French films are well represented in the festival's two competitive sections, the first devoted to established directors and the other to debut features.

Actors and directors from all the French films selected are present at the event: Emmanuelle Béart, Anne Fontaine, Benoît Poelvoorde, Bertrand Tavernier, Laurent Cantet, Julie Depardieu, and Dominique Blanc.

2005 San Sebastián International Film Festival selection:

Official Competition

Jury: Angelica Huston (President), Véronica Forque, Enrico Loverso, Claude Miller, Lorre Scherfig, Antonio Skarmeta, and Dean Tavoularis.

- "Je ne suis pas là pour être aimé" by Stéphane Brizé
- "Entre ses mains" by Anne Fontaine
- "Sud Express" by Chema de la Pena and Gabriel Velasquez (Spain/France)

Section Zabaltegi – New Directors (Competition)

Jury: Vincenzo Bugno, Mariam Fernandez Pascal, Paco Hoyos, Orlando Mora, Jérôme Paillard, Mélanie Tebb, and Jan Vandierendenck.

- "Sauf le respect que je vous dois" ("Burnt Out") by Fabienne Godet
- "Alex" by José Alcala

Zabaltegi Special – Pearls (Out of competition)

- "L'Enfer" by Danis Tanovic/Vertigo
- "Holy Lola" by Bertrand Tavernier/Vertigo
- "Vers le sud" ("Heading South") by Laurent Cantet
- "A Letter of Fire" by Asoka Handagama (Sri Lanka/France)
- "Paradise Now" by Hany Abu-Assad (Holland/Germany/France)

Horizontes Section

- "Gémeaux" ("Geminis") by Albertina Carri (Argentina/France)

Artistic Delegation

Stéphane Brizé
Patrick Chesnais
Anne Consigny
Georges Wilson
Anne Fontaine
Benoît Poelvoorde
Isabelle Carré
Fabienne Godet
Julie Depardieu
Dominique Blanc
José Alcala
Marie Raynal
Lyes Salem
Danis Tanovic
Karin Viard
Marie Gillain
Emmanuelle Béart
Bertrand Tavernier
Laurent Cantet