This year, Nick Frost joins Mike Flanagan as one of the recipients of the Time Machine Award. The British actor and screenwriter began his acting career in the fantasy series ‘Spaced’, but his leap to international fame did not come until ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004), the brilliant start to the Cornetto Trilogy by Edgar Wright, who co-starred alongside Simon Pegg. The rest of the films in the saga, ‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007) and ‘The World’s End’ (2013), served to place him definitively as one of the most hilarious British actors of recent times.

The Festival will also feature Corey Feldman, an American actor who will also receive the Time Machine Award. In this way, the Sitges Festival will honour the career of one of the key actors in fantasy cinema. His nearly fifty-year career has taken in nearly twenty blockbusters, in every decade since the 1970s, starting with ‘Time After Time’ and the Disney classic ‘The Fox and the Hound’, and continuing through the 1980s with multiple hits from ‘Gremlins’ to ‘The Lost Boys’, and in the 90s with ‘Ninja Turtles’ and ‘Maverick’, and in the 2000s with the famous cult title ‘The Birthday’, by Eugenio Mira, and his recent self-produced documentary ‘My Truth’. In parallel to a successful musical career, his film career continues with three new films about to be released, including the presentation of the restoration of the aforementioned ‘The Birthday’.

Talking of the eighties, other exciting guests who featured in that era have been announced, including Heather Langenkamp (immortal protagonist of ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’) who is another of the brand new winners of the Time Machine Award. Beyond her unforgettable role as Nancy Thompson in the Freddy Krueger saga, the American actress has participated in major genre productions such as ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ (2012) or ‘Shocker’ (1989). The festival is also very excited about the visit of Courtney Gains and John Franklin, the legendary Malachai and Isaac from ‘Children of the Corn’, one of the great cult horror sagas of recent decades.

Another recipient of the Time Machine Award is American director, screenwriter and producer Fred Dekker. The Californian rose to fame in 1986, contributing the original story that would inspire the horror saga ‘House’. That same year he debuted as a director with the cult title ‘Night of the Creeps’ and a year later, also as a director, he collaborated for the first time with Shane Black, who was in charge of the script of ‘Monster Squad’. As a director, he also participated in the ‘RoboCop’ saga, directing the third part, which had Frank Miller as screenwriter. In 2018, the roles would be reversed in ‘Predator’, with Shane Black as director and Fred Dekker as screenwriter. With this award, the Sitges Festival honours a key figure for some of the most recognized horror sagas of recent decades.

The last Máquina del Temps  Award that has been announced is that of one of the great cult directors of Italian genre cinema: Ovidio G. Assonitis. The Greco-Italian director, producer, screenwriter and executive (born in Egypt) began his film career as an executive at a distribution company. At the end of the 60s he began to produce horror B-movies. In 1974 he made his debut as a director with ‘Beyond the Door’ (which will be shown during the Festival) and from that moment he would intersperse productions such as ‘Laure’ (1976)and ‘The Visitor’ ( 1979) with his own directions such as ‘Tentacles’ (1977) or ‘Pirana II: The Spawning’ (1981). With this award, the Sitges Festival celebrates a multifaceted career, as well as his key role in the development of Italian genre cinema.

As for the Nosferatu Award, the winner is the Italian actor Fabio Testi. The award celebrates a long career in Italian genre cinema starting at the end of the sixties. His most outstanding titles include ‘What have you done with Solange?’ (1972), ‘Revolver’ (1973), ‘Four of the Apocalypse’ (1975) and Lucio Fulci’s ‘Contraband’ (1980) or ‘Red Rings of Fear’ (1978). Beyond the genre, he has collaborated with some of the great directors of the 20th century such as Vittorio De Sica or Andrej Zulawski.

Last but not least in terms of award-winning stars, the International Federation of Méliès Festivals (of which Sitges is part) has decided to award the Méliès Career Award to French filmmaker Christophe Gans. From ‘The Drowned’ (1993), his first work, the director became one of the great figures of European fantasy cinema. Subsequently, films such as ‘Brotherhood of the Wolf’ (2001) or ‘Silent Hill’ (2006) became instant cult classics for fans of horror cinema. His name joins that of an illustrious list of awardees that includes the names of Paco Plaza, Lucile Hadzihalilovic or Álex de la Iglesia.

