Between Memory and Delirium: New Offerings in Sitges Documenta and Brigadoon

Sitges Documenta: When Truth is Stranger than Fiction... or Fiction is Stranger than Truth 

In Sitges, the fantastic genre isn't just limited to fiction. The Sitges Documenta section opens a window onto the other side of the screen, where the lives, obsessions, and legends of film all take on a new dimension. Documentaries that speak to us about the passions that shape genre and the ghosts that continue to inhabit our culture. 

This year's Sitges Documenta includes pieces that explore the very heart of fantastic genre through its creators, from the classics in The Vincent Price Legacy, by Laurent Ohmansiek, which reveals the man behind the “Master of Menace” through intimate and passionate testimonies, to contemporary fantastic genre auteurs like Guillermo del Toro in Sangre del Toro, by Yves Montmayeur, A labyrinthine journey where the director himself sheds light on him as the guardian of his own symbols and enigmas. Sitges Documenta will also explore the evolution of a company devoted almost entirely to its production of horror films, the legendary Hammer Films, in Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters by Benjamin Field. And even more complex is the thesis that sheds light on Kim Novak's Vertigo, where Alexandre O. Philippe approaches a star who defied Hollywood to live true to herself, always in the shadow of her role in Hitchcock's masterpiece, a piece that emerges like a spell and even like a vampiric entity with a life of its own. 

The memory of cinema is also tinged with marginality and transgression. The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan, by Grayson Tyler Johnson and Josh Johnson, rescues the persona of an accursed, radical, and misunderstood filmmaker who left his mark on the New York underground. With a similar perspective, but from our country's own history, Eloy de la Iglesia, adicto al cine (aka Eloy de la Iglesia, Film Addict) by Gaizka Urresti paints a portrait of a creator who fought against censorship, was capable of capturing the darkest side of the Transition, and managed to resurface after years of obscurity. Sitges Documenta will also take into account the most popular cult films, celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with the previously announced documentary Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror by Linus O'Brien, and analyzing the figure of Enzo G. Castellari, one of the great directors of Italian exploitation filmmaking, through his experience during the filming and release of The Last Shark in Aquel último tiburón, by Víctor Matellano and Ángel Sala, co-scripted by Vanesa Bocanegra. 

The line between reality and the fantastic becomes blurred in films that explore obsessions and mysteries. In Zodiac Killer Project, Charlie Shackleton revisits an unfinished documentary about the Zodiac Killer to deconstruct and reflect on the limits of true crime in the age of media saturation. Meanwhile, Starman, by Robert Stone, accompanies engineer and writer Gentry Lee in his search for life beyond Earth, in a testimonial that resonates with the ultimate cosmic question.  The present also demands its own space with stories that are as unusual as they are real. The Python Hunt, by Xander Robin, follows a group of hunters who venture into the Everglades to hunt invasive pythons in a contest that's as dangerous as it is fascinating. 

Finally, Theatre of Horrors: The Sordid Story of Paris’ Grand Guignol, by David Gregory and narrated by the iconic Barbara Steele, transports us to the walls of Pigalle's legendary chapel where, amid theatrical blood and guts, a new form of horror was born that still resonates in our collective imaginary. To all these films we must also add the previously announced Endless Cookie by Peter and Seth Scriver, a documentary that will also be included in the Anima't section; Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror by Linus O'Brien; and Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters by Benjamin Field. 

Other documentaries that will be screened, and which will also be included in the Brigadoon section, are Occupy Cannes by Lily Hayes Kaufman (which we previously announced in July); Bizarrofilia, a documentary by Ayi Turzi that explores the origin and meaning of the word “bizarre” in Argentine filmmaking, focusing on the contemporary production of these films that proclaim themselves to be the standard-bearers of the bizarre; A World War II Fairy Tale: The Making of Michael Mann's ‘The Keep’ by Stewart Buck and Stéphane Piter, a work that transports us back to the 1980s, when Paramount wanted to make another Raiders of the Lost Ark and ended up with an atmospheric and oneiric adaptation of the novel by F. Paul Wilson; and Tura! by Cody Jarrett, a documentary about Tura Satana, a pioneer of Asian-American cinema who became a cult movie icon despite all the difficulties she came up against. 

And last but not least, as part of Sitges Family, we'll get to discover Horror and Love, by Joaquín Oristrell, an incredible-but-true love story where a shared passion for horror movies is the perfect glue between soulmates, as well as the unbeatable fuel to embark on an equally wonderful project: erecting the best horror-themed amusement park in Europe. 

