WINNERS OF THE 53. SITGES FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINEMA FANTÀSTIC DE CATALUNYA

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Brandon Cronenberg, der 2012 mit „Antiviral“ zum besten neuen Regisseur in Sitges gekürt wurde, gewann mit Possessor Uncut den Preis für den besten Film und den besten Regisseur der 53. Ausgabe des Sitges Film Festivals 2020.
Der Sonderpreis der Jury geht an Just Philippots La nuée, das auch die Auszeichnung für die beste weibliche Leistung für Suliane Brahim mit nach Hause nimmt, während Grégoire Ludig & David Marsais die Auszeichnung für die beste männliche Leistung für Mandibules teilen.

Awards 53 Sitges – Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya

S e c c i ó O f i c i a l F a n t à s t i c a c o m p e t i c i ó

Best Feature Length Film
Possessor Uncut (Brandon Cronenberg) 

Special Jury Prize  
La nuée de by Just Philippot     

Best Direction 
(sponsored by Moritz)
Brandon Cronenberg (Possessor Uncut)

Mention to the Direction
Natalie Erika James (Relic)

Best Actor (sponsored by Vilamòbil)
Grégoire Ludig & David Marsais (Mandibules)

Best Actress (sponsored by So de Tardor)
Suliane Brahim (La nuée)

Mention to the Best Actress
Marin Ireland (The Dark and The Wicked)

Best Screenplay (sponsored by Fundació „la Caixa“ & CaixaBank)
Márk Bodzsár, Juli Jakab & István Tasnádi (Comrade Drakulich)

Best Special Effects (sponsored by Kelonik & Antaviana)
Maks Naporowski, Filip Jan Rymsza, Dariush Derakhshani (Mo squito State)

Best Photography  
Tristan Nyby (The Dark and The Wicked)

Best Music
Bingen Mendizábal & Koldo Uriarte  (Baby)

Audience Award Best Motion Picture (sponsored by La Vanguardia)
La vampira de Barcelona (Lluís Danés)

Best Fantastic Genre Short Film   (sponsored by Fotogramas)
The Luggage (Tsai Yi-fen)

Mention to the Short Film
Rutina: La prohibición (SAM)

N o v e s V i s i o n s

Best Feature Film
My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To (Jonathan Cuartas)

Mention to the Film 
El elemento enigmático (Alejandro Fadel)

Best Direction 
Laura Casabé (Los que vuelven)

Best Noves Visions Petit Format Short       
Luz Distante – Parte 1, Les desventurades (Santiago Reale)

M i d n i g h t X – t r e m e

Audience Award Best Motion Picture    
The Queen of Black Magic (Kimo Stamboel)

Sitges Documenta Award Best Motion Picture      
Ivan, O Terrível (Mario Abbade)

Blood Window Award
Marea alta (High Tide) de/by Verónica Chen

José Luis Guarner Critic’s Award  
Teddy (Ludovic Boukherma & Zoran Boukherma)         

Citizen Kane Award for Best New Direction  
Jonathan Cuartas (My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To)

Carnet Jove Award for Best Fantasy Genre Feature Film        
She Dies Tomorrow (A my Seimetz)       

Award for Best Animated Feature Film     
Seven Days War (Yuta Murano)

Award for Best Animated Short Film
Red Rover (Astrid Goldmisth)

Paul Naschy Brigadoon Award     
Horrorscope (Pol Diggler)

David Lynch thrills the Auditori during Sitges 2020’s closing ceremony

The 53rd Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia reaches its grand finale at Sunday’s closing gala ceremony, rounding off eleven days of one of the world’s best line-ups at the most unique and exceptional edition in its entire history. A gala that began with the acknowledgement of an unparalleled figure in film history, David Lynch, who opened the ceremony and expressed his gratitude for the Sitges Festival’s Grand Honorary Award from his home in Los Angeles, a presentation that was made virtually due to our current circumstances. 

This time, Lynch wasn’t sitting in his usual office to announce the weather forecast like he started during the lockdown, but opened the box containing the Sitges 2020 Grand Honorary Award. An emotion-filled moment that will remain etched in our memories forever. The American filmmaker embodies the figure of the total artist, with multiple facets in the film world (director, screenwriter, producer or actor) and in other arts such as painting, music, design, photography or advertising. 

From Eraserhead (1977) to Twin Peaks: The Return (2017), his work is an invitation to travel through dreams, surrealism, fears and human obsessions. The Elephant Man (1980), the film bringing Sitges 2020 to a close and celebrating its 40th anniversary with its 4K remastering; Dune (1984); Blue Velvet (1986), winner of the Festival in 1986; Wild at Heart (1990); Lost Highway (1997); The Straight Story (1999); Mulholland Drive (2001) or Inland Empire (2006), all together form a masterful filmography that Sitges 2020 wanted to pay tribute to. The 53rd Sitges Festival also offered a moment to remember and commemorate major fantastic genre films celebrating their anniversaries. In addition to the screening of The Elephant Man’s 40th anniversary at the closing ceremony, yesterday, Saturday, we had the chance to see Total Recall 30th anniversary, and during the final day there were screenings of Mike Hodges‘ Flash Gordon, and The Empire Strikes Back, by Irvin Kershner. Both films are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year and the Festival wanted to pay tribute to them as essential works in the history of fantastic genre.