Basque Film Makers Honored
Basque film makers Asier Altuna (left) and Telmo Esnal (right) were honored with the Zinemira Saria this past September 23rd, 2025, at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in recognition of their important contributions to Basque cinema. The Zinemira Award is an honorary accolade given by the San Sebastián International Film Festival and the EPE-IBAIA producers association in recognition of an important and significant career in the world of Basque cinema.
Altuna and Esnal started their film making careers together as directors with the short films Txotx (1997) and 40 ezetz (1999). In 2005 they made their feature film debut, jointly directing the landmark film Aupa Etxebeste! whose 20th anniversary coincides this year with presentation of the Zinemira Award. The film became a watershed moment for Basque-language cinema, as its success brought visibility and legitimacy to productions made in Euskera (Basque language). Since then, Basque production has gained in strength and enjoys continuity, both in the San Sebastián International Film Festival’s Official Selection and other sections and in the commercial circuit. This year (2025) the San Sebastián International Film Festival has the largest number of Basque cinema titles, a total of 38 works that will be screened in more than a dozen sections of the Film Festival.
Asier Altuna has presented his films at the Basque Cultural Center on two occasions. In 2012 (September 14th) Asier presented his film BERTSOLARI, a journey through improvised poetry, silence, and art laid bare. In 2016 the Basque Cultural Center along with Txintxua Films organized a Basque Film Tour featuring Asier Altuna and his film Amama. The Basque Cultural Center is again partnering with Txintxua Films with a Basque Film Tour in early January (2026) featuring Asier Altuna with his latest film KARMELE, which premiered on September 21st, 2025, at San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Telmo Esnal also presented his film, Dantza, as part of the Basque Film Tour in 2019, which the Basque Cultural Center organized with Txintxa Films.
Telmo Esnal (left - Zarautz, 1966) and Asier Altuna (right - Bergara, 1969) started out on their film career together with the short films Txotx (1997) and 40 ezetz (1999). In 2005 they made their feature film debut, jointly directing Aupa Etxebeste! (New Directors, 2005), whose 20th anniversary coincides this year with presentation of the Zinemira Award. That comedy earned the tandem from Gipuzkoa the Youth Award at the San Sebastián Festival, as well as a nomination for Best New Director at the Goya Awards. The work became a landmark with respect to films made in the Basque language, given that its success lent visibility and legitimacy to productions made in Euskera. Since then, Basque production has gained in strength and enjoys continuity, both in the San Sebastián Festival’s Official Selection and other sections and in the commercial circuit. Esnal and Altuna have subsequently gone on to collaborate in other films: Iraila, a segment of the omnibus feature film Kalebegiak (Velodrome, 2016), and on the sequel of their debut, Agur, Etxebeste! (Basque Cinema Gala, 2019).
Solo, Esnal has directed Urte berri on, amona! (New Directors, 2011), a comedy; Dantza (Official Selection, Special Screenings, out of competition 2018), a poetical portrait of Basque society seen through traditional dance; Urtzen (Zinemira, 2020), a reflection on existence, and the documentary series Dantza urratsak.
Altuna, for his part, has directed Bertsolari (Official Selection out of competition, 2011), a journey through improvised verse; Amama (Official selection, 2015), a fictional tale reflecting the conflict between two manners of understanding life; the winner of the Irizar Award ARZAK since 1897 (Culinary Zinema, 2020), addressing the evolution of Basque gastronomy, and Hondalea: abismo marino / Hondalea: Marine Abyss (Basque Cinema Gala, 2021), which explores the work of the sculptor Cristina Iglesias. At this edition, Altuna also participates in the Festival with presentation of the feature film Karmele in the Official Selection Special Screenings out of competition.
Esnal and Altuna also directed the EITB series Brinkola (2009) and have, throughout their career and either together or alone, put their names to a good number of short films, many of them included in the Kimuak catalogue: Topeka (2004), Sarean (2005),Taxi? (2007), Setioa (2007), Amona putz! (2009), Artalde (2011), Hamaiketakoa (2012), Zela trovke (Cortando hierba, 2013) and Soroa (2014).
