Sevillian actresses and sisters Ingrid and Greta García-Jonsson hosted the opening gala.
The French director, Jacques Audiard, alongside the two leading actors, Makita Samba and Jehnny Beth, presented his film Paris, 13th District.
Seville, 05 November 2021 - The opening gala of the 18th edition of the Seville European Film Festival, celebrated every year at the Lope de Vega Theatre, is the starting point of one of the most important film events in Spain. During the ceremony, which was attended by more than 600 guests, the Honorary Award of the Seville Festival was presented to the Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi, one of the most unusual faces on the European audiovisual scene.
This year, the gala was hosted by actresses and sisters Ingrid and Greta García-Jonsson. Both are now recognised performers and represent the generation that has grown up enjoying the best European cinema in the Andalusian capital.
At the beginning of the event, the actress Greta García-Jonsson stressed that "it is important to create new audiences. Because the future of cinema lies in them. And also a part of its present". The Festival's commitment to promoting the presence of young people in cinemas has been consolidated again this year with dedicated sections such as Family Cinema, Europa Junior, and also with projects aimed at classrooms such as Cinephile Window and Young Programmers.
Seville Festival Honorary Award
During the presentation of the Honorary Award at the Seville Festival, Enyedi expressed her gratitude for an award that, she said, allows her to "fly far away". The Hungarian director also assured that what unites her works are "those projects and scripts that I have not yet carried out". In addition, tomorrow, November 6th, at the Lope de Vega Theatre, the public will be able to enjoy her new film The Story of My Wife, starring Gijs Naber, Ulrich Matthes and Léa Seydoux.
The opening gala was attended by many of the stars of the films that will be screened at this 18th edition. Names such as the actors Ken Appledorn and Manu Sánchez; the directors Nicolás Peduzzi, Mounia El Akl, Nadav Lapid, Remedios Malvárez and Arturo Andújar, as well as the producers José Carlos de Isla, Antonio Carreto and Antonio Bonilla, among others. The photocall was also attended by the Sevillian Alberto López López, the actress Lisi Linder and the media chef Daniel del Toro.
Presentation of the jury
During the gala, actresses Ingrid and Greta García-Jonsson introduced the Official Section jury, made up of Ingvar Sigurdsson, Christian Petzold, Cristos Nikou, Cristina Hergueta and María del Puy Alvarado. The latter addressed the audience to thank them for "allowing us to enjoy a selection of incredible films".
To end the event, Jacques Audiard, director of Paris, 13th District, a film screened in the Official Section, together with two of the leading actors, Makita Samba and Jehnny Beth, presented their film, officially welcoming the audience to the Seville Festival. The French filmmaker concluded the event with the following sentence: "And the cinema has arrived".
