Six micro-shorts make up the San Sebastian Festival’s new competitive section, Eusko Label, and will compete for two awards to be decided by a jury chaired by Frédéric Boyer, Artistic Director of the Tribeca, Les Arcs and Reykjavik festivals, alongside Anuska Ezkurra, Head of Communication with the Basque Government Vice-Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Policy and the chef Roberto Ruiz.
A total of 19 works have been submitted for the first edition of the Eusko Label competition, promoted by the Festival and HAZI, a public company belonging to the Basque Government Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment. The aim of the initiative is to spread news of and support local produce through the cinema, as well as to foster and communicate all aspects related to sustainability in the world of agriculture, livestock and fishing.
As requested in the competition rules, all of the works submitted must be made with a mobile phone and have a maximum duration of three minutes. Among the micro-shorts received are stories about local produce and producers and the importance of water in agriculture and livestock farming.
Of the 19 micro-shorts submitted, the Festival has pre-selected six to compete for the two Eusko Label Awards: a first prize of 6,000 euros for the Best Short Film and a second prize of 4,000 euros. A jury made up of Frédéric Boyer, Anuska Ezkurra and Roberto Ruiz will decide the two winning shorts, which will be screened at the Festival and will receive their awards at the closing gala on Saturday 30 September in the Kursaal Auditorium.
The Eusko Label section invites the sending of positive messages related to the contribution made by the land, the sea and the primary sector of the Basque Country to urban society. At the end of the day, the aim is to raise awareness through the cinema on the importance of a living rural and coastal area as the basis of our model of society while acknowledging the role and people of the primary sector and the rural and coastal areas within that model. In other words, the idea would be the following: from the rural to the urban worlds, to highlight the importance and promote the development of a sustainable rural and coastal area that recognises its contribution to economic and socially balanced development.
12 saihets (Short film)
Amaia San Sebastian (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain
Eve and Adam wake up in paradise, but they don’t know what it is. They enjoy, play and eat everything they find, until one day Adam wants something more. Something new, something from far away. It will be Jainkosa who warns him of the danger.
Beste era batzuk (Short film)
Nestor Urbieta Goenaga (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain
Alec is a young fisherman from San Sebastian. His love of the sea has led him to practice spear fishing. The short film shows part of the process involved in this risky type of fishing.
El más buscado (Short film)
Alex Alonso (Spain), Alessandro Meli (Italy), Yaiza Etxaniz (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain
Some gangsters are looking for their victim.
Label Disko (Short film)
Maddi Arzallus (Spain), Jesús Zúñiga (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain
Good food is also fun. If you are Label, you are invited to our party.
Latxa (Short film)
Mikel Urretabizkaia (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain
Karmele Murua, baserritarra (farmer) and latxa sheep cheese maker, explains the work of the shepherds and how they prepare to take part in the most important latxa sheep cheese competition.
Soroborda (Short film)
Paolo Tizón (Peru)
Country(ies) of production: Spain
A manual weather station has been in continuous operation for 63 years. Antxon, the operator, makes daily measurements and understands the importance of water for such central activities in the Basque Country as agriculture and livestock farming.