Sitges, Capital of Spanish Domestic Fantastic Genre Films
The countdown is unstoppable... Less than a month to go until the 58th edition of the SITGES – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia. The best genre films produced in Spain promise powerful emotions and scenes that will leave audiences speechless. Sitges is once again the meeting point for major domestic horror and fantastic film premieres, thanks to a series of directors who are strongly committed to expanding the aesthetic boundaries of genre.
Madrid, September 12, 2025. Ángel Sala, the Festival's artistic director, and Mònica Garcia Massagué, General Manager of the Foundation SITGES – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, respectively, have announced the domestic productions selected for this 58th edition. Some of the names that stand out are Eduardo Casanova, Paul Urkijo, and Ion de Sosa, along with others such as Laura Casabé, Alberto Vázquez, Martín Mauregui, and Bruno Martín.
A Stronghold in the Official Fantàstic In-Competition Selection (SOFC)
Witches' Sabbaths in Basque, satanic spells with menstrual blood, or a queer community of politicized vampires. The passages of the Official Selection are multiple, and in each one we can find a stimulating and innovative way of approaching genre.
Between swords and sorcery lies the fascinating filmmaking of Paul Urkijo Alijo. Through his films, premiered in Sitges, this Basque director has managed to absorb the folklore and mythology of his homeland to conjure up magic. In his splendid debut, Errementari: the Blacksmith and the Devil, he rewrote a popular childhood tale, narrated in ancient Basque, about how to outwit the devil in 19th-century Basque Country. In his second feature film, the dazzling Irati, he delved into the epic and romantic journey of a king's son (Eneko Sagardoy) in search of his father's body, venturing into an enchanted forest where “Everything that has a name exists.”
Now, Urkijo returns to Sitges like a king of yesteryear with one of the most eagerly awaited titles of the year. Gaua, which means night, takes us to the Basque mountains of the 17th century to continue displaying his commendable sense of atmosphere. In the midst of a witch hunt, a woman named Kattalin (Yune Nogueiras) flees her home in the middle of the night. Lost in the woods, she encounters three strange women who share their stories. To her surprise, Kattalin will discover that these stories come true.
No less important is the new eccentricity from the always radical Eduardo Casanova. His films dare to portray difference unabashedly, with no fear of looking it straight in the face. That's why such shocking titles as Pieles and Piety have the ability to unsettle and destabilize audiences with intense dramas of punk extravagance varnished with queer pink.
Silencio, his new project as a director, is not a film but a miniseries that explores the struggle against prejudice and stigma in mainstream discourse in order to defend marginalized identities against exclusion. It all begins with the crisis of a group of bloodsucking sisters. Their immortality is more of a punishment than a blessing, given that the Black Death and AIDS, rampant at specific times in history, prevent them from feeding properly. Blood, that precious substance that gives and takes life, is the driving force behind a story of markedly modern poetry, as fascinating as it is uncomfortable.
Another key film in the Official Selection is The Virgin of the Quarry Lake, a co-production between Argentina, Spain, and Mexico directed by Buenos Aires-born Laura Casabé, based on a powerful story by writer Mariana Enríquez, who was a member of the SOFC jury in 2022. The film, nominated at the most recent Sundance Film Festival, unfolds like a hypnotic exercise based on a psychological horror story. It narrates the experience of three inseparable young women, Natalia, Mariela, and Josefina, who are madly in love with Diego, their childhood friend. The events take place during the hot summer of 2001, following an outbreak of violence that ended in a deep crisis. In this context, Silvia appears, an older girl who has captivated Diego. Determined to win him back, Natalia asks her grandmother Rita for help, allowing her to enter the realm of black magic. Without a doubt, one of the best horror films about that Argentina on the brink of the abyss.
And from the most diabolical spells, we move on to Balearic, the long-awaited premiere of a figure as unique in the new Spanish film scene as Ion de Sosa. We fondly remember his previous productions, particularly the Goya-nominated medium-length film Mamántula and its highly intelligent mise en scène, halfway between a 1990s TV series, a bastardized episode of The X-Files, and the poetics of a carefully crafted indie production. These ingredients serve as an appetizer for everything new that this filmmaker, who swims against the tide in each of his hypnotic films, has to offer.
Balearic is a nightmare set in the middle of an opulent villa in elite Mallorca, which seems infected by the spirit of Marbella's jet set. Sometimes, the most luxurious of places can become the bloodiest and most oppressive. Three violent dogs keep a group of young people captive after they sneak into the pool of a villa whose owners are away. One of them is seriously injured and time is running out, but no one seems to hear their cries for help. Everything indicates that this claustrophobic tale will give people plenty to talk about!
