My First Movie is ZFF's programme dedicated to directorial debuts by renowned directors. This year, programme hihlights the work of five Spanish directors. One of them is Alejandro Amenábar ('The Sea Inside', 'The Others', 'Open Your Eyes') and his debut film, horror thriller 'Thesis'. Amenabar shot 'Thesis' in 1996., at the age of 23 for a budget of only 696 000 euros. It's success was incredible, the film was shown in Berlin and won seven Goyas (Best Film, Best New Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress...)

'Thesis' is centered around Ángela (Ana Torrent), a film student at the Madrid's University Complutense. Searching for material for her Thesis on audio-visual violence, she attains the friendship of Chema, a fellow student and introvert with an encyclopedic collection of snuff films. After her professor dies while watching a film she steals the videotape, discovering that it is a snuff film featuring a girl whom she and Chema recognize as another student at the university... (Trailer)