{{Short description|Spanish film festival held in Bilbao}} {{Infobox film festival | name =Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Film - ZINEBI | image = | image_size = | caption = | number = | awards = | location = Bilbao, Spain | founded = {{start date and age|1959|df=yes}} | directors = Joseba Lopezortega Aguirre (current),<br>Ernesto del Río (2000-2017),<br>Vanesa Fernández Guerra (2018-2023) | website = {{URL|http://zinebi.eus/web/en/}} |host=Arriaga Theatre}}
[[File:Casco viejo de Bilbao (1).jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|Arriaga Theatre (Bilbao)]]
The '''Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Film''', '''ZINEBI''', is an international film festival that it is held annually in Bilbao since 1959. It is dedicated to documentary, animations and other short film forms.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-10 |title=Zinebi-Festival internacional de cine y documental y cortometraje de Bilbao inaugura su 65ª edición |url=https://www.europapress.es/euskadi/noticia-zinebi-festival-internacional-cine-documental-cortometraje-bilbao-inaugura-65-edicion-20231110214933.html |access-date=2024-05-11 |publisher=Europa Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-22 |title=Zinebi cierra su 61ª edición con 13 700 asistentes |url=https://www.eitb.eus/es/cultura/cine/detalle/6837442/el-festival-cine-zinebi-cierra-su-61a-edicion-13-700-asistentes/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=EITB |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Belategui |first=Oskar |date=2023-10-23 |title=Zinebi acerca el cine más inquieto |url=https://www.elcorreo.com/culturas/zinebi-acerca-cine-inquieto-20231023162721-nt.html |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=El Correo |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-17 |title=Películas de Singapur y sobre la guerra de Ucrania ganan el festival Zinebi |url=https://www.eitb.eus/es/cultura/detalle/9358342/peliculas-de-singapur-y-sobre-guerra-de-ucrania-ganan-festival-zinebi/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=EITB |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Martín |first=José Luis |date=2024-03-26 |title=Zinebi comienza a recibir películas para su 66ª edición |url=https://www.cope.es/emisoras/pais-vasco/vizcaya/bilbao/noticias/zinebi-comienza-recibir-peliculas-para-edicion-20240326_3208229 |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=COPE |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SEVEN BASQUE SHORT FILMS TO COMPETE IN THE OFFICIAL SECTION AT THE 65th ZINEBI FESTIVAL – ZINEBI |url=https://zinebi.eus/en/news/siete-cortometrajes-vascos-compiten-en-la-seccion-oficial-de-la-65a-edicion-de-zinebi/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=zinebi.eus}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Zinebi - Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Film - festivals |url=https://filmitalia.org/en/festival/31104/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=Filmitalia |language=en}}</ref>
It is the only Class-A international documentary festival recognised by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) in Spain.<ref name=zinebi-imdb>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000099/overview/|title=Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Films |publisher=IMDb|access-date=28 May 2020}}</ref>
It has also been accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifier for the Oscars and also it is a qualifier for the BAFTAs awarded by the British cinema industry and for the Goya Awards awarded by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain.<ref name="zinebi-history">{{cite web|url=http://zinebi.eus/web/en/festival/history-of-the-festival/|title=History of the Festival|publisher=Zinebi|access-date=28 May 2020|archive-date=15 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215032023/http://zinebi.eus/web/en/festival/history-of-the-festival/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Organised by the Arriaga Theatre, the festival has currently institutional financing and sponsorship from Bilbao City Council.<ref name=zinebi-history/>
== History ==
