During the opening ceremony famous Spanish film director Pedro Almadovar handed the Donostia award to his American colleague Woody Allen for the outstanding contribution to world cinematography
Traditionally, 160 leading film critics worldwide presented the FIPRESCI Grand Prix to the representative of Franco-Swiss director Jean Luc Godard for his new film Our Music.
Woody Allen's latest movie Melinda and Melinda was shown after that. The famous director who remains true to his principle not to participate in contests refused to show his new work at the recent film festival in Venice but agreed to present it in San Sebastian out of the contest program. A retrospective of Woody Allen's movies will be presented at the festival.
Another retrospective will feature the laureates of other world film festivals.
David Griyeko's movie Evilenko (Russia) will be shown at the contest of new directors. The festival's organizing committee failed to give more details about this film.
Last year the popular Russian movie "Old Women" shot by Gennady
Sidorov was shown at this contest. In 2002 Valery Todorovsky's Lover won the best script and best photography awards.
Emil Lotyanu's The Gypsy Camp Vanishes into the Blue, Nikita Mikhalkov's An Unfinished Piece for a Player Piano and Georgy Danelia's Autumn Marathon won the Gold Shells in San Sebastian in the 1970s.
