Fantek plays key role in film festival
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Inaugurated in 1953 and held annually at the Kursaal Palace in Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain, SSIFF attracts numerous A list actors and directors whose presence brings star appeal and glamour to this week-long homage to celluloid. This year's top names included Penélope Cruz, Donald Sutherland and the director Costa-Gavras.
Over the course of the festival, approximately 200 films are scrutinised by judging panels who award different prizes in various sections. On the final night the winning actors and directors attend a closing gala at the Kursaal Palace, immediately followed by personal appearances at the Antonio Elorza velodrome where members of the public can watch the award-winning films on a massive screen.
In previous years, this screen was mounted on an old iron frame, but in 2019 the organisers asked Spanish installation company Loyola 21 to replace it with something lighter, more versatile and more functional. They, in turn, approached Fantek with an order for a 26 x 12m truss frame that could safely support the large screen and ensure that it stayed perfectly flat and smooth.
Carlos Verdú, from Fantek's technical department, says, "For this project we used a Fantek accessory that added a form of tubing that made it possible to lift a tarp with the intention of covering the mooring that held the screen to the truss. In this way, homogeneity was guaranteed."
To solve this problem, Fantek turned to its extensive range of accessories and developed a 26 x 12m tube that was attached to the base of the truss frame using its Dado range of solutions and connectors. Dado connectors were also used to attach a single 50 x 4 mm tube that held the screen away from the truss and exerted sufficient pressure to keep it smooth and flat.
The truss was manufactured and delivered in good time for the start of the Festival. "We were delighted to help Loyola 21 and SSIFF deliver a successful festival, and very honoured to be involved in such a prestigious event," says Carlos Verdú.
(Jim Evans)
