Cinema once again becomes the protagonist of RTVE's programming with the arrival of the San Sebastián International Film Festival 2026. The public broadcaster joins the great cinematic event for another year with the broadcast of its main moments, starting with the opening gala, which can be followed live this Friday, September 18, at 8:30 PM through La 2 and RTVE Play.
The ceremony will kick off a new edition of the San Sebastián festival, which will bring together some of the main figures of national and international cinema in the city over the next few days. The gala can thus also be enjoyed from home thanks to RTVE's coverage, which will once again place the festival among its major commitments linked to the seventh art, presented by Mariona Terés, Cayetana Guillén Cuervo, and Fariba Sheikhan.
¡Arranca la temporada del séptimo arte!
— RTVE Comunicación y Participación (@RTVE_Com) September 15, 2026
🎞️ Gala de inauguración del Festival de Cine de San Sebastián (@sansebastianfes) 2026: viernes 18 de septiembre a las 20:30 h en @la2_tve y @rtveplay.
🎞️ Entrega del Premio Donostia a Naomi Watts: la madrugada del domingo al lunes… pic.twitter.com/3prP8QZFYn
Naomi Watts, protagonist of the Donostia Award
One of the most anticipated moments of the San Sebastián Festival will be the presentation of the Donostia Award to Naomi Watts, one of the highest honorary recognitions of the festival. The Australian actress will receive the award during a ceremony that RTVE will broadcast in the early hours of Sunday to Monday, starting at 12:30 AM.
With this recognition, Watts will see her career, spanning more than three decades and including some of the most outstanding titles in international cinema, both in major Hollywood productions and independent proposals, rewarded. Her name is thus added to the prestigious list of Donostia Award winners, which this edition will also distinguish filmmaker Werner Herzog.
RTVE's commitment to cinema
With these broadcasts, RTVE reinforces its commitment to bringing major cinematic events closer to the public and offering special coverage of the San Sebastián Festival. La 2 and RTVE Play will be the main windows to follow the ceremonies, while the rest of the corporation's channels and platforms will cover the festival's news.
Under the slogan #RTVESomosCine, the public broadcaster once again asserts its connection with the seventh art, coinciding with the start of one of the major cultural events on the Spanish audiovisual calendar.