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Yesterday was closing night in Sitges. And the outcome of this 52nd edition of Sitges Film Festival 2019 is somethint that we already knew: that Sitges still is (and will be) the number one Fantastic Film Festival of the World.
For eleven days, Sitges became the showcase for the most avant-garde and heterogeneous fantastic genre initiatives.
Eleven days full of unique and once-in-a-lifetime experiences focusing on fantastic genre films: more than 3,000 seats and 171 movies in seven screening areas – four of them, movie theaters – 20 VR film experiences and 310 big name guests. Once again this year, the Meliá Sitges Auditori was the main venue, where the most outstanding figures in fantastic genre was seen walking the 20 red carpets that the Festival has prepared.
From October 3rd to 13th, the very best in genre films can be found in Sitges. The latest fantastic projects, the most wide-ranging selection of animation, world premieres, feature debuts, major productions, bold, independent auteur films, the latest trends in Virtual Reality and the resurgence of short films as a fundamental genre format will be filling the Festival’s theaters. Less than 24 hours before the film competition kicks off, the 2019 Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia is ready to open its doors to the 200,000 plus visitors that come to reconnect with this world-class cinematic event year after year.
A 52nd edition can already presenting some fantastic figures:
– 11 days of screenings (from October 3rd to 13th)
– 171 films
– 355 screenings all together
– 46,567 tickets sold as of October 2nd (a percentage very similar to the two previous years)
– 20 VR experiences
– 7 screening rooms (4 of them, theaters)
– 542 accredited journalists
– 845 accredited industry professionals
– 20 red carpets. 310 big name guests
– 37 book presentations
– 7 master classes, panel discussions & Sitges Encounters
– 200,000 visitors
In the Tall Grass‘, directed by Vincenzo Natali and starring Patrick Wilson, and the short ‚Reality‘, produced by Chicho Ibáñez Sawyer for Save the Children, opened the 52nd edition.
Patrick Wilson received the Time Award Machine at the opening gala ceremony with films like ‚Insidious‘, ‚The Conjuring‘ or ‚Aquaman‘.
Sitges 2019 started its engines with a first day full of bold and eclectic projects that underlined the Festival’s commitment to a wide-ranging lineup that looking for a balance between emerging talent and already proven filmmakers, risk and commercial quality, and the most innovative initiatives with the recognition of genre classics. An opening gala with Vincenzo Natali, a distinguished director and a Festival classic who won the award for best feature with ‚Cube‘ at Sitges 1998, and the presentation of a Time Machine Award to Patrick Wilson, star of the opening film ‚In the Tall Grass‘, are a clear example of this year’s determined and manifest path.
Aritz Moreno’s feature film debut with ‚Advantages of Traveling by Train‘ and the premiere of ‚La Jauría‘, featured among the Festival’s Spanish productions.
Charles Band received the Time Machine Award on Saturday night for his contribution to the fantastic genre. One of the most prolific B-Movie Producers in Hollywood during the 80s and 90s, with hundreds of horror, science fiction, fantasy and comedy films will close an intense day as the true protagonist and center of all looks.
‚In Fabric‘ by Peter Strickland, ‚Wild‘ by Jan Verdijk, and director and actress Asia Argento, this year’s winners.
For the second year in a row, the Festival has been chosen to celebrate the 2019 Méliès d’Or Ceremony at its headquarters, in the Meliá Sitges Auditori. In Fabric, the film directed by British filmmaker Peter Strickland, and which already received the Méliès d’Argent at the Festival Européen du Film Fantastique in Strasbourg, was the winner in the feature film category. The short film Wild, directed by Jan Verdijk, winner of the Méliès d’Argent at the Imagine Film Festival in Amsterdam, picked up the award in the best short film category. The awards ceremony was completed with the Méliès Career Award for the Italian director and actress, Asia Argento, for her contribution to the fantastic genre.
Gaspar Noé presented his brief but intense vision of faith and cinema in ‚Lux Aeterna‘ while ‚The Room‘ explored the limits of the human mind with terror.
Sitges 2019 openly proposed a debate focusing on the state of genre films in Spain and it does it from the very best perspective, with five debut features competing in the Official Fantàstic Selection and four premieres – three worldwide and one European – in the Orbita Section. Amigo and El asesino de los caprichos (The Goya Murders) which were presented with their stars, are two clear examples of this type of genre films that try to break away from the established canons and open up new paths.
The 52nd Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia came to a fantastic end at its Closing Gala, where the Sitges 2019 winners announced at a press conference and Sam Neill received the Honorary Grand Award closing three days in Sitges with meetings with followers and interviews with all the accredited media outlets. Dario Argento, Katharina Kubrick and Aaron Paul also spent the day kindly attending to fans and the media.
Sam Neill, Katharina Kubrick, Aaron Paul and Dario Argento. Four big stars who put the final touches to a 52nd edition where the streets of Sitges were graced by famous guests such as Patrick Wilson, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Asia Argento, Maribel Verdú and Charles Band. Sam Neill received the Festival’s Honorary Grand Award at the closing gala celebration at the Meliá Sitges Auditori. Dario Argento came to Sitges in surprise to present his new production Belle Bimbe Addormentate, while Katharina Kubrick, daughter of the man responsible for last year’s leitmotiv, 2001: A Space Odyssey, offered an interesting talk with fans and media outlets. In addition. Aaron Paul visited Sitges to present the sold out big screen premiere of El Camino: a Breaking Bad Movie at the Auditori and a red carpet appearance full of media outlets and fans, to get to know from close up the new adventures of Jesse Pinkman, protagonist of the Netflix series.
