As Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) walked in the blood of the popular imagination, Sitges has found in the adolescent created by Stephen King an unexpected compass to orient itself in the present. The International Fantastic Cinema Festival of Catalonia will celebrate from October 8 to 18 a 59th edition that, beyond the names and premieres, seems structured by a subject obsession: the infant and the adolescent with a territory of conflict, trauma and transformation.
The artistic director of the Sitges Festival, Ángel Sala, and the director of the Foundation, Mònica Garcia i Massagué, have presented this morning at the Fàbrica Moritz a first preview of the 59th edition of the world’s leading fantasy film festival.
It is no coincidence that the poster of this year recovered the most iconic image of Brian De Palma’s film nor that the contest projected a new 4K restoration of the 1976 classic. Carrie It does not appear solely for the purpose of nostalgic celebration. This figure functions as a symbol of an edition that turns the gaze towards the marginalized, the different, and the monsters created by a society incapable of accepting what it does not understand.
Spanish cinema looks at its seus classics
That mateix fil connecta with one of the great homages announced: Who can kill a child?the disturbing work of Narciso Ibáñez Serrador that also includes five years. Yeah Carrie turned adolescent humiliation into an explosion of supernatural violence, the Spanish film transformed children into mirall deformat dels sins del món adult. Two classics separated by miles of kilometers by units for a simple question: what happens when those who have been protected stop trusting the greats?
The recovery of the fantastic heritage will occupy a prominent place in this edition. Sitges will rescue founding titles Scannersby David Cronenberg; The Devilsthe controversial work of Ken Russell; cannibal holocaustby Ruggero Deodato; or the version of king kong produced by Dino De Laurentiis in 1976. It is not only about an archaeological operation. They are films that dialogue in a surprising way with contemporary debates about power, manipulation, colonialism, religion or the exploitation of things.
Spanish cinema will also have a particularly significant presence thanks to the thirtieth anniversary of Tesi. Alejandro Amenábar’s debut opera will become a restoration supervised by the filmmaker’s mate, who will be present in Sitges. Few films have had such an influence on the evolution of contemporary Spanish fantasy. La seva reflected on the fascination with violent images, which is as pertinent as in any other world, in an era dominated by screens and constant exposure to real horror.
He who sees, from Asia and beyond
At the cost of classics, the programming advance confirms the excellent health status of the genre. L’australià Adrian Chiarella will explore guilt and religious fanaticism Leviticusbetween Nicolas Winding Refn will return to both Her Private Hella psychological thriller marked by obsession and design. Also highlight proposals like Nightbornby Hanna Bergholm, who turns motherhood into a folk horror evil, or Victorian Psychoadaptation of the novel by Virginia Feito starring Maika Monroe.
As usual, Asia will once again occupy a privileged position in the contest. South Korean Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, Hellbound) will present colonya new venture into science fiction and biological horror, while Kiyoshi Kurosawa will surprise with his first samurai film: Kokurojo: The Samurai and the Prisoner. Per la seva part, Joko Anwar (Impetigore, Satan’s Slaves) signature Ghost in the Celldo not confondre both Ghost in the Shell– an explosive pack of horror, action and dark humor set in a prison.
At the cost of these new novels and consolidated authors come together to demonstrate that fantasy continues to be one of the most fertile genres for interpreting the uncertainties of the present.
A festival that continues to grow
The film program will not be the only focus of activities in Sitges. The festival will once again reinforce its industrial and professional dimension with the incorporation of a special edition of Weird Market, the main Spanish market dedicated to animation, video jockeys and new audiovisual contents, which will celebrate the majority of the age of the contest. The initiative will connect producers, creators and companies in the sector through professional trobades and networking activities. There will also be no shortage of the traditional Zombie Walk, one of the most popular events of the festival, which each includes the most participants.
The trees accompany this feeling of vitality. The festival has premiered 3,800 films, including feature films and short films, sent to platforms, distributors and producers of all kinds. Furthermore, it has increased the amount recaptured by 20% compared to the previous edition. Data that confirm the position of Sitges as the main international showcase of fantasy and as a privileged observatory from which to observe cap a on is directed to us.
Ajornament
A more sense edition El Retiro
The Sitges Festival will have to face a more significant edition of El Retiro, one of the six most historic buildings and one of the most esteemed buildings typical of the event. The theatre, inaugurated in 1916, continues to be immersed in an ambitious rehabilitation process aimed at adapting the equipment to current accessibility and security regulations, in addition to recovering elements of the original aesthetic style.
The organization has confirmed that the works will not be completed at the same time as projections during the edition of this event, so that the activities will once again concentrate on the rest of the festival’s usual venues, encapçalaments by the Auditori del Meliá, el Prat, l’Escorxador and el Miramar.
The absence of El Retiro meant the prolongation of a wait that has become one of the main concerns of fans, who long to recover a venue that is part of the sentimental landscape that has accompanied the event for decades.
Source: Lavanguardia
