This year's edition kicked off with Grand Piano, Eugenio Mira's aesthetic and technical tour de force, as well as his return to the Festival accompanied by Elijah Wood. Among the many big-name personalities in attendance were Terry Gilliam, Takashi Miike (who received the Grand Honorary Award and was the subject of a book dedicated to his work), Bill Plympton, Marina de Van, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Simón Andreu, Brillante Mendoza, Sharni Vinson, and Alex Van Warmerdam. Charles Dance also visited Sitges, in line with the Festival's ongoing commitment to TV series. Episodes of Game of Thrones, Hannibal, and The Walking Dead were screened this year. And the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officially designated Sitges as an Academy Award® qualifying festival, making its winning short films eligible to compete for these coveted American awards.
