Supporting and Driving Culture
Gonzalo Olabarria. Councillor for Culture and Governance City Council of Bilbao.
I would like to start by expressly thanking the Basque Government, Bizkaia Provincial Government, the Spanish Ministry of Culture’s Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA) for their continued and growing support; and my thanks also goes to all the sponsors and partners that, year after year, make this project possible. Consolidating the opportunity that ZINEBI offers today on the international documentary and short film circuit, and as a highlight of the city’s cultural life, would be far more difficult without that shared backing by the different and varied authorities and partner organisations.
ZINEBI combines – year in, year out – the quality and rigour of its International Competition and its other sections with embracing new outlooks; it draws filmmakers and creatives from very different backgrounds and viewpoints to Bilbao. That influx of talent is not a collateral effect of the festival, but rather defines its rationale: to turn the city, for a few days, into a meeting place for audiences, authors and films that would otherwise not cross paths.
ZINEBI also champions the quality and importance of documentary and short films as fully-fledged genres in their own right. Much of the creative freedom of contemporary films is at stake in both; and documentaries, in particular, fulfils a role that no other format replaces: that of being a privileged witness of our time, able to record and resonate with us about our shared reality.
ZINEBI’s doyen status is not just a matter of longevity: it is proof that continued institutional support can serve voices that are often ignored or silenced. ZINEBI is, in that sense, a festival with an independent spirit that champions free creation, and that character is, precisely, what its backers are committed to supporting.
ZINEBI is structured and has evolved as a festival, and, contributes to the construction of the city. Its efforts are thus focused on forging shared connections and alliances, both with the audiovisual sector and with different academic and cultural entities. This two-pronged approach – towards the industry and towards the sphere of thought and training – expands the base underpinning the festival’s project and bolsters its role as a meeting place for creation, industry, knowledge and a diverse, informed and mature citizenship. I would like to invite everyone to join in and to continue being part of ZINEBI 68.