The Jury 

One of the most fundamental elements of a good festival is the presence of a prestigious jury and this year the festival is proud to announce the judges for the Official Competition Section (SOFC ). Those responsible for giving the highest award will be the aforementioned Christophe Gans and Fred Dekker, Spanish filmmaker Carlota Pereda, British writer and musician Stephen Thrower and Fantastic Fest director Lisa Dreyer.

The Best Home Grown Titles

For lovers of zombie films, the festival has announced the screening of one of the most hotly anticipated Spanish titles (with significant Catalan participation) of this genre in recent years. ‘Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End’, an adaptation of the book by Manuel Loureiro. The film is described by Carles Torrens as follows: “We are dealing with a story of the infected or zombies, yes, but also of grief, of a journey of survival both physical and emotional, and all this seasoned with action, tension and of course, a little blood… It is directed by one of our most internationally recognised filmmakers living today” 

Another Spanish title that promises to give a lot to talk about is ‘Una ballena’, which comes from the hand of Pablo Hernando. Ingrid Garcia Jonsson stars in the role of a merciless hired killer, capable of infiltrating anywhere and disappearing without leaving a trace. But this power comes from another world, a place inhabited by monstrous creatures and from which less and less of the  human emerges. The cast is completed by prominent names such as Ramón Barea and Kepa Errasti.

The Usual Suspects

The screening of ‘Rubber’ in 2011 instantly made Quentin Dupieux one of the directors most loved by Sitges fans. The Frenchman has since confirmed himself as a constant presence at the Festival, presenting great hits such as ‘Deerskin’ (2019) or ‘Mandibles’ (2020). In this edition, the Frenchman returns to Sitges with ‘The Second Act’, a kind of cinema within a cinema that blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction, and which opened the last edition of the Cannes Festival. In addition, it has an incredible cast led by Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Vincent Lindon and Raphaël Quenard. A must for the many fans of this particular French filmmaker who offers here one of his most reflective (and self-reflective) works.

Another “usual suspect” who promises to give a lot to talk about again is Soi Cheang, perhaps the great reference point for the contemporary Hong Kong thriller. On this occasion he will present ‘Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In’, a film that was screened in the Midnight Session during the last edition of the Cannes Film Festival. This neo-noir, full of action and martial arts, began as a project that was to be co-directed by none other than Johnnie To and John Woo. In the end, the director of ‘Limbo’ took the reins of the project and the film has been an absolute commercial success in Hong Kong, becoming the second highest-grossing film in its history.It is undoubtedly one of the best action films of the year and its projection in the Auditorium promises to be one that will be remembered for many years.

Back in 2014, the film ‘Goodnight Mommy’ (2014) had a huge impact on Sitges audiences. The work of Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, not only did the audience fall in love with the film, but the Austrian couple also fell in love with the festival, presenting all their feature films in competition since then. This year could be no different and their latest work, ‘The Devil’s Bath’, presented at the Berlinale, can also be seen in Sitges. This time, we are dealing with a terrifying historical drama about women’s suicide in the 18th century, offering a dark but beautiful portrait of female depression in early modern Austria.

You will also be able to see the latest film by Alice Lowe, director of ‘Prevenge’ (2016), a film that won a Special Mention in the New Visions section. ‘Timestalker’ is a funny time travel film in which a 17th century woman will be reincarnated every time she falls in love with the wrong man. Starring Alice Lowe, the film has a luxury cast with names like Nick Frost and Jacob Anderson, among others.

Another title that Sitges fans will most likely remember is ‘Cheap Thrills’, which caused a strong impact in the Auditorium in 2013. Its director, E.L. Katz, returns to Sitges to present his latest film ·film ‘Azrael’, a work that has been causing a stir since its premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW). In it, a young woman (played by Samara Weaving, who offers a real tour de force) escapes her confinement and must be sacrificed to appease an ancient evil that dwells in the depths of the wild lands that surround her. A delicious mix of folk and survival horror, set in a world where no one speaks, which turns the Australian actress into a real scream queen, stripped of the scream.

The Best Fantasy Cinema from the World Over

The Sitges Festival has always been a meeting place for the best genre cinema from any corner of the world. One of the film events of the year will be the screening of ‘Terrifier 3’ at the Auditorium. The macabre mischief of the terrifying clown ‘Art’ is back, this time during the Christmas period. Damien Leone remains at the helm of the saga, directing this third part which once again stars David Howard Thornton and Lauren LaVera.

