The San Sebastian Film Festival has once again selected the top picks of this year’s festival season for the Perlak sidebar, which showcases recent critically acclaimed films that have not yet been released in Spain.
The 2023 Perlak lineup, unveiled Friday, includes Celine Song’s Sundance hit Past lives and Maite Alberdi’s Grand Jury-winning documentary the eternal memory, Christian Petzold’s Escape from Berlin A fire and the sensations of Cannes The interest zone from Jonathan Glazer, from Todd Haynes may decemberAki Kaurismakis fallen leaves, Wim Wenders’ perfect days, Warwick Thorntons The new boy, Sample by Hirokazu Kore-eda and the winner of the Palme d’Or by Justine Triet Anatomy of a fall.
Less desirablethe latest social drama from French director Ladj Ly (Les Miserables), which premieres next month in Toronto, will close the Perlak section and be shown out of competition. Another Toronto-bound feature, Stupid money, also made the Perlak cut. Australian filmmaker Craig Gillespie’s comedy (I, Tonya) tells the story of the GameStop short squeeze drama starring Paul Dano, Seth Rogen and Shailene Woodley.
From Venice, San Sebastian will rewind Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil does not existDanish period drama The promised land by director Nikolaj Arcel (A royal affair) with Mads Mikkelsen, Matteo Garrone’s refugee drama Io Capitanoand those of Michel Franco Memory with Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard.
With the exception of the closing film, all films in the Perlak section are eligible for San Sebastian’s Audience Awards, the $54,000 (€50,000) prize for best film and the $22,000 (€20,000) prize for best European film, which is awarded by viewers from San Sebastian has voted.
The 71st edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival runs from September 22 to 30.
