Yesim Ustaoglu – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

WHAT REMAINS (SSIFF 2026) – Review by Jennifer Green

September 21, 2026September 23, 2026 Jennifer Green Ali Kayra Kul, Artakalan, Metin Akdulger, Oyku Karayel, San Sebastian International Film Festival, SSIFF 2026, turkish films, What Remains, Yesim Ustaoglu

Oyku Karayel and Metin Akdulger star as couple Elif and Mehmet. Elif is a poet who has lost her voice. It’s not until she leaves her home and responsibilities and sets out on the open road alone that she begins to feel like herself again. Along that road, she encounters a trio of women, each of whom helps her heal physically, emotionally and spiritually. She winds up at her grandparents’ mountain village, where she reconnects with her own heritage and also nature. Mehmet, meanwhile, has to bury the weight of past trauma with his own village return to care for his dying father.

Festivals

San Sebastian Interntional Film Festival 2026 (SSIFF 2026) Overview – Jennifer Green reports

September 17, 2026September 18, 2026 Jennifer Green amanda kernell, Fatih Akin, jesse eisenberg, José Luis Rebordinos, Maha Harada, Maialen Beloki, mike leigh, Naomi Watts, Nicole Garcia, pablo larrain, RTVE-Otra Mirada Award, San Sebastian International Film Festival, SSIFF2026, werner herzog, Yesim Ustaoglu

San Sebastián International Film Festival kicks off in Spain (Sept 18-26), inaugurating its 74th annual edition in the northern Spanish city, with 263 films from 47 countries screening across its line-up. The Official Selection features 17 films making their world premieres outside their production territories and competing for the fest’s top Golden Shell prize, including new works from directors Jesse Eisenberg, Mike Leigh, Fatih Akin, Nicole Garcia, Pablo Larrain and more.

Festivals

San Sebastian Interntional Film Festival 2026 (SSIFF 2026) Gender Report – Jennifer Green reports

September 17, 2026September 17, 2026 Jennifer Green amanda kernell, Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media (CIMA), Fatih Akin, gender parity, Golden Shell award, José Luis Rebordinos, Maha Harada, Maialen Beloki, Nicole Garcia, RTVE-Otra Mirada Award, San Sebastian International Film Festival, SSIFF 2026, Yesim Ustaoglu

Former festival deputy director Maialen Beloki was selected last spring as the San Sebastian International Festival’s new director starting with next year’s 75th edition, replacing the long-serving José Luis Rebordinos. She will be the festival’s first female director and is set to lead an executive team currently made up of mostly women. The festival also announced this year that it will honor a female producer of one of the eight films screening in three key competitive sections with its RTVE-Otra Mirada Award. The prize, which has traditionally focused on films about women, will now recognize “the key role of female producers as the essential cog of audiovisual creation.”