After being screened at Sundance and Berlinale,’A Different Man’, by Aaron Schimberg, arrives in Sitges, very much aligned with this year’s theme. It is an A24 production starring Sebastian Stan, an in vogue actor who we have seen as Marvel’s Winter Soldier in the Captain America saga, but also as a young Donald Trump in Ali Abassi’s ‘The Apprentice’, screened at the last Cannes Film Festival. The film deals with the odyssey of an actor aspiring to achieve fame who decides to undergo surgery to correct the tumors on his face and get more roles. However, the lack of offers after the procedure and a play inspired by his previous appearance, awaken in him an obsession that will push him to the limit and lead him to do everything possible to recover what could have been.

If there’s one country that’s known for its fantastic cinema, it’s France. This year, France has produced some of the great sensations of genre cinema, starting with ‘MadS’ which promises to be one of the hits of SITGES2024. It is the latest work of the French filmmaker David Moreau, whom horror fans will remember for being the co-director of ‘Them’, a film that caused a furore when it passed through Sitges in 2006. Now he offers us a single shot sequence and a journey that becomes surreal; compelling ingredients of a horror film that stands out for a young cast led by the actresses Lucile Guillaume and Laurie Pavy. In addition, Emma Benestan presents ‘Animale’, her second film. In the Camargue, a French region known for its bull shows, Nejma (played by Oulaya Amamra) trains relentlessly to win an annual male-dominated competition. Everything will go awry when, in the middle of show season, several people disappear and rumors begin to spread that a wild beast is lurking…

One of the countries that has gained more prominence in the Festival in recent years is South Korea. Three Korean titles have been announced so far, highlighting first of all one of the great sensations of Asian horror cinema so far this year: ‘Exuma’. The film, directed by Jang Jae-hyun, had its world premiere at the Berlinale and soon after this it was released in South Korea, becoming one of the biggest box office successes in the country’s history (surpassing 12 million viewers with a total of more than 80 million dollars raised). It is one of the best examples of supernatural horror in recent years and also features Choi Min-sik, one of the most beloved actors for Sitges fans since his unforgettable leading role in ‘Oldboy’. To this, two more films are added that also promise to give a lot to talk about: ‘Handsome Guys’ and ‘Noise’. The first is a remake directed by Nam Dong-hyub of the Canadian film ‘Tucker and Dale vs Evil’ (Best Film in the Panorama Section 2010). ‘Handsome Guys’ remains as hilarious as the original and also explores the supernatural elements that were more in the background in Eli Craig’s version. In addition, ‘Noise’ is a horror thriller directed by Kim Soo-jin about a woman tormented by a background noise she constantly hears and which she relates to the mysterious disappearance of her sister.

From Hong Kong comes ‘Peg O’ My Heart’, a terrifying film signed and starring Nick Cheung, one of Hong Kong’s biggest television and film stars. In it, a taxi driver begins to have serious problems sleeping, posing a danger to himself and also to his customers. One day, one of his clients is a psychiatrist who, affected by similar sleep problems, will start investigating the case on her own.

From Ireland comes ‘Oddity’, by Damian McCarthy. Cursed objects, mediums and a truly disturbing atmosphere have made this film one of the surprises of horror cinema in the first half of the year, captivating the audience at South by Southwest (SXSW) to the point of taking away the Audience Award for the Midnighter section. ‘Krazy House’ also comes from Europe, in this case the Netherlands. In this case, we move away from horror with a satire on 1980s American sitcoms and Cold War fears, that features a classy cast including Alicia Silverstone, Kevin Connolly and, again, Nick Frost. Nearby, from Great Britain, comes ‘Sister Midnight’, by the England based Indian director, Karan Kandhari. The film, presented at the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, places us in his native India, and tells us the story of an arranged marriage that gradually enters a spiral of darkness. It’s a story of self-realization with touches of humor that is a very interesting contribution to Hindi language fantasy cinema.

Another European country represented will be Poland, with the screening of the latest work by filmmaker Bartosz M. Kowalski (best known for ‘Playground’ (2016), his feature film). ‘Night Silence (Cisza Nocna)’ is the story of Lucjian, a prestigious retired actor who enters (at first temporarily) a nursing home. Although at first everyone seems very friendly, little by little he will begin to experience strange dreams and visions that will increasingly blur his perception of what is real and what is not.

