Talent Day spotlights the new wave of Basque filmmakers

The fourth edition of the Basque Country’s Talent Day (Talentuaren Gunea) reaffirmed its role as a leading platform for emerging filmmakers in the region when it took place in San Sebastian on May 29.

It showcased 11 film student projects to industry professionals to foster connections between emerging regional talents and the local and audiovisual sector. The students pitched their projects to potential producer partners and film festivals and development labs in Spain, who could cherry-pick selected projects to attend their upcoming events. 

The initiative is run by Basque screen promotional organisation Zineuskadi, or Basque Audiovisual, which is backed by the Basque government, the San Sebastian Film Festival, Basque TV (EITB), regional producers’ and exhibitors’ associations and the Basque Film Archive Foundation and EZAE. It is designed to ensure the continuity of the region’s recent talent boom, highlighted by the Golden Shell win at the San Sebastián Film Festival 2025 for Basque filmmaker Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s Sundays.

“The Talent Day has established itself as a key event for the industry in the Basque Country,” says Mar Izquierdo, head of Zineuskadi. “The event is growing at every new edition, with more and more producing companies attending.”

Project highlights

The 11 selected projects were comprised of three features, one TV series and seven short films. Each was pitched to a group of 17 production companies and industry figures based in the Basque Country. They included Sultana Films, Txintxua, Lamia Producciones and Baleuko as well as representatives from Iberseries Platino Industria, Spanish streamer Filmin, Atresmedia Cine and Buendía Estudios Madrid.

Representatives of a selection of leading Spanish festivals and streaming platform Filmin comprised the Talent Day jury. They invited the participants to use the development programmes and pitching events at their various events to further develop their ideas and discover potential production partners.

Yaiza González, Adei Lazarraga and Naroa Zubia’s La Santa Devoción received an invitation to attend the D’A Film Lab in Barcelona next year. Set in a convent where a young rebellious woman is sent, the plot of this feature project mixes hoax celestial visions and LSD. 

Nara Tytgat and Ander Maio’s Batelerak secured the Abycine Lanza Conexiones award and an invitation to take part in the market of the film festival that takes place in Albacete in October. Batelerak is a period drama named after the women who worked in Basque harbours carrying people to shore in the XVIII century.-

Borja de Agüero’s series project Tatami, a social drama set in a small-town gym, was chosen to attend Iberseries & Platino Industria, the showcase for Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese series and features.

The Basque Country Film School in Bilbao granted a mentorship to Ekain Sagarzazu’s Brindis Por Los Perdidos, a feature project that combines elements of a coming-of-age film with that of a road movie, about a young woman in search of her long-lost grandfather.

Additionally, two animated short projects, Lau Maquedano’s Soulmites and Natasha Barreto’s Night Forest, were chosen for mentorships at Weird Animation Video Games and New Media Market in Valencia.

Beyond this year’s edition, Daniel Alegrete’s now-completed short film High River, which participated in Talent Day 2025 at project stage, was chosen for KIMUAK, the Basque Country’s flagship short-film promotion and distribution programme, the annual showcase of the region’s most outstanding short films at festivals and industry events around the world. 

“Industry professionals, film schools and universities insist on the importance of this annual gathering to spot new talents,” adds Ione Feijóo, head of marketing of Zineuskadi. 

Contact: Ione Feijoo, Basque Audiovisual