San Sebastian International Film Festival (SSIFF) has announced that Maialen Beloki will replace José Luis Rebordinos as director in 2027.
Rebordinos, who has been in charge of the festival since 2011, previously confirmed that the upcoming edition (September 18-26) will be his last in the post.
Beloki will start in her new role on January 1, 2027. The festival’s executive board – comprised of City Council of San Sebastian, the regional government of Gipuzkoa, the Basque government, and the Spanish ministry of culture – voted unanimously. The formal process to name the successor to Rebordinos began in March.
Born in San Sebastian, Beloki has served as a deputy director of the festival – together with Lucía Olaciregui – since 2016. A doctor in film studies, she has been instrumental in the evolution of SSIFF in recent years, advocating for making the festival a key player in the industry year-round and fostering new talent.
Beloki is also part of the academic board of the San Sebastián-based Elías Querejeta Film School, where she also lectures.
In the press release announcing her confirmation, the festival highlighted the fact that Beloki’s profile combined “a strategic talent, a knowledge of the industry and a commitment to cultural development”.
The decision by the festival’s executive board will allow the current and incoming directors to collaborate on the transition, something Rebordinos had hoped for since he confirmed his intention to leave his post as director.
“My predecessor Mikel Olaciregui did the same for me, and it was great,” he said in an interview with Screen in September.
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