The Sitges Festival always includes the best Latin American fantasy and ‘Mi bestia’, by the Colombian director Camila Beltrán, is another good example of this. Set in Bogota in 1996, the film tells the story of Mila, a 13-year-old girl terrified by the rumour circulating that, during the next lunar eclipse, the Devil will come. Everything around her begins to become stranger and she even feels that she is changing too: Will she not, in fact, be this devil that everyone is waiting for?

And of course the North American contingent must be there, including the already mentioned ‘A Different Man’. Another one from North America is  ‘A Desert’, by Joshua Erkman, a horror film about a photographer of abandoned places with neo-noir tints and road movie elements, that offers a disturbing atmosphere and very powerful visual effects . For its part, ‘Dead Mail’, co-directed by Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy presents a documentary aesthetic mixed with slasher elements, telling us about a case from the 80s in which a mysterious note arrives at a post office. A film very much from the eighties, both in its plot and in its aesthetics. And finally,  the screening of ‘Shelby Oaks’, the highly anticipated feature film debut of Ohio critic and content creator Chris Stuckmann, has been announced. The film is inspired by the mysterious disappearance of the YouTubers known as “Paranormal Paranoids”, starting with the appearance of one of their last recordings that is received by a girl named Riley, who begins to obsess and think that maybe imaginary demons of her childhood were more real than she thinks… Finally, the German director Tilman Singer presents ‘Cuckoo’, an American and German co-production that promises to become a true cult title. In it, we follow Gretchen (played by Hunter Schafer), a young woman who travels with her father and stepmother to a small town in the German Alps, where strange things begin to happen. The cast includes other top names such as Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick and Greta Fernández.

Beyond Fantasy

The Sitges Festival is also a meeting place for those genres bordering on fantasy. Along these lines, French thrillers promise to play a leading role, with titles such as ‘Night Call’ directed by Michiel Blanchart. In it, Mady is a young man who studies during the day and works all night to earn a living. One day, he opens the wrong door, becoming an accomplice to a large-scale crime. Also from France comes ‘The Kingdom’  by Julien Colonna. The film places us in the year 1995, and we follow in the footsteps of Lesia, a 15-year-old girl who lives quietly until she returns to the house of her father, a well-known criminal boss. A gang war breaks out and tests both their damaged relationship and their ability to survive.

Another very appetizing thriller for Sitges fans is ‘Steppenwolf’, the latest film by Kazakh director Adilkhan Yerzhanov. Presented at the Rotterdam Festival, this is one of the most nihilistic and merciless films that has passed through Sitges in recent years. An introduction, through the big door, to the work of one of the most interesting directors of peripheral cinematography in the current panorama.

Following the same genre, although in this case with shades of terror, one of the great Japanese masters returns this year: Kiyoshi Kurosawa will bring us his latest work, ‘Cloud’. The Japanese again deals with the horrors and dangers of the internet (with which he terrorized Sitges in 2001 with ‘Kairo’) with the story of a young man who tries to make money by reselling products online. Little by little, suspicious events happen around him and his daily life is altered in terrifying ways.

Finally with regard to thrillers, another “repeater” returns to the Festival to present his latest work: Jean Luc Herbulot, a director born in the Republic of Congo who presented ‘Saloum’ at Noves Visions two years ago. On this occasion, the filmmaker presents ‘Zero’, an American production in which two Americans end up in Dakar, Senegal, with bombs attached to their bodies and 10 hours to discover why and manage to deactivate them in order to stay alive.

The Best Animation of the Season

As with every year, the Sitges Festival is once again a meeting place for fantasy but also irreverent entertainment on the international scene. This is the case with ‘Spermageddon’, a light-hearted and hilarious comedy about sexual awakening in adolescence, in which some sperm will have to compete in a race that can only have one winner. Our beloved Tommy Wirkola teams up with Rasmus A. Sivertsen for this delirious animated work.

Another proposition that promises to be one of the most inventive and fascinating of the contest is ‘Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust’, a French production from the Indian director Ishan Shukla. The filmmaker presents us with a society in which everyone wears boxes on their heads in order to eliminate any differences. In this context, the rumour begins to circulate that there is an almost mythical land in which freedom is total. Combining 3D and 2D animation and an amazing cast of voices that includes those of Asia Argento, Lav Diaz and Gaspar Noé, Ishan Shukla gives us a thoughtful oddity with obvious echoes of George Orwell’s ‘1984’.

