The 61st edition of the San Sebastian Festival kicked off at 9 p.m. on September 20 with the opening gala at the Kursaal Auditorium presented by the actors Cayetana Guillén Cuervo andUnax Ugalde.

Important faces from the international cinema world will come to San Sebastian to celebrate the start of an intense week of activities, screenings and events with the focus on film: 

Annette Bening will present The Face of Love, opening film of the Pearls section.

Michelle Yeoh will be the guest of honour at the Culinary Zinema as the star of the film to open the section, Final Recipe.

Oliver Stone brings his new documentary series The Untold History of the United States and will present Alexander: The Ultimate Cut, a newly remastered cut of Alexander.

Terry Gilliam returns to the Festival with his latest film, The Zero Theorem, scheduled in the Pearls section.

Hirokazu Kore-eda also returns to San Sebastian to present his most recent work, Soshite chichi ni Naru / Like Father Like Son, in the Pearls section. He will be accompanied for the occasion by one of the stars of the film, the actor and singer Masaharu Fukuyama.

The gala, which will be broadcast live by TVE and ETB, will be directed for the first time by Patxi Barco (San Sebastian, 1959), a filmmaker with an extensive career in the world of show-business who has worked in film, theatre and television. From 1977-81 he trained at the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona, with Carlo Boso’s Commedia dell’arte, and earned a diploma as a multi-camera operator at the CEV in Madrid. He has worked as a scriptwriter and director on programmes for Basque television, including “Kaixo 87”, “La traka”, “Kaixo 89”, “Bertan Zoro”, and “La bola de cristal” for TVE. As a director he was responsible for programmes like “Ciudadanos” or the comedy series “Jaun ta Jabe”, “Kilker Dema”, “Metropolis” and “Bi eta Bat”. He has directed three short films and three features for the big screen: El final de la Noche (2003), selected for the San Sebastian International Film Festival, and El Cazador de Dragones (2010); he also directed the TV movie: Sabin (2011). As a producer and theatre director, he has produced fourteen plays, including: “Estás ahí”, “El apagón”, “Todo Shakespeare o casi”, “Club de caballeros”, “Cueva de ladrones” and “Por los pelos”. He wrote and directed the shows “Los Golden en blanco y negro” and “Los Golden en serio” and the musicals “Galipotx”, “Karabas” and “Goibel” starring the Golden Apple Quartet. He directed and produced the Gala to celebrate the centenary of the Athletic Club de Bilbao, and was the scriptwriter and director of the “Fun & Serious 2012” Gala at the Campos Elíseos Theatre in Bilbao. He presently directs and writes the shows of the vocal company, Demode Quartet.

Other big names will visit San Sebastian on the first weekend:

Barbara Goenaga and José Coronado will open Gas Natural Fenosa’s Uncut Short Film showcase.

The premiere of Las brujas de Zugarramurdi (Witching and Bitching) will enjoy the presence of its director, Alex de la Iglesia, and Carmen Maura, who will receive the Donostia Award, accompanied by several members of the cast: Mario Casas, Hugo Silva, Javier Botet, Carolina Bang, Santiago Segura, Pepón Nieto and Carlos Areces. All will attend the special screening of the film in the Velodrome.

Roger Michell, director among others of Notting Hill and Enduring Love, will present his new movie in the Official Selection, Le Week-end, along with its stars: Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge, Gangs of New York, winner of an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Iris) and Lindsay Duncan (The Reflecting Skin, Alice in Wonderland). Accompanying them will be the writer Hanif Kureishi, author of The Buddha of Suburbia and Intimacy and of the screenplays for My Beautiful Laundrette and Sammy and Rosie Get Laid. 

Juan José Campanella will open the Festival with his new work Futbolín (Foosball), in the company of Arturo Valls, one of the actors who lend their voices to the characters in this animated film.

Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo
Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo
Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo	Photo: Iñaki Pardo
Photo: Iñaki Pardo	PAULINA GARCÍA   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	JUAN JOSÉ CAMPANELLA   Photo: Montse Castillo	DAVID BYRNE   Photo: Montse Castillo	CESC GAY PUIG, JOSÉ LUIS REBORDINOS   Photo: Iñaki Pardo
CHIN HAN   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	ANNETTE BENING, JOSÉ LUIS REBORDINOS   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	ANNETTE BENING, JOSÉ LUIS REBORDINOS   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	HIROKAZU KORE-EDA   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	TODD HAYNES, JOSÉ LUIS REBORDINOS   Photo: Iñaki Pardo
CHIN HAN   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	BRUNO BETTATI   Photo: Iñigo Ibáñez	ALFONSO ANDRÉS, JAVIER BARAJAS   Photo: Montse Castillo	JOSÉ MARI ARBELAITZ     Photo: Gorka Estrada