And from the Balearic pool transformed into a prison, we jump to the most eagerly awaited animation. Both in the Official Fantàstic In-Competition Selection and in Anima't, Decorado, the new film by Alberto Vázquez, one of the key names in that language where the strangest dreams come to life, will be screened. His monumental Unicorn Wars, winner of the Goya for best animated film, stirred up passions in Sitges in 2022. It's impossible not to remember the fierce war fought by unicorns against an army of teddy bears.
Now, Vázquez revisits one of his splendid short films -the short of the same name that won the Goya in 2016- to tell us about the existential crisis of a mouse named Arnold. His marriage is falling apart, and his life seems absurd to him. Suddenly, the death of a friend in strange circumstances makes him suspect that something isn't right. With a premise as stimulating as this one, Decorado unfolds as a dramatic comedy with direct access to the textures of fantastic film. Without a doubt, this is a film you won't want to miss.
Finally, the array of Spanish productions competing in the Official Selection will feature a science fiction story that capitalizes on artificial intelligence. This is Singular, the second feature film by Alberto Gastesi, which rightfully received a key boost at Sitges 2019, when it won the first Pitchbox award for development. The film tells the story of the reunion between Diana and Martín, twelve years after the death of their son, in an old house by the lake. She, played by Goya winner Patricia López Arnaiz, is an AI specialist, and he, played by Galician actor Javier Rey, left his job to isolate himself from civilization. Everything should go according to plan, if it weren't for the fact that they suddenly receive a mysterious visitor who will completely change the rules of the game.
Orbit Sounds Like the Rhythm of Gunfire
It's no coincidence that in the poster for Luger, Bruno Martín's vibrant debut feature, a pistol is prominently displayed opening fire. The title of this crime thriller refers to the semi-automatic pistol used by the Nazis in World War II. This legendary weapon -also known as a Parabellum, which in Latin means “If you want peace, prepare for war”- is the surprise that Rafa and Tony, two friends with turbulent lives, discover in the trunk of a stolen car, locked in a safe. Selling the pistol to a pawn shop is the worst decision they could have made... The leader of a gang of thugs will try to get it back at any cost.
So, Luger presents a fast-paced storyline involving kidnappings and revenge between a car repair shop and an industrial park. The starting point is also very exciting. The film revolves around the tribulations caused by the loss of a single firearm, clearly in tune with immortal classics such as Anthony Mann's Winchester '73 and Akira Kurosawa's Stray Dog. Meanwhile, the cast is rounded out by the acclaimed David Sainz, known for the web series Malviviendo, Ana Turpin, and Mario Mayo, star of the bloody I'll Crush Y'all, which won Best Midnight X-Treme Film at Sitges 2023.
Sitges Documenta
What ghosts inhabit our culture? Obviously, fiction isn't the only answer. Documentaries are another great tool for interpreting the immediate present and a past that should be preserved.
Horror and Love is the new documentary by veteran Barcelona-born director Joaquim Oristrell. After decades of experience in television and as a comedy director, this former collaborator of Josefina Molina and Luis Garcia Berlanga is now proposing a change of direction in his career that will delight even the most curious fans. Horror and Love is one of those rare stories that appear only once out of a thousand. Yes, it's a documentary, but it could just as well be the chronicle of a gothic love story between two soul mates, Cristina Raya and David Moreno, who share an eternal passion for genre films and have been nurturing the same dream for years: to build the best horror theme park in Europe.
Meanwhile, our artistic director Ángel Sala and filmmaker Víctor Matellano have co-directed a must-see film for all lovers of 1970s horror. Aquel último tiburón is their new documentary, which tells the story of what is surely the most bastardized sequel of the 20th century: The Last Shark by Enzo G. Castellari. The question is clear. How did this bastardized copy of Jaws, accused of plagiarism and banned from distribution in the United States, come to be made? According to the directors, it was released in Spain as Jaws 3, stealing the title from the official sequel that Universal Pictures would release years later. This is one of the juicy details that Sala and Matellano reveal in this exquisite documentary, which serves as a true masterclass in filmmaking!
Equally noteworthy is the initiative by producer Enrique López Lavigne and cultural journalist Marta Medina, the perfect duo to introduce us to Iván Zulueta, the man behind the cult, through the documentary El último arrebato. This is undoubtedly a perfect opportunity to delve into the worlds of the most unfathomable myth in Spanish film. In his timeless Arrebato, featuring stars such as Cecilia Roth and our beloved Eusebio Poncela and Will More, cinema became a supernatural power and the screen burst open, revealing a dizzying descent into the unknown. Aware of its power and spirit, the directors of this documentary tackle the complexities of the film, its cult status, and its political and social context in a Spain that was anticipating the end of “The movida.”