For his part, the Swiss director Claude Barras (known especially for the wonderful ‘The life of Calabacín’) presents ‘Sauvages’, an exciting and poetic ecological adventure about the serious consequences of widespread deforestation in the jungle of Borneo. In it, a boy, a girl and a baby orangutan will defy all obstacles to defend themselves from this savage destruction.

Speaking of animation, a Japanese offering is a must, as they are absolute masters of the medium worldwide. ‘Ghost Cat Anzu’ premiered during the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and is undoubtedly one of the most interesting anime offerings of the year. Nobuhiro Yamahita and Yôko Kuno direct this story about an 11-year-old girl and her friendship with her grandfather’s ghost cat.

Chinese animation is gaining strength as one of the great powers worldwide. Last year we had the screening of ‘Deep Sea’, a visually spectacular film, and this year we will have ‘The Umbrella Fairy’ and ‘The Storm’ as representatives of the Asian giant. The films directed by Shen Jie and Yang Zhigang have some of the elements that we love so much about Chinese animation: flawless visuals and techniques, and a fantastic story that draws on the country’s mythology.

Finally, the last animation title that can be announced is a film that represents a turning point for the cinematography of its country. Presented at the Annecy Festival, ‘Diplodocus’ is the first 3D animated film in the history of Poland. Directed by Wojtek Wawszcyk and based on the legendary comic by Tadeusz Baranowski, it tells the story of a dinosaur who begins an adventure to save his parents, who have disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

The Most Fantastic Documentaries

As for non-fiction, one of Sitges’ most regular directors in recent years returns. Alexandre O. Philippe, responsible for ’78/52: The scene that changed the history of cinema’ (2017) or ‘Memory: the origins of Alien’ (2019) will present, on this occasion, the national premiere of ‘Chain Reactions’ , a documentary about ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974) which features the participation of the master of terror Stephen King, of illustrious filmmakers such as Takashi Miike or Karyn Kusama, of the actor Patton Oswalt and the expert of horror films Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, last year’s SOFC juror.

Another fascinating offering that can be seen is the documentary ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’. Winner of the Best Documentary Award at South by Southwest, it is about two struggling actors who, during the pandemic, decided to stage the play of Hamlet in the video game Grand Theft Auto. Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls direct this funny and incisive documentary that also offers a story about artistic creation in times of crisis.

Finally on documentaries, Alberto Sedano’s ‘Exorcismo’ will be screened, which explores Spanish genre cinema after Franco’s death, focusing on films that were considered “rated S”, for its use of sex and violence. Through interviews with directors, actors and historians, as well as fragments of films by Jess Franco, José Ramon Larraz and Ignacio Iquino, among others, ‘Exorcismo’ presents a cinematic movement that not only had a profound effect on society and the history of Spanish cinema, but also had a great influence on genre cinema in the rest of the world.

Recovering Cult Classics

The Sitges Festival pays tribute this year to the classic ‘Freaks’ (1932) by Tod Browning, which has a brand new restored edition. In his honour, a showcase will be held that will focus on the transformative power of fantasy cinema, with films that address circuses, the fairs and other fantasy arenas. Tribute will also be paid to two of the fundamental directors in the development of genre cinema in Spain: León Klimovsky and Jesús Franco. Of the first, ‘Dr. Jekyll against the Werewolf’ (1971) and ‘Último deseo’ (1976) have already been announced.

Plus, one of the great “events” of this edition will be the 4K screening of the cult title ‘The Birthday’, which celebrates its 20th anniversary. Both Corey Feldman, its protagonist, and Eugenio Mira, the director, will be present at the screening. Another great screening for horror fans will be the 35mm version of an undisputed classic of the genre, Tobe Hooper’s ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’. A unique opportunity to regain an immortal title in the best possible way.

The two films that will form part of “Catalunya Imaginària”, an initiative within Sitges Classics that aims to reclaim some classic titles of Catalan genre cinema, have also been announced. This year’s selections will be ‘Pastel de sangre’ (1971), an episodic horror film directed by Francesc Bellmunt, Jaime Chávarri, Emilio Martínez-Lázaro and José María Vallés; and ‘Acosada’ (1985), a horror film by Sebastià D’Arbó, with Victoria Vera in the leading role.

