Sitges Renews its Commitment to Ibero-American Fantastic Genre Filmmaking

The SITGES – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia once again consolidated its presence at Ventana Sur, held from December 1st to 5th, where it selected two Argentinian projects that will be part of its next edition. The collaboration between these two events further strengthens the creative bridge between the European and Latin American fantastic genre film industries.

As part of Ventana Sur Fantastic! Screenings, Sitges granted its award to Familia teme enfrentar una nueva noche de terror, the new production by Cristian Ponce, director of La frecuencia Kirlian and History of the Occult, which has become the first film to be confirmed for the 59th edition of the Festival. The movie tells the story of how a family faces the materialization of their deepest fears over the course of a night when the line between reality and simulation becomes blurred.

As part of Ventana Sur Fantastic! LAB, the Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia Award went to Necesito que me amen (I Need to be Loved), by Julia Sofía Vega. Thanks to this distinction, the project will participate in the next edition of Sitges FanPitch, the international pitching event dedicated to promoting feature films and series from the horror, science fiction, and fantastic genres, which will be celebrating its twelfth edition.

During Ventana Sur, Sitges was also present in different professional settings. On Thursday, December 4th, Mònica Garcia i Massagué participated in the talk Anatomia del género (Anatomy of Genre), together with director Iván Fund, producer Ingrid Pokoprek, and director Laura Casabé. She also took part in the special session Meet the Fantastic Festivals, aimed at showcasing projects with the potential to be included in future sections of the Catalan film competition and gauging the latest trends in genre filmmaking.

At the same time, the Festival once again organized the 9th edition of Sitges Week in Buenos Aires, now established as an essential event for horror fans in the Argentinian capital. This year, the program consisted of El Susurro — presented by its director Gustavo Hernández and producers Roxana Ramos, Fernando Díaz, and Ignacio G. Cucucovich —, Singular by Alberto Gastesi, and No dejes a los niños solos by Emilio Portes. Sitges also participated in the talk-debate Present and Future of Genre Filmmaking in Argentina, featuring Mònica Garcia i Massagué together with actress Clara Kovacic, Gabriel Schipani, director of Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre (BARS), content creator Lucía Costa, and Argentinian director Daniel de la Vega.

With all these actions, Sitges renews its commitment to the development of Ibero-American fantastic filmmaking and the search for new voices in genre.