Secció Oficial Fantàstic a competició
Millor pel·lícula / Mejor película / Best Feature Length Film
El hoyo, de Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
Millor direcció / Mejor dirección / Best Direction (sponsored by XAL)
Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles (Bacurau)
Millor interpretació masculina / Mejor interpretación masculina / Best Actor (sponsored by Jeep Turiauto)
Miles Robbins (Daniel Isn’t Real)
Millor interpretació femenina / Mejor interpretación femenina / Best Actress (sponsored by Mistinguett Sparkling)
Imogen Poots (Vivarium)
Millor guió / Mejor guion / Best Screenplay (sponsored by Caixabank & La Caixa)
Mirrah Foulkes (Judy & Punch)
Millors efectes especials / Mejores efectos especiales / Best Special Effects (sponsored by Deluxe)
Iñaki Madariaga (El hoyo)
Millor fotografia / Mejor fotografía / Best Photography (sponsored by Moritz)
Manu Dacosse (Adoration)
Millor música / Mejor música / Best Music
Dan Levy (J’ai perdu mon corps)
Premi especial del jurat / Premio especial del jurado / Special Jury Prize
Adoration, de Fabrice du Welz
Gran Premi del públic a la millor pel·lícula / Gran Premio del público a la mejor película / Audience Award Best Motion Picture (sponsored by La Vanguardia)
El hoyo, de Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
Millor curtmetratge de gènere fantàstic / Mejor cortometraje de género Fantástico / Best Fantastic Genre Short Film (sponsored by Fotogramas)
Polter, de Álvaro Vicario
Menció als nens d‘Adoration / Mención a los niños de Adoration /Mention to the kids of Adoration
Thomas Gioria & Fantine Harduin
Menció a la pel·lícula Achoura / Mención a la película Achoura / Mention to the Film Achoura
Achoura,de Talal Selhami
Noves Visions
Millor pel·lícula / Mejor película / Best Feature Film
Dogs Don’t Wear Pants, de J-P Valkeapäa
Millor direcció / Mejor dirección / Best Direction
Mattie Do (The Long Walk)
Millor curt Noves Visions Petit format / Mejor corto Noves Visions Petit Format / Best Noves Visions Petit Format Short
Lucienne mange une auto, de Geordy Couturiau
Menció 1 / Mención 1 / Mention 1
Nina Wu, de Midi Z
Menció 2 / Mención 2 / Mention 2
Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway, de Miguel Llansó
Menció 3 / Mención 3 / Mention 3
Hail Satan?, de Penny Lane
Panorama Fantàstic
Premi del públic a la millor pel·lícula / Premio del público a la mejor película / Audience Award Best Motion Picture
Extra Ordinary, de Aike Ahern y Enda Loughman
Midnight X-treme
Premi del públic a la millor pel·lícula / Premio del público a la mejor película / Audience Award Best Motion Picture
The Devil Fish, de David Chuang
Focus Àsia
Premi del públic a la millor pel·lícula / Premio del público a la mejor película / Audience Award Best Motion Picture
The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil, de Lee Won-Tae
Sitges Documenta
Premi del públic a la millor pel·lícula / Premio del público a la mejor película / Audience Award Best Motion Picture
La venganza de jairo, de Simón Hernández
Méliès Awards
Méliès d’Argent a la millor pel·lícula / Méliès d’Argent a la mejor película / Méliès d’Argent to a Feature Film
Adoration, de Fabrice du Welz
Méliès d’Argent al millor curt / Méliès d’Argent al mejor corto / Méliès d’Argent to a Short Film
Children of Satan, de Thea Hvistendahl
Blood Window
Premi Blood Window / Premio Blood Window / Blood Window Best Film
Breve historia del planeta verde, de Santiago Loza
Òrbita
Millor pel·lícula Òrbita / Mejor película Òrbita / Best Òrbita Film
Huachicolero, de Edgar Nito
Jurat de la crítica
Premi de la crítica José Luis Guarner / Premio de la Crítica José Luis Guarner / José Luis Guarner Critic’s Award
Bacurau, de Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles
Premi Citizen Kane al director revelació / Premio Citizen Kane al director revelación / Citizen Kane Award for Best New Director
Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia (El hoyo)
Carnet JOVE
Premi Jurat Carnet Jove al millor llargmetratge de gènere fantàstic / Premio Jurado Carnet Jove al mejor largometraje de género fantástico / Carnet Jove Award for Best Fantasy Genre Feature Film
Bacurau, de Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles
Premi al millor llargmetratge d’animació / Premio al mejor largometraje de animación / Award for Best Animated Feature Film
Ride Your Wave, de Masaaki Yuasa
Premi al millor curtmetratge d’animació / Premio al mejor cortometraje de animación / Award for Best Animated Short Film
The Lonely Orbit, de Frederic Siegel & Benjamin Morard
Brigadoon
Premi Brigadoon Paul Naschy / Premio Brigadoon Paul Naschy / Paul Naschy Brigadoon Award
Marc Martínez Jordán (Tu último día en la Tierra)
Sitges Cocoon
Premi a la millor pel·lícula Sitges Cocoon / Premio a la mejor película Sitges Cocoon / Best Sitges Cocoon Film
Gloomy Eyes, de Jorge Tereso & Fernando Maldonado
SGAE Nova Autoria
Millor direcció / Mejor dirección / Best Direction
Pau Bösch & Berta Galvany (La mugre. UPF)
Millor direcció / Mejor dirección / Best Direction
Marina Espinach (Cuando acabe el verano. Bande à Part)
Millor música / Mejor música / Best Music
Juan Luis Pérez (Gusanos de seda. ESCAC)
Millor guió / Mejor guion / Best Screenplay
Agustín Elizalde & Carlos Villafaina (Gusanos de seda. ESCAC)
Millor guió / Mejor guion / Best Screenplay
Marina Espinach (Cuando acabe el verano. Bande à Part)
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