OFFICIAL SELECTION AWARDS Mariela Besuievsky, David Byrne, Paulina García, Cesc Gay, Diego Luna, Todd Haynes Photo: Iñaki Pardo	TODD HAYNES   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	TODD HAYNES   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	OLIVER STONE   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	MICHELLE YEOH   Photo: Iñaki Pardo
TERRY GILLIAM   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	TERRY GILLIAM   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	HIROKAZU KORE-EDA   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	HIROKAZU KORE-EDA   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	HIROKAZU KORE-EDA   Photo: Iñaki Pardo
BILL PLYMPTON   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	BRUNO BETTATI   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	PAMELA BIENZOBAS (FIPRESCI)   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	ABDELLATIF KECHICHE   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	ARTURO VALLS, JUAN JOSÉ CAMPANELLA   Photo: Iñaki Pardo
ARTURO VALLS, JUAN JOSÉ CAMPANELLA   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	ANNETTE BENING   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	CAYETANA GUILLÉN CUERVO AND UNAX UGALDE   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	TERRY GILLIAM   Photo: Iñigo Ibáñez	TERRY GILLIAM   Photo: Iñigo Ibáñez
TERRY GILLIAM   Photo: Iñigo Ibáñez	DIEGO QUEMADA-DÍEZ   Photo: Iñigo Ibáñez	DIEGO QUEMADA-DÍEZ   Photo: Iñigo Ibáñez	ARIE POSIN, ANNETTE BENING   Photo: Gorka Bravo	ANNETTE BENING   Photo: Montse Castillo
ANNETTE BENING   Photo: Gorka Bravo	ARIE POSIN, ANNETTE BENING, JOSÉ LUIS REBORDINOS   Photo: Gorka Bravo	ANNETTE BENING   Photo: Montse Castillo	ARIE POSIN, ANNETTE BENING   Photo: Montse Castillo	CESC GAY   Photo: Iñigo Ibáñez
AMAIA MERINO, AITOR MERINO   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	AMAIA MERINO, AITOR MERINO   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	ALEX DE LA IGLESIA   Photo: Gorka Bravo	BILL PLYMPTON   Photo: Montse Castillo	BILL PLYMPTON   Photo: Montse Castillo
BILL PLYMPTON   Photo: Montse Castillo	JAVIER CORCUERA   Photo: Iñigo Ibáñez	JAVIER CORCUERA   Photo: Iñigo Ibáñez	MIGUEL ÁNGEL MUÑOZ   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	OLIVER STONE   Photo: Montse Castillo
OLIVER STONE   Photo: Montse Castillo	OLIVER STONE   Photo: Gorka Bravo	OLIVER STONE   Photo: Gorka Bravo	MICHELLE YEOH   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	DIEGO LUNA, JOSÉ LUIS REBORDINOS   Photo: Iñaki Pardo
DIEGO LUNA, JOSÉ LUIS REBORDINOS   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	MANUEL POLANCO, JUAN JOSÉ CAMPANELLA, ARTURO VALLS   Photo: Montse Castillo	ARTURO VALLS   Photo: Montse Castillo	JUAN JOSÉ CAMPANELLA   Photo: Montse Castillo	JUAN JOSÉ CAMPANELLA   Photo: Montse Castillo
MANUEL POLANCO, JUAN JOSÉ CAMPANELLA, ARTURO VALLS, JORGE ESTRADA   Photo: Montse Castillo	ARTURO VALLS, JUAN JOSÉ CAMPANELLA   Photo: Montse Castillo	JUAN JOSÉ CAMPANELLA, ARTURO VALLS   Photo: Montse Castillo	MARINA STAVENHAGEN   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	JOSÉ LUIS REBORDINOS, JORDI GARCÍA TABERNERO, BARBARA GOENAGA, JOSÉ CORONADO.   Photo: Karlos Corbella
JOSÉ LUIS REBORDINOS, JORDI GARCÍA TABERNERO, BARBARA GOENAGA, JOSÉ CORONADO   Photo: Montse Castillo	JOSÉ CORONADO, BARBARA GOENAGA   Photo: Montse Castillo	JOSÉ CORONADO, BARBARA GOENAGA   Photo: Montse Castillo	JORDI GARCÍA TABERNERO   Photo: Montse Castillo	MARIANA CHENILLO   Photo: Gorka Bravo
JOSÉ CORONADO   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	OSKAR ALEGRIA   Photo: Gorka Estrada	EL CORAZÓN DEL ROBLE   Photo: Karlos Corbella	EL CORAZÓN DEL ROBLE   Photo: Karlos Corbella	PATXI BARCO, CAYETANA GUILLÉN Y UNAX UGALDE   Photo: Iñaki Pardo
DIEGO LUNA (ACTOR)   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	SARA COZAR   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	MARINA STAVENHAGEN   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	KUTXA-NEW DIRECTORS AWARD Karel Och, Sophie Mirouze, Carmen Cobos, Marina Stavenhagen, Oskar Alegria Photo: Gorka Bravo	CAYETANA GUILLÉN CUERVO AND UNAX UGALDE   Photo: Gorka Bravo
ARIE POSIN, ANNETTE BENING   Photo: Gorka Bravo	ANNETTE BENING   Photo: Gorka Bravo	CAYETANA GUILLÉN CUERVO   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	MICHELLE YEOH   Photo: Iñaki Pardo	OLIVER STONE   Photo: Iñaki Pardo
Photo:	MICHELLE YEOH   Photo: Gorka Bravo