The world premiere of 'Rifkin's Festival', Woody Allen's new film, will open the San Sebastian Festival
The feature film, produced by The Mediapro Studio, Gravier Productions and Wildside, was shot last summer in San Sebastián and other towns in Gipuzkoa, according to the San Sebastian film competition.
The film tells the story of an American couple who attend the San Sebastian Festival and "fall in love with the festival, with the beauty and charm of the city and with the fantasy of the world of cinema." She has an affair with a French film director and he falls in love with a Spanish woman who lives in the city.
This romantic comedy, written and directed by Woody Allen, features in its cast Elena Anaya -'Wonder Woman', 'The Skin I Live In'-, Louis Garrel -'J'accuse' (The Officer and the Spy) , 'L'homme fidèle' (A faithful man)-, Gina Gershon -'The Insider' (The Dilemma)-, Sergi López -'A Perfect Day' (A perfect day), 'Pan's Labyrinth'-, Wallace Shawn -'Radio Days' (Radio Days), 'Princess Bride' (The Princess Bride), 'Marriage Story' (Story of a marriage)-, and Christoph Waltz -'Spetcre', 'Django Unchained' (Django Unchained) , 'Inglourious Basterds' (Inglourious Basterds), films for which he has won two Oscars-.
SECOND TIME
This is the second time that Allen has opened the San Sebastian Festival, after opening in 2004 with 'Melinda and Melinda'. That year Zinemaldia awarded him the Donostia Award and dedicated a retrospective to his work, 'Meeting Woody Allen'.
The relationship with the New York filmmaker dates back to the late 1970s, when films like 'Manhattan' (1979), 'Zelig' (1983) or 'Manhattan Murder Mystery' (1993) were shown both in the Official Section out of competition as well as in parallel sections.
In 1995 the newborn Zabaltegi opened with 'The Purple Rose of Cairo'. In recent years, several of his films have been programmed at Perlak: 'Match Point' (2005), 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' (2008, with whom he revisited the Festival, accompanied by Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz), ' Whatever Works' (If the thing works, 2009) and 'Irrational Man' (2015).
Rifkin's Festival is the fourth collaboration between Mediapro and the director and screenwriter after the Spanish company produced Midnight in Paris (2011), You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (You will meet the man of your dreams, 2010) and Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), films that won two Oscars, among many other recognitions and awards. The film will be distributed in Spain by TriPictures, and The Mediapro Studio Distribution will handle international sales.
