The San Sebastian Film Festival will honor veteran Spanish producer Esther García with the prestigious Donostia Award for career achievement. This recognition comes as the festival celebrates the 40th anniversary of El Deseo, the production company co-founded by Pedro Almodóvar and his brother, Agustín Almodóvar. García has been a key figure at the company since 1986, contributing significantly to its success.
García’s career spans decades, during which she has held various roles, including secretary, production assistant, and producer. She has been involved in every film directed by Almodóvar since Matador in 1986. Her expansive body of work includes notable titles such as Pim, pam, pum… ¡Fuego! by Pedro Olea, El año de las luces by Fernando Trueba, and Olive Laxe’s upcoming film, Sirat, set to premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
García’s contributions to cinema have not gone unnoticed. She received the National Cinematography Award in San Sebastián in 2018, the Silver Fotogramas in 2019, and has won six Goya Awards, three for her role as production director and three as a producer.
Tribute to Marisa Paredes
The festival also announced that the late actress Marisa Paredes will be commemorated with the official poster for the 2025 festival. Paredes, who passed away last year, was renowned for her collaborations with Almodóvar on films such as Dark Habits (1983) and All About My Mother (1999). Her iconic portrayal of Rita Hayworth in Orson Welles’ classic The Lady from Shanghai was also featured during the festival’s 54th edition.
The director of the San Sebastian Film Festival, José Luis Rebordinos, praised García, stating she is a “producer without whom it is impossible to understand the Spanish and Latin American cinema of the last 40 years.” This statement underscores García’s pivotal role in shaping the landscape of contemporary cinema.
In addition to these highlights, the festival recently added five new titles to its Official Selection, including Couture directed by Alice Winocour, which stars Angelina Jolie, and Franz by Agnieszka Holland, a co-production exploring the life of writer Franz Kafka.
As the festival approaches, the spotlight on García and Paredes serves as a reminder of the profound impact these figures have had on the film industry, particularly within Spanish cinema. The Donostia Award will be presented during the festival, further celebrating García’s remarkable journey and achievements.