The festival was established in 1959 by the Basque Institute of Hispanic Culture.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://zinebi.eus/en/festival/history-of-the-festival/ | title =ZINEBI – International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao | publisher =Zinebi | access-date =2024-12-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.cineytele.com/2019/10/29/vanesa-fernandez-guerra-zinebi-la-consolidacion-de-nuevos-publicos-es-una-condicion-sine-qua-non-para-la-supervivencia-de-los-festivales/ | title =Vanesa Fernández Guerra (ZINEBI): The consolidation of new audiences is a sine qua non condition for the survival of festivals | date =2019-10-29 | publisher = Cine Tele | access-date =2024-12-23}}</ref><ref name="zinebi-history"/> The third oldest festival in Spain (after San Sebastian and Valladolid),<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.academiadecine.com/2018/11/07/60-zinebi/ | title =The Bilbao International Film and Short Film Festival (ZINEBI) celebrates its 60th anniversary from 9 to 16 November | date = | publisher = Academia de Cine | access-date =2024-12-23}}</ref> it was initially dedicated solely to documentary films. In the 1960s the festival expanded its program and included short films and animation.<ref name=audio451>{{cite web | url =https://www.audiovisual451.com/ernesto-del-rio-director-de-zinebi-57-un-festival-debe-ser-eclectico/ | title =Ernesto del Rio, director of Zinebi 57: A film festival must be eclectic | date =2015-10-05 | publisher = Audiovisual 451 | access-date =2024-12-23}}</ref> In 1974, Zinebi was appointed A class by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF).<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.azkunazentroa.eus/en/activity/63rd-zinebi-bilbao-international-festival-of-documentary-and-short-film/ | title =63RD ZINEBI. BILBAO INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF DOCUMENTARY AND SHORT FILM | date = | publisher = Azkuna Zentroa Alhondiga Bilbao | access-date =2024-12-23}}</ref><ref name=zinebi-imdb/>
By 2015, annually the management team received more than 5000 titles to review.<ref name=audio451/>
Luis Iturri directed the festival in 1989–1999, succeeded by Ernesto del Río (2000–17).<ref>{{cite web | url =https://bilbaokultura.eus/es/vanesa-fernandez-guerra-doctora-en-comunicacion-audiovisual-y-profesora-de-la-upvehu-sucedera-a-ernesto-del-rio-en-la-direccion-del-festival-internacional-de-cine-docu/ | title =VANESA FERNÁNDEZ GUERRA, DOCTORY IN AUDIOVISUAL COMMUNICATION AND PROFESORA OF THE UPV/EHU, SUCEDE will be ERNESTO OF R&O IN THE DACTION OF INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF DOCUMENTAL CINE AND BILBAO CORTOMETRAJE | date =2017-07-12 | publisher =Bilbao Kultura | access-date =2024-12-23 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.eitb.eus/es/radio/radio-euskadi/programas/iflandia/detalle/5193752/charlamos-ernesto-rio-deja-direccion-zinebi-este-ano/ | title ='To close Zinebi's programming we see about 3,500 movies each year' | date =2017-11-07 | publisher =EITB Eus | access-date =2025-01-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url =https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-17324-1_9 | title =Adapting to New Times: An Interview with Ernesto del Río, Director of the Zinebi International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Bilbao (2000–2017) | date =2020-05-29 | publisher = Documentary Film Festivals Vol. 2 | access-date =2025-01-08}}</ref> In 2017, after 18 years in this post, del Río stepped down as the head of the festival, Vanesa Fernández Guerra was appointed in his place.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.cineytele.com/2018/05/09/zinebi-cumple-60-anos-con-vanesa-fernandez-guerra-como-directora/ | title =ZINEBI turns 60 with Vanesa Fernández Guerra as director | date =2018-05-09 | publisher = Cine Tele | access-date =2024-12-23}}</ref>
In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival took place online via the Filmin platform.<ref name=cineuropa20211110/>
In 2023, Vanesa Fernández Guerra stepped down as the head of the festival and was succeeded by Joseba Lopezortega Aguirre.<ref name=cine20221121/>
== Profile ==
=== Sections === ''ZIFF Zinebi International Competition for First Films'' is the section for feature debuts.<ref name=cineuropa24/>
''Honorary Mikeldi Awards'' was established to recognize lifetime career achievements of distinguished international directors.<ref name=cineuropa24/>
