2023 edition of Spanish film festival
The 56th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia took place from 5 October to 15, 2023, in Sitges , Catalonia , Spain . The supernatural horror film Sister Death , directed by Paco Plaza , opened the festival.[2] Argentine horror film When Evil Lurks by Demián Rugna won the Best Feature Film Award.[3]
Background [ edit ] The official artwork for the festival was unveiled on 24 May 2023. Photographed by Nacho Alegre, it was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock 's 1963 film The Birds , conmemorating the 60th anniversary of the film.[4] On 12 September, the festival announced both the recipients for the special awards and the complete lineup.[5] German-American producer Jan Harlan and American director and visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett wil received the Honorary Grand Prize while Spanish director J. A. Bayona , Japanese director Hideo Nakata and American director Lee Unkrich , all will be honored with the Time Machine Award (Premi Màquina del Temps).[6]
The juries consists of the following members:[7]
Main competition [ edit ] Jérôme Paillard, French producer Ana Torrent , Spanish actress David C. Fein, American producer Kim Newman , British critic and writer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Australian critic and researcher Noves Visions / Anima't [ edit ] Katharina Kubrick, American art director Sergi Caballero, Spanish filmmaker Fred Tsui, Chinese consultant Blood Window / Òrbita [ edit ] Max Karli, French film producer Agnela Domínguez, Spanish cultural manager Júlia Olmo, Spanish journalist and critic Méliès d'Argent [ edit ] Matthew Turner, British journalist and film critic Alexandra West, Canadian film critic Maura McHugh , Irish writer Brigadoon [ edit ] Raúl Cerezo, Spanish director Daniel Rodríguez Sánchez, Spanish writer and critic Aida Solé, Spanish blogger Crítica / Méliès d'Or [ edit ] Ylenia Cañadas, Spanish film critic Francesc Miró, Spanish film critic Antoni Peris, Spanish film critic SGAE Nova Autoria [ edit ] Jaume Balagueró , Spanish director and screenwriter Marta Grau, Spanish screenwriter, writer and script editor Alfonso De Vilallonga, Spanish film composer, vocalist and singer-songwriter Sections [ edit ] The films selected for each section are as follows:[8]
Official selection [ edit ] In competition [ edit ] English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Acid Acide Just Philippot [fr ] France Best Wishes to All みなに幸あれ Yuta Shimotsu Japan Club Zero Jessica Hausner Austria, United Kingdom Conann Bertrand Mandico France, Luxembourg, Belgium When Evil Lurks Cuando acecha la maldad Demián Rugna Argentina Divinity Eddie Alcazar United States The Animal Kingdom Le Règne animal Thomas Cailley France In Flames Zarrar Kahn Canada, Pakistan It Lives Inside Bishal Dutta United States Kubi 首 Takeshi Kitano Japan The Wait La espera F. Javier Gutiérrez Spain Bitten La Morsure Romain de Saint-Blanquat France Late Night with the Devil Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes Australia Red Rooms Les chambres rouges Pascal Plante Canada Moscas Aritz Moreno [es ] Spain, Argentina Omen Baloji Tshiani Congo, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, South Africa Riddle of Fire Weston Razooli United States Robot Dreams [a] Pablo Berger Spain, France Killing Romance 킬링 로맨스 Lee Won-suk South Korea Salem Jean-Bernard Marlin [fr ] France Sleep 잠 Jason Yu South Korea Sorcery Brujería Christopher Murray Chile, Mexico, Germany Stopmotion Robert Morgan United Kingdom The Seeding Barnaby Clay United States The Universal Theory Die Theorie von Allem Timm Kröger Germany There's Something in the Barn Magnus Martens Norway Tiger Stripes Amanda Nell Eu Malaysia, Taiwan, France, Germany, Netherlands, Indonesia Infested Vermines Sébastien Vaniček France Vincent Must Die Vincent doit mourir Stéphan Castaing France Wake Up François Simard , Annouk Whissel , Yoann-Karl Whissel France White Plastic Sky [a] Műanyag égbolt Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó Hungary, Slovakia
