“It Fills Me With Pride”: How the Basque Country Is Nurturing Its Next Generation of Filmmakers

A total of 31 projects with Basque production ties are hitting this year's San Sebastián Film Festival — and some of those creatives are only just getting started: "We are in a great moment compared to 20 years ago." First-time filmmakers Nitya López Saitua and Javier Giner talk to THR in San Sebastian about putting Basque stories on a global stage. A total of 31 projects with Basque production ties are hitting this year's San Sebastián Film Festival — and some of those creatives are only just getting started: "We are in a great moment compared to 20 years ago." It’s no longer a secret that Basque cinema is getting some overdue time in the spotlight.

Thanks to an almighty production boom in the region, powered by a whopping 60 percent tax rebate (increasing to 70 percent for projects shot in the Basque language, Euskera), the Basque Country’s film and TV output has never looked so healthy. And the proof is in the pudding: The Hollywood Reporter took an in-depth look at the record 45 nominations for Basque projects at this year’s Goyas, also known as “the Spanish Oscars,” after a decade of concentrated investment. With San Sebastián’s profile rising exponentially every September, the people working behind the scenes to make sure Basque cinema is capitalizing on every single success