The director from La Mancha will be awarded in recognition of his entire career at the festival to be held next month.
The San Sebastián Film Festival will honor the beloved Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar with his prestigious Donostia Award in its 72nd editionwhich will be held from September 20 to 28.
The actress Tilda Swinton will present the award to Almodóvar before the screening of his latest film, ‘The Room Next Door’. The film, which will premiere in Venice Film Festivalis the first in English by the 74-year-old director and stars Julianne Moore and Swinton, who had already participated in his short film ‘The Human Voice’.
“Almodóvar’s cinema stands out for the writing of his female characters, the direction of its actors, their bravery in addressing topics such as the universe LGBTIQ+, religion, sex, addictions and historical memory, and their political commitment”, the organizers said in a statement. They also praised his “artistic talent and his instantly recognizable visual style: His personality shines through from the art direction to the soundtrack.”
Almodóvar, a regular at the festival, has given Donostias to Al Pacino in previous years, Woody Allen and Antonio Banderas, one of his regular collaborators.
“This year they give it to me, and I am delighted and grateful“said the La Mancha filmmaker in the statement. “I mean it, it’s an honor. San Sebastián is one of the cities where cinema is celebrated with enormous enthusiasm. More than ever, in these times, we need the spectator complicityand its presence in movie theaters. “It is a dream to attend a festival like this, where the rooms are always full.”
Last year, the Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Javier Bardem. Other filmmakers who have received the Donostia Award are Francis Ford Coppola, Agnès Varda and Hirokazu Kore-eda.
The 72nd edition of the San Sebastián Film Festival will be held from September 20 to 28.
