The 67th edition of ZinebiBilbao International Documentary and Short Film Festival, will be held from November 21 to 28.
It premiered in theaters last week. ‘Decorated’the latest animated film by cartoonist and filmmaker Alberto Vázquez. The art direction of this recommendable proposal, based on the short film of the same name, is the work of José Luis Ágreda, a multifaceted artist, linked to Bilbao, with a brilliant career behind him in the field of cinema, comics and illustration. He is responsible for the same section in a title that made it to the Oscars, ‘Robot Dreams’and a few days ago we discovered his signature on the poster of the 67th edition of ZINEBIInternational Documentary and Short Film Festival, an event with the big screen that will take place from November 21 to 28. 58 films from 31 countries have been selected to compete in an event that urgently needs to reach a larger audience. Film submissions have broken records, with 9,090 international films presented, but this magnificent figure is not reflected in the theaters, with an insufficient audience for a category A event, whose programming also has a juicy section of first films and long documentaries.
This year the menu ZINEBI offers, as one of its strong points, an overview of Czech animation, with more than thirty films that include pieces aimed at children. New sections are born, such as Zinebiskopio, whose objective is to “look from cinema and not only towards cinema”, exploring audiovisuals as a tool to understand our time. In the first edition it will address the documentary as collective memory, mental health, inclusion and cultural diversity. Attractive topics that do not always reach the general public. There will be the usual forum for documentary projects and a new space focused on animation, a kind of laboratory that can breathe energy into a festival that needs to bring together new audiences. The city of Bilbao must “live” with more intensity a celebration under construction. Watch out for special sessions, with “Stories of the good valley”of José Luis Guerineither “Call me sinsorga”, of Paula Iglesias and Marta Gómez.
Of course, and fortunately, for the account that brings us the most music lovers, music will also be present at the festival, with a performance by the Basque group Gray Merinoa proposal that does not leave you indifferent, groundbreaking and unusual. They will offer an exclusive show, designed for Zinebi, which will probably awaken philias and phobias at the Arriaga Theater. Among other sound activities, the documentary will be screened ‘Akelarre: mararen kontra’dedicated to the famous Basque musical group, in a special session that will touch on more than one emotional memory.
In the extensive programming of ZINEBIwhich must be analyzed thoroughly so that nothing escapes us as an involved spectator, the Bilbao filmmaker will be honored Pablo Bergerauthor of works as diverse as ‘Snow White’, ‘Abracadabra’ and ‘Robot Dreams’. The producer will also have its timely recognition Esther Garciaalways at the side of the ineffable Pedro Almódóvar. You will see the latest works of Bea Lema, Aitor Gametxo or the winners of the Festival Grand Prize in 2023 Pek Jia Hao and Ang Jia Junand the premieres of ‘Ghost Elephants’of Werner Herzogeither ‘The flight of the cigonya’of Berta Vicente Salas and Soumaya Hidalgo Djahdou. The ZinebiNetworking professional forum will be, once again, an essential meeting point to generate collaborations and synergies.
All programming on the ZINEBI website.
