The management of the film festival in San Sebastián on 4 September 2026 unveiled key details and an initial guest list for its 74th edition. The Zinemaldia will take place from 18 to 26 September 2026. According to the organisers, 263 films from 47 countries are planned. Those named included Brad Pitt, Penélope Cruz, Jeremy Irons, Rami Malek and Orlando Bloom. Appearances by Marion Cotillard, Ricardo Darín, Lali Espósito, Dolores Fonzi, Vincent Lindon, Noémie Merlant, Mercedes Morán, Lena Olin, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart and Marcelo Subiotto were also announced.
The presentation at the cultural venue Tabakalera outlined the edition’s profile and special sections. According to the festival, Brad Pitt is expected to attend the presentation of Heart of the Beast. For the Donostia Award, the festival’s lifetime achievement honour, Naomi Watts and Werner Herzog were named. The festival management highlighted the programme’s international outlook and emphasised its mix of major premieres and auteur-driven works from Europe and Ibero-America.
The announcement marks the formal start of the final preparations. The festival traditionally brings together cultural and tourism activities for the city of San Sebastián and the province of Gipuzkoa. Alongside competition and gala screenings, industry events, press screenings and themed sections are planned, which typically generate high footfall at the main venues. The figures now confirmed for dates, number of titles and guests of honour are key to accreditation, security plans and coordination with the city authorities.
The dates, scale of the programme and named guests come from the festival’s official announcement and have been reported consistently by Spanish news agencies. Detailed screening schedules, the full line-up for the individual sections and precise premiere times are not yet available. Figures for expected attendance, economic impact or the presence of individual celebrities on particular days should therefore be considered provisional until the final schedules, seating plans and accreditation lists are published. Should there be any last-minute changes, the festival management regularly directs people to its official channels. For audiences, only the complete programme guide, which Zinemaldia publishes as usual shortly before the festival begins, will provide definitive information.
Editor: Celestina Fuentes (Article created with AI assistance).