''Beautiful Docs. Panorama of World Documentaries'' – a non-competitive section, established in 2013,<ref name=64edition/> is dedicated to the most relevant contemporary features.<ref name=cineuropa20211110>{{cite web | url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/413372/#cm | title =Zinebi celebrates its 63rd edition, opting for a hybrid version once again | last =Olmo | first =Julia | date =2021-11-10 | publisher = Cineuropa | access-date =2024-12-23}}</ref><ref name=cineuropa24/>
''Bertoko Begiradak – Views From the Basque Country'' – is a section for feature films from a recent production.<ref name=cineuropa24/>
The ''Zinebi Networking industry'' section was established to encourage emerging creative talents and aid the development of audiovisual productions in the Basque country, it hosts pitching sessions as well as meetings with established filmmakers, masterclasses etc.<ref name=cineuropa24/> The industry jury selects two projects in National (launched in 2022) and Basque competitions, both get a €15,000 cash prize.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/470093/ | title =REPORT: Zinebi Networking Pitching @ Zinebi 2024 | last =Boas | first =Matthew | date =2024-11-14 | publisher = Cineuropa | access-date =2024-12-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/469724/ | title =Zinebi Networking: Dokumentalen Sorgunea confirms its programme and line-up of project pitches | last =Lemercier | first =Fabien | date =2024-05-17 | publisher = Cineuropa | access-date =2024-12-21}}</ref>
== Editions ==
=== 2022 ===
The 64th edition of the festival took place 11–18 November 2022. In featured a line-up of more than 147 films from 47 countries, more than half of which made by female directors.<ref name=64edition>{{cite web | url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/433184/ | title =Zinebi gears up for its 64th edition | last =Boas | first =Matthew | date =2022-11-08 | publisher = Cineuropa | access-date =2024-12-23}}</ref> Albert Serra and Agnieszka Holland were awarded Honorary Mikeldi prizes. ''Anhell69'' by Theo Montoya won the Zinebi First Film award.<ref name=cine20221121>{{cite web | url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/434961/ | title =Anhell69 and All My Scars Vanish in the Wind emerge victorious at Zinebi | last =Boas | first =Matthew | date =2022-11-21 | publisher = Cineuropa | access-date =2024-12-21}}</ref>
=== 2023 ===
The 65th edition went from 10 to 17 November 2023.<ref name=cine20221121/> Frederick Wiseman, Rita Azevedo Gomes, and Félix Linares were awarded with Honorary Mikeldi prizes. The edition featured a retrospective of Iván Zulueta's films.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/452447/ | title =The 65th Zinebi revs its engines | last =Boas | first =Matthew | date =2023-11-09 | publisher = Cineuropa | access-date =2024-12-23}}</ref>
=== 2024 ===
The 66th edition of the festival took place on 8–15 November 2024, and featured a line-up of 132 films from 44 countries. The festival hosted 59 Spanish premieres.<ref name=cineuropa24>{{cite web | url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/469170/ | title =The 66th Zinebi unveils its line-up | last =Boas | first =Matthew | date =2024-10-24 | publisher = Cineuropa | access-date =2024-12-21}}</ref> The main award, Zinebi First Film, went to a Chilean-Argentinian-French feature ''An Oscillating Shadow'' by Celeste Rojas Mugica; My Stolen Planet by Farahnaz Sharifi won the ZIFF Youth Jury Prize; Special Jury Mention – ''Rising Up at Night'' by Nelson Makengo. The Eggregores’ Theory by Andrea Gatopoulos won the Zinebi Grand Prize in shorts and was selected as Zinebi's candidate for the 2025 European Film Awards.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/470239/ | title =An Oscillating Shadow and The Eggregores' Theory come out on top at Zinebi | last =Boas | first =Matthew | date =2024-11-18 | publisher = Cineuropa | access-date =2024-12-21}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://zinebi.eus/en/ Official website]
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Category:Documentary film festivals in Spain Category:Short film festivals in Spain Category:Tourist attractions in Bilbao Category:1959 establishments in Spain Category:Annual events in Spain