First titles in Brigadoon

This year the Brigadoon section will be held once more in the Llevant room at the Hotel Meliá Sitges, to offer a loaded selection of classic gems of genre cinema and also a competitive section of short films (where the Brigadoon Paul Naschy Award will be given) with some of the year’s most interesting and cheeky horror titles.

As for feature films, you can see ‘Traumatika’, a story of infernal possessions by Pierre Tsigaridis (who has already been at the Festival presenting ‘Two Witches’). There will also be a screening of ‘Dick Dynamite 1944’, the latest madness from the Brit Robbie Davidson, in which Dick has to face Nazi scientists who plan to turn the population of New York into zombies; and ‘Marisa y Gomosa’, an irreverent Argentinian comedy from Pablo Parés.

In the non-fiction section, we will discover the incredible career of American cult director Albert Pyun in director Lisa D’Apolito’s ‘Albert Pyun: King of Cult Movies’ and fans of the physical format cannot miss ‘Boutique: To Preserve and Collect’ by Ry Levy, a documentary that reviews the history of physical media and its role in the restoration and preservation of cinema that would otherwise have been lost.

Kids, camera… action!

Kids in Action, a project promoted by Acció Cinema, Catalunya Film Festivals, the Catalan Development Cooperation Agency and the Sitges International Festival has also been announced.

It is a program designed for children and young people where, through a selection of titles, social issues that affect developing countries are discussed, such as poverty, children at risk of exclusion, vulnerability due to gender, etc. In addition, the selection responds to the values ​​promoted by WomanInFan, with the desire to make visible the work of female creators within the fantasy genre, providing the greatest possible number of films directed by women.

Each screening will be preceded by the presentation of an invited NGO, based in Sitges or El Garraf, who develop projects on the topics covered. There will be both family and school sessions, where we will have the presence of students from the schools and institutes of Sitges.

HORROR GIRLS. WomanInFan Europe

In 1973, the first horror film directed by a woman was released in Spain. The film was ‘Vera, a cruel story’ and its director Josefina Molina. More than fifty years later, only twenty female directors have approached the genre in our country. What political, social and cultural factors have influenced making fantasy a field of overwhelming male authorship are part of the analysis of the new volume of WomanInFan, focused on European productions, and entitled ‘Horror Girls. WomanInFan Europe’. The title pays homage to the late film historian David J. Skal, who defined himself as a “monster boy”.

The Festival of Shadows: Phantasmagorias, Phenomena and Circuses in Horror Cinema

What leads us to carry out a study on a handful of films with themes of the fair and the circus, and with the horror genre as an axis? Cinema has been able to capture the intriguing essence of the circus mainly through two genres: melodrama and horror, like Siamese twins, one tragic and circumspect and the other histrionic and cheeky. The circus concentrates everything necessary to describe an initiatory journey through a story where each of the components of the community is an attribute – only one – of a hero. The clown, the tamer, the balance artist and the tightrope walker together make up a giant who sleeps when he travels, wakes up at dawn and every week comes to life in a different place in his palace of fabrics and canvas.

You will enjoy a walk through an open field lit by light bulbs, a path between carts by Mònica Garcia and Massagué, Pepe Aracil, Jorge Loser, Xavi Sánchez Pons and Lluis Rueda, a troupe coordinated by Ángel Sala and Jordi Sánchez- Navarro

20 years of Jury Carnet Jove

Once again the International Fantasty Film Festival of Catalonia, with the collaboration of the Catalan Youth Agency, through the Carnet Jove, is organising the Sitges Carnet Jove Jury, which this year reaches its 20th edition. This year there will be a total of 100 young people who have been part of the Festival’s various juries over the course of these 20 years. The Jury, which is made up of five people – one of whom acts as president – has the mission of awarding the Carnet Jove Jury Award to the best film in the Fantasy Official Section and the Sitges Documenta Award to best documentary production. The aim of this collaboration is to professionalise film criticism, giving the opportunity to five young people interested in this field, or in the field of cinema in general, to be part of the Festival’s official jury. The call was closed last July 4 and is currently in the resolution process.

SGAE New Authorship Awards

The General Society of Authors and Editors (SGAE) and the SGAE Foundation, through the Territorial Council of the SGAE in Catalonia, collaborate again with Sitges for the 24 SGAE New Authorship Awards. The aim is to promote emerging talent in a festival of international prestige. Awards will be given in the categories of best screenplay, best direction and best original music. The Nova Autoria party will be on October 5 at the Prado Cinema.

