Maialen Beloki will direct the San Sebastián Film Festival starting in 2027, succeeding José Luis Rebordinos

Maialen Beloki (San Sebastián, 1983) will take over as director of the San Sebastián International Film Festival starting in January 2027, after being unanimously appointed by the organization’s Board of Directors at an extraordinary meeting held on Monday the 27th in the Gipuzkoan capital. Her selection is the result of the public call launched on March 4 to replace José Luis Rebordinos, who has held the position since 2011 and will step down on December 31, 2026.

The Board of Directors is composed of the San Sebastián City Council, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, the Basque Government, and Spain’s Ministry of Culture. The selection process was managed by the human resources consultancy Batea.

Beloki has served as deputy director of the festival since 2016, a period during which she has established herself as one of the key figures in its recent evolution. Her work has contributed both to strengthening the festival’s international standing and to expanding its activities beyond its traditional dates.

Among her main contributions is the promotion of the Z365/Year-Round Festival model, a strategy focused on nurturing new talent, film education, and fostering reflection around cinema. This initiative has reinforced the festival’s role as an active cultural agent throughout the entire calendar year.

She holds a degree in Audiovisual Communication from the University of Navarra and a Cum Laude PhD in Film Theory, Analysis and Documentation from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Her career combines cultural management, teaching, and research. She is part of the Academic Board of Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, where she also teaches, and has worked as a lecturer at Mondragon Unibertsitatea.

Throughout her career, she has participated in strategic projects such as Donostia/San Sebastián European Capital of Culture 2016, and has developed a notable career as a speaker and author in the field of cinema. She has also collaborated on various audiovisual sector support programs with institutions such as the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA).