San Sebastian Film Festival ‘Delighted’ Woody Allen Is Setting His New Movie at the Event
Zack Sharf
Woody Allen is officially gearing up to film his next feature in Spain this July with a cast that includes Christoph Waltz, Gina Gershon, Louis Garrel, and “The Skin I Live In” favorite Elena Anaya. The movie is a comedy-romance about a married American couple traveling to the San Sebastian Film Festival. The event’s director, José Luis Rebordinos, tells IndieWire he is excited Allen has chosen San Sebastian as the setting of his new movie. Allen’s return is controversial given the allegation of sexual assault made against him by his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow.
“We are delighted to have a master of the stature of Woody Allen shooting in San Sebastian and, in addition, that the film takes place at the San Sebastian Film Festival,” Rebordinos said in a statement. “It is a unique occasion for both the city and the Festival.”
Allen has been a regular presence at the San Sebastian Film Festival over the years. The director opened the festival in 2004 with the world premiere of “Melinda and Melinda” and later screened his eventual Oscar winner “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” The director has also received the festival’s greatest honor, the Premio Donostia award. The San Sebastian Film Festival is one of the longest-running international film festivals in the world having been founded in 1952 (this year the festival is celebrating its 67th edition).
Allen’s new movie is filming under the working title “Wasp 2019.” The plot centers around a married couple finding other lovers during their trip to San Sebastian. The wife begins an affair with a French movie director while the husband falls in love with a beautiful Spanish woman who is a San Sebastian local. The film is being described as “a comedy-romance that resolves itself in a funny but romantic way.”
With production on the movie beginning next month, it’s still uncertain how Allen plans to release his previous movie, “A Rainy Day in New York,” in U.S. theaters. The director recently got back U.S. release rights to the movie, which was originally produced by Amazon Studios and then shelved because of Farrow’s allegation. Amazon’s decision resulted in Allen filing a $68 million lawsuit against the studio. Allen self-released a trailer for “Rainy Day” last month. The comedy stars Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Timothée Chalamet, and Jude Law.