Unfortunately, Zulueta was not the only fallen angel due to drugs. The documentary Eloy de la Iglesia, adicto al cine, directed by Gaizka Urresti, bears witness to the dark side of this great exponent of “quinqui” cinema, but also speaks of the combative and countercultural spirit he represents and his hidden, transgressive, and accursed gaze in the late Franco era and the Transition. To top it all off, this documentary features appearances by personalities including José Sacristán, Gaspar Noé, and José Luis Garci.
Sitges Collection
The most delicious nightmares will abound at the 58th edition of the Festival, but there is one so intense, so macabre, that it deserves a special mention. Vieja loca is the feature-length solo debut of Argentine director Martín Mauregui, with Carmen Maura in a state of complete grace, who this year—we remind you once again—will receive the Grand Honorary Award.
This is a magnetic psychological thriller, reminiscent of Misery, about an unexpected message that a young man (Daniel Hendler) receives from his ex-partner, asking him to take care of her mother Alicia (played by Maura). It seems like a simple task, but it will soon become his worst nightmare.
Brigadoon: Where Spanish Cinema Knows No Boundaries
Taking advantage of the fact that the Brigadoon section rediscovers genre films from all eras, there's nothing better than to take a closer look at films from the domestic scene. The father of modern zombie movies, George A. Romero, has captivated generations of horror lovers, and Night of the Living Dead has been enshrined as a true classic in zombie movies. The documentary La noche de Romero by Allan J. Arcal is a heartfelt tribute to the immortal figure of this great horror and fantastic genre filmmaker.
Meanwhile, other notable offerings include Carlos Cardona, un ibicenco en Hollywood, directed by José Luis Mir, which illustrates the life and work of a visionary inventor and creator of sets and special effects in Hollywood; and Tras las huellas de un gigante. Ray Harryhausen en España, by Luis Esquinas Chanes and Domingo Lizcano, focuses on the father of some of the most iconic creatures in epic and fantastic genre moviemaking, built with the patience of frame-by-frame work. From the mythical UFOs in Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, with that joyful B-movie spirit, to the relentless Medusa in the original Clash of the Titans.
Serial Sitges: True- Crime and Surreal Humor Bear the Spanish National Stamp
If there is one expression from the world of television that has remained etched in the collective imaginary, it is undoubtedly “We will shed light on the darkness,” pronounced by the famous presenter of Crims, the 3cat series in collaboration with Goroka and True Crime Factory, presented by the charismatic Carles Porta. This year, the number of episodes in the most intriguing police series currently on the air is increasing. Naturally, Sitges will be the ideal venue to screen the new episodes (or the new episode) of this phenomenon that has revolutionized audiences.
On the other hand, the most intriguing true crime will find its counterpart in the most outrageous humor. Rafaela y su loco mundo is the original series from atresplayer created by Aníbal Gómez. Based on his own book, El alucinante mundo de Rafaella Mozzarella, it unfolds as a delirious story of absurd and ironic humor, paying a heartfelt tribute to that stage of existential mutation that is adolescence. All this from a highly surreal comic perspective.
In addition, the series is directed by the hilarious Ernesto Sevilla, mixing pop aesthetics with references to La hora chanante. As for the cast, we will find leading figures from film and television such as Ingrid García-Jonsson in the role of Rafaela, the protagonist of the story; accompanied by Carlos Areces, Joaquín Reyes, and Aníbal Gómez himself, who play her three best friends. The cast is rounded out by such well-known faces as Arturo Valls, Carmen Ruiz, Pepa Cortijo, Laura Weissmahr, and Luis Callejo in a fiction that will also feature some exciting cameos. From streamer Esty Quesada to legends of horror and electronic music such as Javier Botet and Hidrogenesse.
It's important to note that both Rafaela y su loco mundo and the other series we're highlighting in the Serial Sitges section, titled 33 días, are new original offerings from the atresplayer platform produced by Atresmedia. In 33 días, we rediscover the sharp narrative of journalist Carles Porta with his first television series in this vibrant prison escape thriller starring Spanish actors José Manuel Poga and Julián Villagrán as fugitive prisoners Prieto and Calatrava with the Mossos d'Esquadra police units hot on their heels.
Short Films: Brief and Effective Horror from Spain
And we conclude with the short films that round off this long and enjoyable journey through the most current Spanish genre films! We begin by recalling the already announced opening film, Señuelo by Martha Ayerbe, followed by the projects in the Official Fantàstic In-Competition Selection (SOFC): El Revisor by Jandro (2025), Fumigón by Dani Asensio (2025), Las lágrimas de Sísifo by Luis Larrodera (2025), Prou bé by Anna Carbonell (2024), and Terapias y Mazmorras by Adrián Pachón (2025).
