Lina Irawan
The San Sebastián International Film Festival (SSIFF) has officially announced the launch of the Tanta Award, a new initiative designed to incentivize and bring visibility to cinematic narratives that address the global climate emergency. With a cash prize of 5,000 euros, the award represents a significant step in the festival’s ongoing evolution toward integrating environmental responsibility into its core industry activities. This new accolade will be granted during the upcoming edition of the festival to a project selected from either the Ikusmira Berriak residency program or the Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum. By targeting projects in their nascent stages of development, the festival aims to ensure that sustainability is not merely an afterthought in production but a foundational element of the storytelling process.
The introduction of the Tanta Award is a primary component of the San Sebastián International Film Festival’s comprehensive sustainability strategy. In recent years, the festival—recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) as a "Category A" competitive festival—has sought to mitigate its environmental footprint across all operational levels. This includes logistical changes in the organization of the event, such as waste reduction and energy efficiency, as well as a shift in the thematic content it promotes through its various industry platforms. The word "Tanta," which translates to "drop" in the Basque language, symbolizes the festival’s belief that individual artistic contributions can accumulate to create a significant impact on global environmental consciousness.
Strategic Integration of Environmental Narratives in Industry Platforms
The decision to link the Tanta Award to Ikusmira Berriak and the Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum is a strategic move to influence the future of global cinema. Ikusmira Berriak is a high-profile residency program organized by the San Sebastián International Film Festival in collaboration with Tabakalera-International Centre for Contemporary Culture and the Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola (EQZE). It provides filmmakers with the time, space, and professional mentorship needed to develop their projects. By introducing a climate-focused prize within this framework, the festival encourages emerging directors to consider the ecological implications of their narratives and the practicalities of "green" filmmaking from the very beginning of the creative cycle.
Similarly, the Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum is a vital hub for the international film industry, specifically designed to foster cooperation between European and Latin American producers. Since its inception in 2012, the Forum has become a primary launchpad for films that eventually gain international acclaim. The inclusion of the Tanta Award in this forum highlights the festival’s commitment to supporting Latin American and European co-productions that tackle the climate crisis, an issue that disproportionately affects many regions across the Americas and Southern Europe. The €5,000 prize money serves as both a financial incentive and a seal of quality, potentially attracting further investment and international distribution for the winning project.
The SSIFF Video Library: Facilitating Global Distribution
Parallel to its sustainability efforts, the San Sebastián International Film Festival continues to refine its digital infrastructure to support industry professionals. The festival has opened submissions for its Video Library, a specialized streaming service powered by CinandoVL. This platform is an essential tool for sales agents, distributors, festival programmers, and producers who are accredited to the festival’s industry activities. The Video Library ensures that the films selected for the festival’s various sections—as well as a curated selection of additional titles—remain accessible to key decision-makers for an extended period.
In the upcoming edition, the Video Library will remain operational until October 26, providing a one-month window of access following the festival’s closing ceremony. This extension is crucial for professionals who may not have the time to attend every screening during the busy festival week in Donostia-San Sebastián. By providing a secure, high-quality streaming environment, the festival facilitates the commercial life of the films, helping them secure international sales and slots in other prestigious film festivals around the world.
Eligibility Criteria and Submission Guidelines for Filmmakers
The festival has outlined specific requirements for films wishing to be included in the Video Library. While all films officially selected for any section of the festival are automatically included, the service is also open to Spanish and Latin American feature films that have not been selected for the main program but meet certain criteria. Specifically, the library welcomes Spanish and Latin American productions that have been premiered between October 2025 and September 2026. This timeframe ensures that the library reflects the most current and relevant output from these regions.
Each production company is permitted to register a maximum of three films for the Video Library. To qualify, the films must have a minimum duration of 60 minutes and must be documented as productions from Spain or a Latin American nation. The registration fee is set at 75 euros per feature film for Spanish and Latin American productions. This fee contributes to the maintenance of the digital platform and the administrative costs associated with the industry service. Applications must be processed through the festival’s official website, which serves as the central portal for all industry-related registrations.
Chronology of Sustainability at the San Sebastián Festival
The launch of the Tanta Award is the culmination of several years of progressive environmental policy at the festival. In 2020, amidst the global pandemic, the festival leadership began a rigorous internal audit to assess the event’s carbon footprint. This resulted in the publication of the first sustainability report in 2021, which outlined clear goals for reducing plastic use, optimizing transport, and digitizing printed materials.
In 2022 and 2023, the festival expanded these efforts by introducing "green" clauses in contracts with suppliers and encouraging the use of public transport among attendees. The introduction of the Tanta Award in 2024 marks a transition from operational sustainability to content-driven sustainability. By rewarding narratives that focus on the climate emergency, the festival acknowledges that cinema has a unique power to shape public perception and drive social change. The timeline of these initiatives demonstrates a long-term commitment to becoming a leader in the "Green Film" movement within the international festival circuit.
Economic Impact and Professional Implications
The professional response to the festival’s new initiatives has been largely positive. Industry analysts suggest that the Tanta Award will enhance the festival’s prestige by aligning it with the values of the modern film industry, where environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are becoming increasingly important for public and private funding. For filmmakers, winning or being nominated for a climate-focused award can open doors to specialized grants and environmental film funds that are becoming more prevalent in Europe and North America.
Furthermore, the Video Library’s focus on Spanish and Latin American cinema reinforces San Sebastián’s status as the premier gateway for Ibero-American films into the European market. By lowering the barriers for these films to reach international buyers through a digital platform, the festival provides a tangible economic benefit to regional film industries that may lack the marketing budgets of major Hollywood studios.
Broader Impact on the Global Film Industry
The San Sebastián International Film Festival does not operate in a vacuum. Its shift toward sustainability reflects a broader trend among major European festivals, including the Berlinale and the Cannes Film Festival, which have also introduced various environmental initiatives. However, SSIFF’s specific focus on the co-production stage through the Tanta Award is a unique approach that targets the root of film development.
The climate emergency is a theme that is increasingly permeating contemporary cinema, from documentaries to high-budget fiction. By institutionalizing an award for this subject matter, San Sebastián is helping to define a new genre of "climate-conscious cinema." This move is expected to inspire other festivals to create similar accolades, potentially leading to a standardized global network of awards that recognize environmental storytelling.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
As the San Sebastián International Film Festival approaches its next edition, the dual focus on the Tanta Award and the Video Library highlights its commitment to both the planet and the professional success of the filmmaking community. The Tanta Award provides a much-needed financial and symbolic boost to projects that dare to tackle the most pressing issue of the 21st century. Meanwhile, the Video Library remains a cornerstone of the festival’s industry services, ensuring that the creative output of Spain and Latin America continues to find global audiences in an increasingly digital world.
The festival’s strategy suggests a future where cultural events are judged not only by the quality of the films they screen but also by their ecological integrity and their ability to provide sustainable business models for artists. For the professionals gathering in San Sebastián this September, the message is clear: the festival is a space for innovation, where the urgency of the climate crisis meets the enduring power of the moving image. Through the "drop" that is the Tanta Award, the festival hopes to contribute to a tide of change that will redefine the role of the film industry in a changing world.
admin
Raisa Andriana
Pevita Pearce
Eva Lovia
Julia Chirkova
Julia Prastini