Legendary director Pedro Almodóvar will be honored with the Donostia Award for “extraordinary contributions to cinema” at this year’s San Sebastián Film Festival. This accolade highlights Almodóvar’s profound impact and influence on the film industry.
Almodóvar has a deep connection with San Sebastián, where he premiered his second feature, Pepi, Luci, Bom, in 1980. He returned in 1982 with Labyrinth of Passions, marking his first collaboration with actor Antonio Banderas and cinematographer Ángel Luis Fernández, which established him as a rising talent.
International success followed with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), which won numerous Goya Awards in Spain and earned Almodóvar his first Oscar nomination. This was followed by All About My Mother (1999), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Talk to Her (2002), which garnered two Oscar nominations and won Almodóvar the Best Original Screenplay award.
In addition to his many collaborations with Banderas, Almodóvar is closely associated with Spanish star Penélope Cruz, with whom he worked on films such as Volver (2006), Pain and Glory (2019), and Parallel Mothers (2021). He is celebrated for his pioneering work in LGBTIQ+ storytelling and his distinct visual style marked by vibrant colors.
Almodóvar, who has frequently attended the San Sebastián Film Festival since 1980, expressed his enthusiasm for the event and appreciation for the support of the audience. On September 26, he will receive the Donostia Award from Tilda Swinton, during the screening of his English-language debut, The Room Next Door, which will also premiere at the Venice Film Festival next month.
