Ángel Sala's first year as Artistic Director. Orient Express was created, a new in-competition section that confirmed the booming popularity of Asian genre films in the early 21st century. This year, special guests included Peter Greenaway, Joanna Cassidy, Christophe Gans, Vincent Cassel, Stephen and Timothy Quay (who were received a tribute in the Anima't section), Sergio Martino, La Fura dels Baus and a young and up-and-coming actor named Ryan Gosling, who surprised audiences with his performance as a Jewish neo-Nazi in The Believer. The Brigadoon section hosted two special sessions dedicated to music videos. One of them featured Floria Sigismondi; the other showcased works by a talented young director: J. A. Bayona.
