Sitges Film Festival
{{Short description|Annual Spanish film festival}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox Film Festival
| name = Sitges Film Festival
| logo = Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia logo.png
| image = Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya 2009.JPG
| image_size =
| caption = Sitges Film Festival in 2009
| date = Annually, October
| number =
| host =
| founded = 1968
| last = 2024
| location = Sitges, Catalonia, Spain
| language = Spanish
| awards = {{Ubl|Best Film|Best Director|Best Actor|Best Actress}}
| website = {{url|https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng|Sitges}}
| preceded_by = 56th
| previous =
| followed_by = 58th
| next =
| main = Current: 57th Sitges Film Festival
| chronology =
}}
SITGES - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia ({{langx|ca|Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya|links=no}}) is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain. It specializes in fantasy, horror and cult films. Established in 1968, the festival takes place every year, usually in early October, and is considered to be one of the world's top 3 largest and most prestigious genre film festivals, alongside Fantasia and Fantastic Fest.{{Cite web |last=Weinstein |first=Max |date=2022-03-23 |title=The Best Horror Festivals in the World 2022 |url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/424491/the-best-horror-festivals-in-the-world-2022/ |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Dread Central |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Weinstein |first=Max |date=2020-12-23 |title=The Best Horror Festivals in the World 2021 |url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/364442/the-best-horror-festivals-in-the-world-2021/ |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Dread Central |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2020-10-27 |title=World's 50 Best Genre Film Festivals 2021 — MovieMaker |url=https://www.moviemaker.com/best-genre-festivals-2021/3/ |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=www.moviemaker.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2015-01-28 |title=Top 100 Fantastic & Horror Film Festivals in 2025 + Submission Tips |url=https://adriantofei.com/top-100-international-horror-film-festivals/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Adrian Țofei • Official Site |language=en}}
History
The festival's origins lie in the International Week of Fantasy and Horror Movies, held in 1968.{{cite web | title=The Festival | website=Sitges Film Festival | url=https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/en/festival/festival | access-date=8 April 2023}}
The 55th edition of the festival was held from 6 to 16 October 2022.{{Cite news|url=https://screenanarchy.com/2022/03/sitges-2022-open-for-submissions.html|title=Sitges 2022: International Genre Festival Now Open For Feature Film Submissions |author=Andrew Mack|work=Screen Anarchy|publisher=Naver|date=March 1, 2022|access-date=August 12, 2022|language=en}} It was the 22nd edition of the awards.{{Cite news|url=https://screenanarchy.com/2022/07/sitges-returns-in-2022-with-edgar-wright-emergency-declaration-and-more.html|title=Sitges 2022 Second Wave Announces Edgar Wright, VESPER, and more |author=Shelagh Rowan-Legg|work=Screen Anarchy|publisher=Naver|date=July 28, 2022|access-date=August 12, 2022|language=en}}
Venues
The main venue of the Sitges Film Festival is the Auditori (Auditorium), located in the Hotel Melià Sitges, which has a capacity of 1,380 seats. In the same building the Tramuntana Room provides space for journalists to gather each morning.
As of 2023, other venues are: Cine El Retiro, Cine Casino Prado, and various other venues in the "King Kong area" providing for exhibitions, gatherings, and other events.{{cite web | title=Theaters and venues | website=Sitges Film Festival | url=https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/ca/festival/espais | access-date=8 April 2023}}
Directors
{{as of|2023}}, the director of the festival since 2001 is Àngel Sala Corbí. Previous directors have included:[https://www.teatral.net/dimiteixen-els-responsables-de-sitges-teatre-internacional/ "Dimiteixen els responsables de Sitges Teatre Internacional"], Teatralnet, 13 Feb 2001, (in Catalan). [Consulted 27-05-2020].[https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/festival/equip "Team"], Sitges Film Festival official website. [Consulted 27-05-2020].{{cite web | title=Equip | website=Sitges Film Festival | url=https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/en/organization/team | access-date=8 April 2023}}
- Roc Villas i Ventura (1999–2000)
- Àlex Gorina i Macià (1994–1998)
Awards
Since 1971 the festival has given awards to the best films, actors, and filmmakers.{{cite web |title=Festival Awards |url=https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/festival/premis#07 |website=sitgesfilmfestival.com |publisher=Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya}}
The festival is accredited by FIAPF as a "competitive film festival specialised in fantasy films".{{Cite book|url=http://www.fiapf.org/pdf/directoryFIAPFv3.pdf| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151220175931/http://www.fiapf.org/pdf/directoryFIAPFv3.pdf| archive-date= 20 December 2015 |title=FIAPF Accredited Festivals Directory| date =2008| publisher=FIAPF}}
The Gorilla (Official Fantastic Section) are the festival's main awards. Award-winners are selected by an international jury. These awards are:[https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/festival/premis Festival Awards], official website of the Sitges Film Festival. [Consulted 27-05-2020].[https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/festival/palmares Festival Award-winners for the 52nd Edition (2019)], official website of the Sitges Film Festival. [Consulted 27-05-2020].
- Best Feature-Length Film
- Best Director
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Screenplay
- Best Special Effects
- Best Cinematography
- Best Original Score
- Special Jury Prize
- Grand Audience Award for Best Motion Picture (Official Fantastic Selection)
- Best Fantastic Genre Short Film
The festival also presents:
- The José Luis Guarner Critics’ Award
- Citizen Kane Award for the Best Debut Feature (Best New Director)
- The Noves Visions (New Visions) Award
- The Carnet Jove Jury Award (film selected by a youth jury)
- The Grand Honorary Award (for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema)
- The Anima't Awards for Best Animated Short and Feature Film
- The Màquina del Temps (Time Machine) Award, given to individuals from the fantasy world film genre
- The Midnight X-Treme Award, for the best motion picture from the special screenings (selected by the Carnet Jove Jury)
and a few others...
Winners
See also
References
{{Reflist|20em}}
External links
- [https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/en Official site]
- {{IMDb event|0000155}}
{{Film festivals}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|41|51|N|1|34|E|display=title}}
Category:Film festivals in Catalonia
Category:Fantasy and horror film festivals
Category:1967 establishments in Spain
Category:1976 establishments in Catalonia
Category:Annual events in Catalonia