No less important are the short films in the Anima't section, El aspirante by Sam (2025) and El Fantasma de la Quinta by James A. Castillo (2025); the Special Screenings that include Chupacabras by Jordi Serrallonga (2025), La morada del androide by Residencia Relleu (2024), The Saint Antoine by David Masson San Gabriel (2025), and Wisteria by Ian Garrucho (2025); as well as a rich repertoire of short films for Brigadoon, including Ghosting by Yago Casariego (2024), Equals by Javier Yañez Sanz (2019), Listen by Javier Prada (2024), Ratón de biblioteca by Javier Yañez Sanz (2023), Tragedium by Gastón Haag (2025), and Mighty Boy by Javier Yañez Sanz (2013).
Support for the 58th Edition
This year the Festival's screenings will be at the following venues in the official circuit: Meliá Sitges Auditorium, Tramuntana Room, Llevant Room (Brigadoon), Sitges Casino Prado movie theater, Escorxador - Cultural Center and Miramar Cultural Center
Once again this year, the Festival is grateful for the commitment of all the cooperating institutions and companies: Moritz (main sponsor), Cupra (automotive partner), Repsol (multi-energy partner), CaixaBank (strategic partner), TV3, Catalunya Ràdio and 3CAT (official TV network and radio station), La Vanguardia (official newspaper), and Meliá Sitges (sponsor and official headquarters).
The Festival confirms its agreements with AMC- Dark TV, Aullidos, Campari, China Madrid, Cinesa, Cines Verdi, Cobega-Coca Cola European Partners, Cruz Roja, Dama Autores, Droom, Embotits Bundó, ESCAC, FNAC, Fotogramas, Frit Ravich, Fundación Japón, FX Animation, HBO MAX, Grup Flaix FM, Grup Iguana, Grupo Prisa, Iberia, IES Joan Ramon Benaprès Escuela de Hostelería, Grupo Main, Montaz Media, Ocimag, Port d’Aiguadolç, Reial Cercle Artístic, Renfe, SGAE y Fundación SGAE, Salicrú, Sensacine, Transperfect Translations S.L., The Original Cha-Chá, Tik Tok, Tresc and Vertix.
Sitges 2025 is organized thanks to the participation of the Sitges Town Hall, the Catalonian Generalitat’s Department of Culture’s Institut Català de les Empreses Culturals (Catalan Institute of Cultural Enterprises), the Sitges Casino Prado and Escorxador – Centre Cultural theaters and receives financing from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports’ Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts), the Barcelona Diputació (City Council), and the Carnet Jove - Departament de Benestar i Família (Department of Social Rights and Inclusion).
Listo of Films
Official Fantastic in-Competition (SOFC)
Balearic – Ion de Sosa (2025)
Decorado – Alberto Vázquez (2025)
Gaua – Paul Urkijo Alijo (2025)
The Virgin of the Quarry– Laura Casabé (2025)
Silencio – Eduardo Casanova (2025)
Singular – Alberto Gastesi (2025)
Òrbita
Luger – Bruno Martín (2025)
Sitges Collection
Vieja loca – Martín Mauregui (2025)
Sitges Documenta
Eloy de la Iglesia, adicto al cine – Gaizka Urresti (2025)
El último tiburón – Àngel Sala y Víctor Matellano (2025)
El último arrebato – Enrique López Lavigne y Marta Medina (2025)
Horror and Love – Joaquim Oristrell (2025)
Sitges Collection
Vieja loca – Martín Mauregui (2025)
Brigadoon
Carlos Cardona, un ibicenco en Hollywood – José Luis Mir (2025)
La noche de Romero – Allan J. Arcal (2025)
Tras las huellas de un gigante. Ray Harryhausen en España – Luis Esquinas Chanes y Domingo Lizcano (2025)
Serial Sitges
33 días – Carles Porta (2025)
Crims – 3cat, Goroka y True Crime Factory (2025)
Rafaela y su loco mundo – Aníbal Gómez (2025)
Short Films
Opening: Señuelo - Martha Ayerbe (2025)
SOFC
El Revisor - Jandro (2025)
Fumigón - Dani Asensio (2025)
Las lágrimas de Sísifo - Luis Larrodera (2025)
Prou bé - Anna Carbonell (2024)
Terapias y Mazmorras - Adrián Pachón (2025)
Anima’t
El aspirante – Sam (2025)
El Fantasma de la Quinta - James A. Castillo (2025)
Special Screenings
Chupacabras - Jordi Serrallonga (2025)
La morada del androide - Residencia Relleu (2024)
The Saint Antoine - David Masson San Gabriel (2025)
Wisteria - Ian Garrucho (2025)
Brigadoon
Equals - Javier Yañez Sanz (2019)
Ghosting - Yago Casariego (2024)
Listen – Javier Prada (2024)
Mighty Boy - Javier Yañez Sanz (2013)
Ratón de biblioteca - Javier Yañez Sanz (2023)
Tragedium - Gastón Haag (2025)