From July 1st to September 1st, submissions are open for the 12th edition of Ikusmira Berriak, the renowned residency and audiovisual project development program organized by the San Sebastián International Film Festival, the Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture, and the Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola (EQZE). The call is open to filmmakers from the Basque Country, the rest of Spain, and abroad, as well as to participants of the Nest section and current EQZE students.
The selected projects — to be announced in January — will take part in a two-phase residency experience. The first stage, a six-week stay between March and April 2026, will take place at Tabakalera in San Sebastián, where the selected filmmakers will begin the development of their films. During this period, they will receive guidance from a committee of experts, participate in multidisciplinary mentoring sessions tailored to their projects, and have access to EQZE’s academic program. The second stage will coincide with the San Sebastián Film Festival in September, when the filmmakers will return to present their more developed projects to professionals from the international film industry.
Between May and September, participants will continue working on their projects with personalized online mentoring and receive financial support in June to help sustain the development process between the two residency periods.
Since its launch in 2015, Ikusmira Berriak has supported 56 audiovisual projects, 24 of which have premiered at major international festivals and 17 of which have received awards. Notable films that emerged from the program include El agua by Elena López Riera, Creatura by Elena Martín, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt by Raven Jackson, and O Corno by Jaione Camborda, which won the Golden Shell at San Sebastián in 2023. Most recently, La misteriosa mirada del flamenco by Diego Céspedes won the Best Film award in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.
Other promising titles currently in development or soon to premiere include Anoche conquisté Tebas by Gabriel Azorín, La hiedra by Ana Cristina Barragán, Estrany riu by Jaume Claret Muxart, and Anekumen by Irati Gorostidi — a testament to the program’s key role as an incubator for contemporary cinema.
In 2024, to mark its tenth anniversary, Ikusmira Berriak launched two special initiatives: the online release of 14 audiovisual diary pieces created by past residents reflecting on their experience, and the preparation of a monographic publication to be launched in September during the Festival. This forthcoming book will compile testimonies, images, and reflections from the filmmakers and professionals who have been part of Ikusmira Berriak’s journey, further cementing its legacy and future projection.
More information on the open call and application process is available on the official Ikusmira Berriak website.