Support for the 57th edition

This year the Festival screenings will take place in the following rooms on the official circuit: Auditori Melià Sitges, Sala Tramuntana, Sala Llevant (Brigadoon), Cinemas Casino Prado de Sitges, L’Escorxador – Cultural Center and Miramar Cultural Centre.

Once again, the Festival thanks the commitment of the collaborating entities and companies: Moritz (main sponsor), Cupra (automotive partner), Repsol (multi-energy partner), CaixaBank (strategic partner), TV3, Catalunya Ràdio and 3CAT (television official and official radio), CaixaBank (strategic partner), La Vanguardia (official newspaper) and Meliá Sitges (sponsor and official headquarters).

The Festival confirms agreements with Aullidos, China Madrid, CineyTele, Cinemascomics, Cobega-Coca Cola European Partners, Creu Roja, El Cinèfil, Factorial, FNAC, Fotogramas, Fundación Japón, FX Animation, Grup Flaix FM, Grup Iguana, Grupo Main, Iberia, IES Joan Ramon Benaprès Escola Hostaleria, Montaz Media, Nació Digital, Ocimag, Port d’Aiguadolç, Renfe, Sensacine, SGAE and Fundació SGAE, The Original Cha-Chá, Transperfect Translations SL, Tresc and Vertix.

Sitges 2024 is organized thanks to the involvement of Sitges City Council, the Catalan Institute of Cultural Enterprises of the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Casino Prado de Sitges cinemas and Escorxador – Cultural Centre, and has the financing of the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts of the Ministry of Culture, of the Provincial Government of Barcelona and of the Carnet Jove – Department of Welfare and Family.

List of Announced Titles of Official Sections

‘A Desert’ – Joshua Erkman (United States)

‘A Different Man’ – Aaron Schimberg (United States)

‘Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End’ – Carles Torrens (Spain)

‘Animale’ – Emma Benestan (France, Belgium, Saudi Arabia)

‘Azrael’ – EL Katz (United States)

‘Chain Reactions’ – Alexandre O. Philippe (United States)

‘Cloud’ – Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Japan)

‘Cuckoo’ – Tilman Singer (Germany / United States)

‘Dead Mail’ – Joe DeBoer & Kyle McConaghy (United States)

‘Diplodocus’ – Wojtek Wawszcyk (Poland)

‘The Devil’s Bath’ – Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz (Austria)

‘Exhume’ – Jang Jae-hyun (South Korea)

‘Exorcism’ – Alberto Sedano (Spain)

‘Ghost Cat Anzu’ – Nobuhiro Yamashita & Yoko Kuno (Japan)

‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ – Sam Crane & Pinny Grylls (Great Britain)

‘Handsome Guys’ – Nam Dong-hyup (South Korea)

‘Krazy House’ – Steffen Haars & Flip Van der Kuil (Netherlands)

‘MadS’ – David Moreau (France)

‘My beast’ – Camila Beltrán (Colombia)

‘Night Call’ – Michiel Blanchart (France, Belgium)

‘Night Silence (Cisza Nocna)’ – Bartosz M. Kowalski (Poland)

‘Noise’ – Kim Soo-jin (South Korea)

‘Oddity’ – Damian Mc Carthy (Ireland)

‘Peg O’ My Heart’ – Nick Cheung (Hong Kong)

‘Sauvages’ – Claude Barras (Switzerland)

‘Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust’ – Ishan Shukla (France)

‘Shelby Oaks’ – Chris Stuckmann (United States)

‘Sister Midnight’ – Karan Kandhari (Great Britain)

‘Spermageddon’ – Rasmus A. Sivertsen & Tommy Wirkola (Norway)

‘Steppenwolf’ – Adilkhan Yerzhanov (Kazakhstan)

‘Terrifier 3’ – Damien Leone (United States)

‘The Kingdom’ – Julien Colonna (France)

‘The Second Act’ – Quentin Dupieux (France)

‘The Storm’ – Yang Zhigang (China)

‘The Umbrella Fairy’ – Shen Jie (China)

‘Timestalker’ – Alice Lowe (Great Britain)

‘Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In’ – Soi Cheang (Hong Kong)

‘A whale’ – Pablo Hernando (Spain)

‘Zero’ – Jean Luc Herbulot (United States)