter, Gracia Querejeta, will close it with Felices 140. For both, Elias Querejeta was absolutely decisive in their beginning as directors.
The Basque presence won’t stop there; they will also show Sanctuary by Olivier Masset-Depasse and The Hidden by Mikel Rueda; the journalist from Donostia, Ricardo Aldarondo will preside over the jury and the director of the Etxepare Institute, Aizpea Goenaga, will participate in the closing of the Nantes Opera on the 28th.
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