ZINEBI will showcase 132 films from 44 countries in its 66th edition

• The International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao, commencing on 8 November at the Arriaga Theatre, will present the American filmmaker Laura Poitras and the director of photography José Luis Alcaine with the Mikeldi de Honor.
• The Official Selection will comprise 60 films, comprising 9 feature films and 51 short films. Of these, 59 will be presented for the first time in Bilbao. The first nine works have been programmed, one of which, 'Itoiz udako sesioak', will be a world premiere shared with the Gijón Festival. The latest works by Tamara García, Iratxe Fresneda and Andrés Jurado will be on display.
• The Beautiful Docs section will host the film that won the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian Festival, Tardes de Soledad, which will be presented by its director, Albert Serra. The latest works by Elena López Riera, Dora García, Pello Gutiérrez, Alejandro Alvarado and Concha Barquero will also be on show.
• ZINEBI is pleased to present the restored version of Tasio by Montxo Armendariz, which will be accompanied by the screening of the director's short film Carboneros de Navarra. Furthermore, the 40th anniversary of the film La muerte de Mikel, directed by Imanol Uribe, will be marked.

The 66th ZINEBI – International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao, organised by the Bilbao City Council, will commence on Friday 8 November with the opening gala, to be held at the Arriaga Theatre from 19:30. The Festival will run until 15 November, when the closing ceremony and awards ceremony will take place. For the third time, both galas will be directed by La Dramática Errante, comprising Ane Pikaza and María Goiricelaya.

The full programme for ZINEBI 66 was presented this morning at the Bilbao City Council in a press conference attended by Gonzalo Olabarria, Councillor for Culture and Governance at the Bilbao City Council, and Joseba Lopezortega, Director of ZINEBI.

The 66th ZINEBI will host 132 films from 44 countries, of which 103 are short films (with a maximum duration of 30 minutes), 3 are medium-length films (between 30 and 60 minutes) and 26 are feature films (lasting more than 60 minutes). A total of 132 films were directed by 75 female and 74 male directors. Over half of the films presented are state premieres, with over half of these being directed by women. Furthermore, 59 films are of Basque production. The total number of films is 59, comprising 51 short films, one medium-length film and seven feature films.

As in previous editions, the screenings are divided into two distinct sections: the Official Selection, along with other scheduled screenings.

The first section, the OFFICIAL SECTION, comprises the International Short Film Competition and the ZIFF - ZINEBI First Film International Competition, which is dedicated to first feature films by new directors.

The second section, OTHER PROJECTIONS, includes the Beautiful Docs - Panorama of World Documentaries section, which offers a non-competitive showcase of the latest developments in the international documentary scene. The Bertoko Begiradak - Views from the Basque Country section features short and feature-length films produced in the Basque Country, with the aim of recognising the work of Basque production companies, filmmakers and professionals from the Basque audiovisual industry. In addition, the section includes other special sessions.

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