The 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival will welcome a major international line-up of actors, filmmakers, producers and screenwriters, with 263 films from 47 countries set to be presented across the Festival’s various sections. Some of them are embarking on a promotional festival tour, as they are already scheduled to screen in the coming days in Venice, Toronto, or both.
Among the confirmed guests are Orlando Bloom, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Ricardo Darín, Lali Espósito, Jeremy Irons, Vincent Lindon, Rami Malek, Noémie Merlant, Brad Pitt, Lena Olin and Nahuel Pérez Biscayart.
The Festival, which will run from 18-26 September 2026, has also confirmed the participation of directors including Fatih Akin, Lukas Dhont, Jesse Eisenberg, Nicole Garcia, Pablo Larraín, Diego Luna, Martin McDonagh, Tsai Ming-Liang, Cristian Mungiu, Pawel Pawlikowski and Andrey Zvyagintsev.
Werner Herzog and Naomi Watts to Receive Donostia Awards
Two of the edition’s major highlights will be the Donostia Awards for Werner Herzog and Naomi Watts.
Herzog will arrive in San Sebastián to present his latest film, Bucking Fastard, alongside Orlando Bloom, who will present him with the honorary award. Watts, meanwhile, will receive her Donostia Award in connection with The Housewife, directed by Ben Shirinian, and will be accompanied by co-star Lena Olin. The award will be presented by filmmaker J.A. Bayona.
San Sebastián Festival: International Competition
The Official Selection will feature a strong international presence. Fatih Akin will present Ghost Song, while Jesse Eisenberg returns behind the camera with his third directorial feature, The Debut.
Nicole Garcia will bring Milo, accompanied by Marion Cotillard, while Frédéric Cavayé will attend with Vincent Lindon, Tahar Rahim, Noémie Merlant, Camille Cottin and Benjamin Lavernhe for Les Misérables.
Other filmmakers competing for the Festival’s top prizes include Hans Peter Moland, Amanda Kernell, Yeşim Ustaoğlu, Tony Vahl, Maha Harada and Biao Ah.
Out of competition, Brad Pitt will attend the premiere of The Heart of the Beast, directed by David Ayer.
Michaël R. Roskam will close the Festival with Le Faux Soir.
Perlak and Other Sections
The Perlak section will bring together several high-profile names, including Martin McDonagh, who will present Wild Horse Nine, and Ira Sachs, who will also preside over the Official Jury. Sachs will attend with Rami Malek and Tom Sturridge, stars of The Man I Love.
Other notable titles include films by Lukas Dhont, Pawel Pawlikowski, Cristian Mungiu, Beth de Araújo, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Nanni Moretti and Olivier Nakache & Eric Toledano.
The Festival will also feature a substantial Latin American presence, with filmmakers such as Pablo Larraín, Diego Luna and Valentina Maurel, as well as a broad selection of Spanish cinema.
Ira Sachs to Head the Official Jury
The Official Selection jury will be chaired by American filmmaker Ira Sachs. He will be joined by Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter Genki Kawamura, French screenwriter Catherine Paillé, Brazilian actress and producer Alice Braga, Spanish actress Patricia López Arnaiz, Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård and British producer Mike Goodridge.
The 74th San Sebastián Festival will thus bring together an unusually broad mix of established filmmakers, international stars and emerging voices, reinforcing the event’s position as one of the key meeting points of the European and international film industry.
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