Zinemaldi's 'Culinary Zinema' section set to fire the ovens

The San Sebastian International Film Festival, accompanied by the Basque Culinary Center and in collaboration with the Berlin International Film Festival, on Wednesday announced Zinemaldi''s new section, "CULINARY ZINEMA", and their freshly signed collaboration agreement.

The San Sebastian Festival''s new section adopts the name of the Berlinale''s prestigious "CULINARY CINEMA" section, swapping the C for a Z in a wink of the eye to the Basque translation of the word ''CINEMA'': ZINEMA.

San Sebastian and its surroundings boast the world''s highest concentration of Michelin stars per square metre, all held by Basque chefs enormously well known and appreciated around the planet: Mugaritz (2 Michelin stars and listed third by the British guide The Restaurants), Arzak (3 stars), Martín Berasategui (3 stars), Akelarre (3 stars)... Andoni Luis Aduriz, Juan Mari and Elena Arzak, Pedro Subijana.

In the words of San Sebastian International Film Festival Director, José Luis Rebordinos, "for years we have admired the work of the Berlinale in this field with its Culinary Cinema section. That''s why, now, when we''ve decided to create our own section on cinema and gastronomy, we’ve come to the conclusion that the best way to do it is by working together with one of the biggest Festivals in the world, the Berlinale, thus being able to draw on its experience and prestige in both worlds: cinema and cuisine."

The collaboration will include an exchange of information on cinema and cuisine and explore a variety of food-related activities in education, science and agriculture.

San Sebastian''s first Culinary Zinema edition will open with the world premiere of MUGARITZ BSO, a documentary by Felipe Ugarte and Juantxo Sardon.