Pedro Almodóvar will receive a Donostia Award at the 72nd edition of the San Sebastian Film FestivalThe director, screenwriter and producer from La Mancha will receive a Donostia Award at the 72nd edition of the San Sebastian Film Festival on Thursday 26 September, his second this year, after the one announced for actress Cate Blanchet.
The presentation of the honorary award, which recognizes the extraordinary contribution of the honoree to the world of cinema, will take place in the Kursaal Auditorium prior to the screening of his latest film, The room next doorhis first English-language feature film, starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, which will compete for the Golden Lion at the upcoming Venice Film Festival. It will be Swinton who will present him with the award on stage..
Pedro Almodóvar’s career, which includes more than a dozen short films, some of great international projection such as The human voice (2020), premiered at the Venice Film Festival, or Strange way of life (2023), presented at Cannes, and almost thirty feature films, is backed by more than 170 awards and more than 200 nominations.
His accolades include two Oscars, two Golden Globes, seven European Film Academy Awards, five Baftas, four Cesars, five Goyas and two David di Donatellos. He has been awarded at the Cannes, Berlin, Venice and San Sebastian film festivals, and has been honoured at the MoMA.
He has also received awards such as the Jean Renoir Prize, has been chosen for the David Lean Lecture and named doctor honoris causa at Harvard and Oxford, and has been awarded the Gold Medal of Fine Arts of the United States, the Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts of Spain, the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts and the Order of Knight of the French Legion of Honor.
The San Sebastian Festival has highlighted that, in addition to “his artistic talent and his recognizable visual style – his personality is evident from the art direction to the soundtrack -“Almodóvar’s films stand out for “the writing of female characters, the acting direction, the audacity in approaching topics such as the LGTBIQ+ universe, religion, sex, addictions or historical memory, and his political commitment, which has led him to publicly position himself against war conflicts or the discourses of the extreme right.”
Almodóvar’s words
“My career began in San Sebastian in 1980 [aquel año, presentó en el festival donostiarra Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón] And since then, with or without a film, I have returned to the festival many times. And I have always enjoyed it very much. I have given the Donostia Award to Al Pacino, Woody Allen and Antonio Banderas. This year it is my turn to win, which fills me with joy and gratitude. It is truly an honor.“, Almodóvar said.
He also pointed out that San Sebastian “It is one of the cities where cinema is celebrated with the greatest enthusiasm”“More than ever, at this time, we need the complicity of the spectators, and their presence in the theatres. It is a dream to attend a festival like this, where the cinemas are always full,” he stressed.
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