Dunia Ayaso Award Spotlights Gender in Cinema at San Sebastian, Spain
The San Sebastian Film Festival, in collaboration with the SGAE Foundation, has announced the nominees for the Dunia Ayaso 2024 Award, a prestigious accolade that recognizes outstanding contributions to gender perspective in cinema. Six directors—four women and two men—have been shortlisted for this year's honor, which comes with a prize of 5,000 euros.
The nominees for the 2024 award are Antonio Chavarrías for "La abadesa" (Holy Mother), Andrea Jaurrieta for "Nina", Sonia Méndez for "As Neves", Pilar Palomero for "Los destellos" (Glimmers), Celia Rico for "Los pequeños amores" (Little Loves), and Chema Rodríguez for "Orgullo vieja".
Five of the nominated films have been selected from the non-competitive Made in Spain section, which is co-organized by the SGAE Foundation. The exception is "Los destellos" by Pilar Palomero, which features in the festival's Official Selection.
Now in its eighth year, the Dunia Ayaso Award pays tribute to the late Canary Islands filmmaker Dunia Ayaso, who passed away in 2014. The award aims to honor directors whose recent feature films not only demonstrate exceptional cinematic value but also effectively portray the gender perspective through prominent female characters or by depicting women's societal situations. The award specifically seeks to recognize films that transcend stereotypes and clichés often distorting the reality of women, their potential, and their historical memory.
The winner will be announced on Friday, September 27th, 2024, at 16:30 at the Kursaal Press Club. A jury chaired by Elena Martín Gimeno, last year's winner for her film "Creatura", will select this year's recipient. The jury also includes Guadalupe Balaguer, producer and president of the Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media (CIMA), and filmmaker María Ripoll.
The nominated films span a wide range of themes and styles. "Los destellos" by Pilar Palomero explores the rekindling of a relationship between ex-spouses. Sonia Méndez's "As Neves" is set in a Galician mountain village and revolves around the disappearance of a teenager. Antonio Chavarrías presents a historical drama in "La abadesa", focusing on a young abbess in the 9th century. Celia Rico's "Los pequeños amores" delves into a mother-daughter relationship during a summer. Andrea Jaurrieta's "Nina" tells a story of revenge and self-discovery. Chema Rodríguez's "Orgullo vieja" documents a group of older women creating a monologue show.
Previous winners of the Dunia Ayaso Award include Carla Simón for "Verano 1993" (2017), Arantxa Echevarría for "Carmen y Lola" (2018), Belén Funes for "La hija de un ladrón" (2019), Pilar Palomero for "Las niñas" (2020), Ainhoa Rodríguez for "Destello Bravío" (2021), and Rocío Mesa for "Secaderos" (2022).
The Dunia Ayaso Award continues to play a crucial role in promoting and recognizing films that contribute to a more nuanced and authentic representation of women in cinema. As the San Sebastian Film Festival approaches, anticipation builds for the announcement of this year's winner, who will join the ranks of esteemed filmmakers dedicated to advancing gender perspective in the art of filmmaking.