And now we move on to the films that will make up the Brigadoon section. Documentaries are one of the pillars of this section. In addition to those we have just unveiled and which will also be included in the Sitges Documenta lineup, Masters of the Grind, by Jason Rutherford, will also be screened. It's a documentary that immerses us in the secret history of those outrageous movies shot with no money or even permits, but with tons of ingenuity and passion. Carlos Cardona, un ibicenco en Hollywood, by José Luis Mir, recovers the figure of a creator who, in 1920, crossed the Atlantic to pursue his dream of making films in the mecca of the film industry; La noche de Romero, by Allan J. Arcal, revives the memory of the generational impact of Night of the Living Dead, the milestone with which George A. Romero changed the history of horror forever; and in Tras las huellas de un gigante. Ray Harryhausen en España, by Luis Esquinas and Domingo Lizcano, we discover the film shoots that the master of special effects made in our country. 

The spirit of Brigadoon is also nourished by tributes. And the tribute to Tony Isbert rediscovers L'espectre de Justine, by Jordi Gigó, a cursed gem that blends eroticism and fantastic genre based on the Marquis de Sade. Rossella Drudi will be remembered with Rats: Notte di Terrore, directed by Bruno Mattei, a post-apocalyptic classic that bears her mark as a screenwriter. The tribute to Mariano Ozores arrives with El liguero mágico, a fantastic comedy starring Adriana Vega and Antonio Ozores. The career of Manolo Zarzo is celebrated with The Night of the Executioner, directed by Jacinto Molina (Paul Naschy), where revenge becomes bloody redemption. And the tribute to Carmen Serret includes Morbus (o bon profit), by Ignasi P. Ferré, an irreverent blend of horror, eroticism, and comedy that reflects the creative freedom of the 1980s. 

In July, we already announced that this year's Nosferatu Award is paying tribute to the career of Hugo Stiglitz, an essential figure in the international fantastic and genre film scene. As a retrospective, Brigadoon will screen Nightmare City by Umberto Lenzi, Massacre on the Tula River by Ismael Rodríguez Jr., Cemetery of Terror by Rubén Galindo Jr., Tintorera: Killer Shark, Under Siege, and Survive!, all directed by either René Cardona or René Cardona Jr., reflecting the diversity and strength of a career marked by his magnetic screen presence. 

Continuing with more cult classics, we will be able to see the corrosive gore of Street Trash by Jim Muro, the lycanthropic humor of Game of Werewolves by Juan Martínez Moreno, the southern cult horror of Two Thousand Maniacs! by Herschell Gordon Lewis, and the pop Martian invasion of TerrorVision by Ted Nicolaou, which will give substance to a lineup that combines indomitable classics with inimitable madness, and will be part of the Laughter and Chills retrospective. 

In addition to all this, there will be two Special Screenings: The Curious Dr. Humpp by Emilio Vieyra and Dr. Lazarus by Alejandro Jablonskis and Pedro Loeb, the first, a seminal work in Argentine fantastic genre, and the second, a series that disappeared in the early 1990s. The Festival will also rediscover, in glorious VHS format, films such as Arcade by Albert Pyun, the unsettling Las siete vidas del gato by Pedro Lazaga, and the fantastic epic Los cántabros by Jacinto Molina (Paul Naschy). And arriving from Trash-O-Rama are three Oriental horror gems: The Devil by Chang Jen-Chieh, Devil Returns by Richard Chen, and Devil Curse by To Man-Bo, a diabolical trilogy that condenses the most excessive and delirious aspects of 1980s Taiwanese filmmaking. 

Bus Brigadoon isn't just about cult classics, and it will also be screening the premieres of productions as wide-ranging as: Test Screening by Clark Baker, where a simple test screening at a local movie theater turns into an enigma; The Devil's Teardrop by Gonzalo Otero, which transforms Andean mythology into pure terror; Thinestra by Nathan Hertz, a nightmare about the limits of the body; and Death Cycle by Gabriel Carrer, featuring a motorized killer who is spreading panic among the population. Added to these are the bloody western They Call Her Death by Austin Snell, and the unbridled madness of African Kung Fu Nazis II – Bum Bum! by Sebastian Stein and Samuel “Ninja-Man” Nkansah, where a robotic Hitler dreams of becoming president of Ghana. And, courtesy of CineAsia, we have The Ghost Game by Son Dong-wan, with its deadly séance in an abandoned cistern, and Komoriuta by Rii Ishihara and Hiroyuki Onogawa, a disquieting journey to a village frozen in time and populated by human dolls. 

Rounding out the lineup, this section will feature short films competing for the Paul Naschy Award for Best Short Film, with films arriving from around the world, such as Speak with the Dead by Stephanie Paris, Floor by Jo Bareun, Tapestry by Jason Sheedy, Tragedium by Gastón Haag, Paspocalypse by Jasper ten Hoor and Ivan Hidayat, Ghosting by Yago Casariego, Listen by Javi Prada, Baby Blues – Going Dark by James P. Gleason, and Efflorescence by Sofia Garza-Barba, reaffirming Brigadoon as a privileged space for discovering new voices in fantastic genre filmmaking. In addition, three works by Javier Yáñez will also be screened, known for his manga-to-short film adaptations, such as Mighty Boy.

