2020 marks the comeback of veteran director François Ozon in the Official Competition with his new film Summer of 85. Ozon previously won the festival's prestigious Golden Shell in 2012 for In the House, after which his film The New Girlfriend was selected two years later. On the other hand, Danielle Arbid makes her debut in the competition with her fifth feature, Simple Passion.

Among new faces on the festival scene, Suzanne Lindon continues her tour of the major international festivals (after earning the Cannes 2020 Label and selection at TIFF) for Spring Blossom, which logically features in the San Sebastián Nuev@s Director@s section. In addition, three other esteemed directors feature in various other festival sections: Philippe Garrel (The Salt of Tears), Maïwenn (DNA), and Eugène Green (for the world premiere of Atarrabi et Mikelats).

As is the case each year, French cinema is well represented among the international coproductions in the lineup, with eight films across the festival sections, including news film by Lithuanian director Sharunas Bartas and the Mexican director Michel Franco.

As far as festival guests are concerned, the following artists are expected to attend the event (final list to be confirmed): François Ozon, Félix Lefebvre, Suzanne Lindon, Philippe Garrel, Danielle Arbid, Laetitia Dosch, Camilo Restrepo, and Naïla Guiguet.

All the French films at San Sebastián 2020

Competition

• Simple Passion by Danielle Arbid
• Summer of 85 by François Ozon
• Les Sorcières d’Akelarre by Pablo Agüero (minority-French coproduction)
• In the Dusk by Sharunas Bartas (minority coproduction)
• Beginning by Dea Kulumbegashvili (minority coproduction)

Nuev@s Director@s

• Spring Blossom by Suzanne Lindon
• Memory House by João Paulo Miranda Maria (minority coproduction)

Perlak

• DNA by Maïwenn
• The Father by Florian Zeller (minority coproduction)
• New Order by Michel Franco (minority coproduction)

Horizontes Latinos

• Tragic Jungle by Yulene Olaizola (minority coproduction)

Zabaltegi - Tabakalera

• The Salt of Tears by Philippe Garrel
• Los Conductos by Camilo Restrepo
• Yellow Cat by Adilkhan Yerzhanov (minority coproduction)

Zabaltegi-Tabakalera (short films)

• Perpetual Night by Pedro Peralta
• Dustin by Naïla Guiguet
• I Am Afraid to Forget Your Face by Sameh Alaa

Zinemira

• Atarrabi et Mikelats by Eugène Green
• Nora by Lara Izagirre (minority coproduction)