Highlighted title indicates Best Feature Film winner. Out of competition [ edit ] English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Abominations Mike Fontaine United States Ahora vuelvo Lucas Paulino, Gabe Ibáñez Spain Bloody Fury Jordan Inconstant France Callus Ciarán Hickey Ireland Escape Attempt Alex Topaller, Daniel Shapiro United States, Portugal Eyestring Javier Devitt United States, Argentina Fishmonger Neil Ferron United States Hito Stephen Lopez Philippines Honk Charles de Lauzirika United States I'm Not a Robot Victoria Warmerdam Netherlands, Belgium Intercanvi Alberto Evangelio Spain Paragon Colin Treneff United States Pesudo Miquel Díaz Pont Spain Stop Dead Emily Greenwood United Kingdom Storm Lena Tsodykovskaya United States Sugar Rag Jai Love United States, Australia The Many Worlds of George Goodman Gregg Bishop United States The Shore Eron Sheean Netherlands, Australia Anima't A Night with Moosina Wang Shen Zhi Ye Shiu-Cheng Tsai Taiwan Astoria Franch Dion France Bye Bear Jan Bitzer Germany De Imperio Alessandro Novelli Portugal, Spain Drijf Levi Stoops Belgium Eeva Morten Tšinakov, Lucija Mrzljak Estonia, Croatia Flite Tim Webber United Kingdom Garden of Remembrance Naoko Yamada Japan Ghost of the Dark Path Fish Wang Taiwan La última historia Vicente Molina Spain Nezumikozō Jirokichi Rintaro Japan, France No Room at the Inn R. O. Blechman United States Radio-Pilotis Sonia Gerbeaud France, Portugal Sweet Like Lemons Jenny Jokela United Kingdom, Finland The Great Arc Camille Authouart France The Smile Erik van Schaaik Netherlands, Belgium To Bird or Not to Bird Martín Romero Spain Special Sessions ALEXX196 & la plage de sable rose Loïc Hobi France, Switzerland Dark Cell Jean-Michel Tari France La ley del más fuerte Raul Monge Spain Los cómplices Alberto Evangelio Spain Milk & Cookies Giancarlo Fernandez United Kingdom Paradero 893 Marc Martínez Pijoan Spain Tooth Jillian Corsie United States Venus Jolan Nihilo, Mickaël Dusa France
Highlighted title indicates Òrbita winner. Panorama [ edit ] Anima't [ edit ] English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Deep Sea 深海 Tian Xiaopeng China Four Souls of Coyote Kojot négy lelke Áron Gauder Hungary Tender Metalheads Heavies tendres Joan Tomàs, Carlos Pérez-Reche, Juanjo Sáez Spain Komada – A Whisky Family 駒田蒸留所へようこそ Masayuki Yoshihara Japan Lonely Castle in the Mirror かがみの孤城 Keiichi Hara , Takakazu Nagamoto Japan Mars Express Jérémie Périn France Sand Land Toshihisa Yokoshima Japan Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light Tonda, Slávka a kouzelné světlo Filip Pošivač Hungary, Solavkia Special Screenings Phoenix: Reminiscence of Flower 火の鳥 #エデンの花 Shōjirō Nishimi Japan The Feast of Anrita アムリタの饗宴 Saku Sakamoto Japan
Highlighted title indicates Best Animated Feature Film winner. Noves Visions [ edit ] English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) All You Need is Death Paul Duane Ireland Embryo Larva Butterfly Kyros Papavassiliou Greece, Cyprus En Attendant la Nuit (opening film) Céline Rouzet France Halfway Home Madarász Isti Hungary Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant Ariane Louis-Seize Canada Hundreds of Beavers Mike Cheslik United States In My Mother's Skin Kenneth Dagatan Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan La última noche de Sandra M. Borja de la Vega Spain Luka Jessica Woodworth Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Armenia Mimì: Prince of Darkness Mimì - Il principe delle tenebre Brando De Sica Italy Mondays: See You "This" Week! Ryo Takebayashi Japan Monolith Matt Vesely Australia Moon Garden Ryan Stevens Harris United States Motel Melati Mike Wiluan, Billy Christian Indonesia, Singapore My Animal Jacqueline Castel Canada Pandemonium Quarxx France Raging Grace Paris Zarcilla United Kingdom River Junta Yamaguchi Japan Cobweb (closing film) 거미집 Kim Jee-woon South Korea The Funeral Orçun Behram Turkey The Invisible Fight Rainer Sarnet Estonia, Lithuania, Greece, Finland