SanSebastian

The Berlin International Film Festival and San Sebastian International Film Festival sign a collaboration agreement for the section ''Culinary Zinema: Cinema and Gastronomy'', jointly organized by Basque Culinary Center and the San Sebastian Festival.

San Sebastian and its surroundings boast the world's highest concentration of Michelin stars per square metre, all held by Basque chefs enormously well known and appreciated around the planet: Mugaritz (2 Michelin stars and listed third by the British guide The Restaurants), Arzak (3 stars), Martín Berasategui (3 stars), Akelarre (3 stars)... Andoni Luis Aduriz, Juan Mari and Elena Arzak, Martín Berasategui, Pedro Subijana... Here we have some of the best restaurants and chefs in the world.

San Sebastian also has a competitive film festival listed in its top category by the FIAPF, meaning that the Festival was virtually obliged to create a section dedicated to cinema and gastronomy.

At today´s press conference attended by: Dieter Kosslick (Director of the Berlin International Film Festival), Thomas Struck (Head of Culinary Cinema at the Berlin International Film Festival), Joxe Mari Aizega (Director of the Basque Culinary Center), Andoni Luis Aduriz (Chef) and José Luis Rebordinos (Director of San Sebastian International Film Festival) this new section has been announced.

San Sebastian Festival's new section adopts the name of the Berlinale's prestigious "CULINARY CINEMA" section, swapping the C for a Z in a wink of the eye to the Basque translation of the word ‘CINEMA': ZINEMA.

In the words of San Sebastian International Film Festival Director, José Luis Rebordinos, "for years we have admired the work of the Berlinale in this field with its Culinary Cinema section. That's why, now, when we've decided to create our own section on cinema and gastronomy, we've come to the conclusion that the best way to do it is by working together with one of the biggest Festivals in the world, the Berlinale, thus being able to draw on its experience and prestige in both worlds: cinema and cuisine."

The collaboration will include an exchange of information on cinema and cuisine and explore a variety of food-related activities in education, science and agriculture.

San Sebastian's first Culinary Zinema edition will open with the world premiere of MUGARITZ BSO, a documentary by Felipe Ugarte and Juantxo Sardon. Another seven feature films and one short film make up the section.The film screenings will be accompanied by themed dinners.