List of Films  

Sitges Documenta  

1000 Women in Horror – Donna Davies (2025) 

A World War II Fairy Tale: The Making of Michael Mann’s The Keep - Stewart Buck & Stéphane Piter (2025) 

Aquel último tiburón - Víctor Matellano & Ángel Sala (2025) 

Bizarrofilia - Ayi Turzi (2024) 

Eloy de la Iglesia, adicto al cine (aka Eloy de la Iglesia, Film Addict) - Gaizka Urresti (2025) 

Endless Cookie – Peter Scriver & Seth Scriver (2025) 

Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters - Benjamin Field (2024) 

Horror and Love - Joaquín Oristrell (2025) 

Kim Novak’s Vertigo - Alexandre O. Philippe (2025) 

Occupy Cannes - Lily Hayes Kaufman (2025) 

Sangre del Toro - Yves Montmayeur (2025) 

Starman - Robert Stone (2025) 

Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror - Linus O’Brien (2025) 

The Python Hunt - Xander Robin (2025) 

The Vincent Price Legacy - Laurent Ohmansiek (2025) 

Theatre of Horrors: The Sordid Story of Paris’ Grand Guignol - David Gregory (2025) 

The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan - Grayson Tyler Johnson & Josh Johnson (2025) 

Tura! - Cody Jarrett (2025) 

Zodiac Killer Project - Charlie Shackleton (2025) 

Brigadoon  

 A World War II Fairy Tale: The Making of Michael Mann’s The Keep - Stewart Buck & Stéphane Piter (2025) 

African Kung Fu Nazis II – Bum Bum! - Sebastian Stein & Samuel “Ninja-Man” Nkansah (2025) 

Arcade - Albert Pyun (1993) 

Baby Blues – Going Dark - James P. Gleason (2024) 

Bizarrofilia - Ayi Turzi (2024) 

Carlos Cardona, un ibicenco en Hollywood - José Luis Mir (2025) 

Cemetery of Terror - Rubén Galindo Jr. (1985) 

Death Cycle - Gabriel Carrer (2025) 

Devil Curse - To Man-Bo (1988) 

Devil Returns - Richard Chen (1982) 

Dr. Lazarus - Alejandro Jablonskis & Pedro Loeb (1992) 

Efflorescence - Sofia Garza-Barba (2025) 

L'espectre de Justine - Jordi Gigó (1986) 

El liguero mágico - Mariano Ozores (1980) 

Equals - Javier Yáñez (2019) 

Floor - Jo Bareun (2025) 

Ghosting - Yago Casariego (2024) 

Komoriuta - Rii Ishihara & Hiroyuki Onogawa (2025) 

Nightmare City - Umberto Lenzi (1980) 

La noche de Romero - Allan J. Arcal (2025) 

The Night of the Executioner - Jacinto Molina (1992) 

Listen - Javi Prada (2024) 

Las siete vidas del gato - Pedro Lazaga (1970) 

Game of Werewolves - Juan Martínez Moreno (2011) 

Los cántabros - Jacinto Molina (1980) 

Masacre en el río Tula - Ismael Rodríguez Jr. (1985) 

Masters of the Grind - Jason Rutherford (2025) 

Mighty Boy - Javier Yáñez (2013) 

Morbus (o bon profit) - Ignasi P. Ferré (1983) 

Occupy Cannes - Lily Hayes Kaufman (2025) 

Paspocalypse - Jasper ten Hoor & Ivan Hidayat (2024) 

Ratón de biblioteca - Javier Yáñez (2023) 

Rats: Notte di Terrore - Bruno Mattei (1984) 

Speak with the Dead - Stephanie Paris (2025) 

Street Trash - Jim Muro (1987) 

Survive! - René Cardona Jr. (1976) 

Tapestry - Jason Sheedy (2025) 

TerrorVision - Ted Nicolaou (1986) 

Test Screening - Clark Baker (2024) 

The Curious Dr. Humpp - Emilio Vieyra (1969) 

The Devil - Chang Jen-Chieh (1981) 

The Devil’s Teardrop - Gonzalo Otero (2025) 

They Call Her Death - Austin Snell (2024) 

The Ghost Game - Son Dong-wan (2025) 

Thinestra - Nathan Hertz (2025) 

Tintorera: Killer Shark- René Cardona Jr. (1977) 

Tragedium - Gastón Haag (2025) 

Tras las huellas de un gigante. Ray Harryhausen en España - Luis Esquinas & Domingo Lizcano (2025) 

Under Siege - René Cardona Jr. (1980) 

Tura! - Cody Jarrett (2025) 

Two Thousand Maniacs! - Herschell Gordon Lewis (1964)