The Last Ashes Läif a Séil Loïc Tanson [lb ] Luxembourg, Belgium The Uncle David Kapac, Andrija Mardesic Serbia, Croatia The Vourdalak Le Vourdalak Adrien Beau France Where the Devil Roams Zelda Adams, John Adams, Toby Poser United States Petit Format A Kind of Girl Who Knows Blanche Seyoung Lee South Korea Collection of Extremely Short Stories Pedro Villaça Brazil Cultes David Padilla France Days of Spring Arianne Hinz Netherlands Gable Theo Taplitz United States Half-Dream Jan Grabowski Poland Mothers and Monsters Édith Jorisch Canada Pruning Lola Blanc United States Retrodreaming Alisa Berger Germany, Japan Spoor Statten Roeg, Sunita Soliar United Kingdom, Mexico The Old Young Crow Liam Lopinto Japan, United States Zero at the Bone Erin Grant United States Petit Format - Special Sessions Mamántula Ion de Sosa Germany, Spain Print the Legend Victor Matellano Spain We Are Animals Thijs Bouman Netherlands
Highlighted title indicates Noves Visions winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 30 Coins (episodes "El pueblo fantasma" and "Las tierras del sueño") 30 monedas Álex de la Iglesia Spain El otro lado (episodes 1-3) Javier Ruiz Caldera , Alberto de Toro Spain Luz en la oscuridad: Daniela, dulce y bella (episodes 1-2) — Spain Romancero (episodes 1-2) Tomás Peña Spain, United States
Nova Autoria [ edit ] Title Director(s) Production countrie(s) University/School California Albert Mariné Spain Escola de Cinema de Reus El último recuerdo Javier Sáez Spain International University of Catalonia Fuego amigo Asha Ruiz Spain Catalonia Film School Lifetime Ariadna Puigdemasa Spain Escola de Disseny i Arts Visuals LCI Barcelona Los Frustrado Martí Rovira Cortada Spain Tecnocampus, Escola Superior Politècnica Not Yet Pau Ballesté Aguirre, Maria Bros Carreras, Jorge Librero Cano Spain Autonomous University of Barcelona O que me parta un rayo Karen Joaquín Spain Escola de Cinema de Barcelona Tenemos patria Mikel Garrido Linares Spain Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya The Sun Thief Joan Cerdà Monterio, Maria Agustina Montaña Spain L'IDEM Barcelona, Creative Arts School Tiet Iris Dalmau Spain FX ANIMATION Barcelona 3D & Film School
Sitges Documenta [ edit ] English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) A Disturbance in the Force Jeremy Coon , Steve Kozak United States Dario Argento Panico Simone Scafidi United Kingdom Dream Time Claudio Lattanzi Italy Enter the Clones of Bruce David Gregory United States Kaidan: Strange Stories of Japanese Ghosts Yves Montmayeur France Kim's Video David Redmon, Ashley Sabin United States Living with Chucky Kyra Elise Gardner United States Loch Ness: They Created a Monster John MacLaverty United Kingdom Mujeres sin censura Eva Vizcarra Spain Otra película maldita Alberto Fasce, Mario Varela Argentina The History of Metal and Horror Mike Schiff United States Satan Wants You Sean Horlor , Steve J. Adams Canada Sharksploitation Stephen Scarlata United States Spooktacular! Quinn Monahan United States The Darkside of Society Larry Wade Carrell United States The J-Horror Virus Sarah Appleton, Jasper Sharp Japan, United Kingdom 1 Million Zombies: The Story of Plaga Zombie Un millón de zombies: La historia de Plaga Zombie Nicanor Loreti, Camilo de Cabo Argentina You Can Call Me Bill Alexandre O. Philippe United States
Midnight X-Treme [ edit ] Brigadoon [ edit ] Sitges Classics [ edit ] English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Acción mutante (1993) Álex de la Iglesia Spain Don't Torture a Duckling (1972) Non si sevizia un paperino Lucio Fulci Italy Caligula - The Ultimate Cut (1979) Tinto Brass United States, Italy Contempt (1963) Le Mépris Jean-Luc Godard France Enter the Game of Death (1978) 十字手拳 Lee Tso-nam Hong Kong The Raid (2011) Gareth Evans Indonesia Extra Terrestrial Visitors (1983) Los nuevos extraterrestres Juan Piquer Simón Spain The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubrick United States The Exorcist (1973) William Friedkin United States Lake Michigan Monster (2018) Ryland Brickson Cole Tews United States Pet Sematary (1989) Mary Lambert United States Psychic Vision: Jaganrei (1988) Teruyoshi Ishii Japan King Kong (1933) Merian C. Cooper , Ernest B. Schoedsack United States The Wicker Man (1973) Robin Hardy United Kingdom Black Sunday (1960) La maschera del demonio Mario Bava Italy The Dragon Lives Again (1977) 李三腳威震地獄門 Law Kei Hong Kong Cannibal Holocaust (1980) Ruggero Deodato Italy Siesta (1987) Mary Lambert United States Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition Robert Wise United States Anima't The Masters of Time (1982) Les Maîtres du temps René Laloux France, Hungary, Switzerland The Soldier's Tale (1984) R. O. Blechman United States 100 Years of Walt Disney Animation Studios: An Hommage to Its Short Films (2023) Various authors United States Panic City Don't Look Now (1973) A Venezia... un Dicembre rosso shocking Nicolas Roeg United Kingdom Hollywood 90028 (1973) Christina Hornisher United States Pájaros de ciudad (1983) José María Sánchez Álvaro Spain, Italy Naked Lunch (1991) David Cronenberg Canada, United Kingdom A House Without Boundaries (1972) La casa sin fronteras Pedro Olea Spain God Told Me To (1976) Larry Cohen United States The Last Days (2013) Los últimos días Álex Pastor, David Pastor Spain Seven Chances The Fourth Victim (1971) In fondo alla piscina Eugenio Martín Spain, Italy La Venere d'Ille (1979) Mario Bava , Lamberto Bava Italy Los leprosos y el sexo (1970) René Cardona Mexico O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization (1985) O-bi, o-ba: Koniec cywilizacji Piotr Szulkin Poland The Appointment (1980) Lindsey C. Vickers United Kingdom The McPherson Tape (1989) Dean Alioto United States Twilight (1990) Szürkület György Fehér Hungary
^ a b Nominated for the Anima't Best Animated Film Award The following awards were presented at the 56th Edition:[9]
Official competition [ edit ] Best Feature Film: When Evil Lurks by Damián Rugna Special Jury Award: Stopmotion by Robert Morgan & Vermin by Sébastien Vaniček Best Direction: Baloji Tshiani for Omen Best Actress: Kate Lyn Sheil for The Seeding Special Mention for Best Actress: Zafreen Zairizal for Tiger Stripes Best Actor: Karim Leklou for Vincent Must Die Best Screenplay: Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes for Late Night with the Devil Best Special, Visual or Makeup Effects: Frédéric Lainé, Jean-Christophe Spadaccini, Pascal Molina, Cyrille Bonjean-Jean, Bruno Sommier and Jean-Louis Autret for The Animal Kingdom Best Music: Markus Binder for Club Zero Best Cinematography: Martin Roux for Bitten Special Mentions: Moscas by Aritz Moreno & Riddle of Fire by Weston Razooli Noves Visions [ edit ] Best Film: Moon Garden by Ryan Stevens Harris Best Direction: David Kapac and Andrija Mardesic for The Uncle Best Short Film: The Old Young Crow by Liam Lopinto Special Mentions Méliès d'Argent [ edit ] Méliès d'Argent Award for the Best Fantastic Genre Feature Film: Bitten by Romain de Saint-Blanquat Méliès d'Argent Award for the Best European Fantastic Genre Short Film: Cultes by David Padilla Anima't [ edit ] Best Feature Film: The Last Stop in Yuma County by Francis Galluppi Critic's Jury [ edit ] José Luis Guarner Critics' Award for Best Film in the SOFC: The Universal Theory by Timm Kröger Citizen Kane Award for Best New Director: Stéphan Castaing for Vincent Must Die Best Short Film in the SOFC: I'm Not a Robot by Victoria Warmerdam Brigadoon [ edit ] Brigadoon Paul Naschy Award for the Best Short Film: Ellos by Néstor López, Óscar Romero SGAE Nova Autoria [ edit ] Best Direction-Production: Mikel Garrido for Tenemos patria Best Screenplay: Karen Joaquín for O que me parta un rayo Best Original Music: Márcio Echeverria for The Sun Thief Carnet Jove Jury [ edit ] Best Feature Film in the SOFC: Bitten by Romain de Saint-Blanquat Best Sitges Documenta Film: Kim's Video by David Redmon, Ashley Sabin People' Choice Award [ edit ] Other awards [ edit ] Special awards [ edit ] References [ edit ] External links [ edit ]