get your fill of Catalan history with these five easy day trips from Barcelona Published: May 4, 2025written by Sarah Arksey Njegovan is a history buff’s paradise in its own right and you’ll be greeted with a kaleidoscope of sociopolitical These five Catalan cities are located two hours or less from Barcelona — each will reveal to you its unique side of the region Sitges is first mentioned in documentation from 991 CE and gets its name from the Old Catalan word for silo — likely due to the crop-storing cavities found among the Roman and Iberian ruins in the area Sitges was inhabited long before this — a Neanderthal jawbone was discovered here in 1954 meaning mankind has lived there for at least 40,000 years which had existed since the 11th century before being demolished in 1888 having been destroyed and rebuilt during one too many battles to continue serving as the town’s centerpiece One of Sitges’s most famous residents was modernist painter Santiago Rusiñol. Today, Rusiñol’s home and studio have been given a second life as the Cau Ferrat Museum one of the city’s most popular attractions A great free activity in Sitges is a walk through the historic old town the entrance to which lies at Plaça del Baluard square lined with original buildings built around 1400 CE Sitges is accessible in about 40 minutes by car or direct train (R2) from Barcelona Sants Tarragona has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site for over 20 years and is the only such site in Catalonia. In 218 BCE, Tarragona was conquered by Roman forces led by General Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio, who renamed it Tarraco. In 27 BCE, Tarraco became the home of none other than Julius Caesar who relocated there to lead wars against Asturian and Cantabrian forces as well as to oversee the development of the city’s infrastructure Tarraco became a sort of capital for the Hispania Roman Empire — chosen for its coastal which made it an excellent lookout point with just the right amount of inaccessibility to opposing forces This history is reflected in Tarragona’s impressive ruins Tarragona has been referred to as “the blueprint for Rome’s success” since its design was considered so sophisticated that it was replicated across the Roman Empire An obligatory first stop is the Tarragona’s impressively preserved Roman amphitheater don’t be surprised if you see tell-tale bits of original Roman city walls — the city is In the heart of the old town, you’ll find another unmissable bit of architecture — the Tarragona Cathedral. In keeping with Tarragona’s theme, this is a modern cathedral built atop an ancient Roman temple, the remains of which can still be seen along the base. Art lovers may wish to visit some of the buildings designed by famed architect Josep Maria Jujol (a close collaborator of even more famed architect Antoni Gaudi) such as The Theatre Metropol and the Mercado Central de Tarragona Tarragona is also home to Spain’s largest theme park Tarragona is easily accessible in just over one hour by car or direct regional train from Barcelona Sants Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, located on Spain’s Montserrat Mountain, is, first and foremost, a functioning monastery that will celebrate its 1,000th anniversary in 2025. The mountain held spiritual significance long before the monastery was built — the Romans built a temple here to honor the goddess Venus especially during religious holidays when they are treated to elaborate masses and performances by the local boy’s choir Roughly two million people visit Montserrat each year they are greeted by a small farmer’s market which offers locally produced cheese and honey The Montserrat Basilica contains a sculpture known as the Black Madonna It depicts a woman cradling a baby in one arm and holding a small orb Touching this orb—it has been claimed by many—can create miracles The Black Madonna is believed to have been carved in Jerusalem during the early days of Christianity and moved to Spain in order to protect it from invading armies allegedly reappearing in a cave called Santa Cova after shepherds were drawn to its location by mysterious lights and singing Santa Cova is accessible via one of Montserrat’s many hiking trails Montserrat also hosts a small museum containing original works by Monet and Picasso and an authentic Egyptian mummy Visitors can pay 18 euros for access to all of the monastery’s features though the one-hour drive is a bit challenging The most popular way to arrive is by R5 train (towards Manresa) to Monistrol Montserrat Station for the funicular or Aeri de Montserrat for the cable car either of which takes roughly two hours total and costs 26.30 euros inclusive per adult round-trip The picturesque seaside town of Cadaqués is brimming with history The first documented mention of the city was in 814 CE when the crew of a wrecked ship was rescued by Cadaqués villagers The walls were built due to the ever-present threat of Algerian In 1444 CE, Moorish pirates succeeded in burning down the majority of the town. The town was slowly rebuilt, and by the 17th century, trade had begun with America, leading to a prosperous era for Cadaqués. Visitors can participate in a treasure hunt through the Rutes Cadaques tour company for a hands-on way to learn more about the town’s unique history of piracy The town’s main exports were once wine and olive oil both of which you can sample at one of the many seaside restaurants and bars The now-peaceful pebbled shore is an excellent place to stroll Visitors can walk through and marvel at Dalí’s bizarre interior design choices including several massive sculptures of eggs and gardens sculpted into the house’s perimeter It truly feels like you’re trespassing in Dalí’s home while he’s out for the day — one of his unfinished paintings still sits on an easel in the workshop Cadaqués can be reached in just under two hours by car or three hours by first taking a regional train from Barcelona Sants to Llanca or Figueres and then switching to a local bus Girona was initially inhabited by the Indeka, which loosely translates to “indigenous.” Like Tarragona, Girona was later settled by Romans, who named it Gerunda. Quintus Sartorius was the leader of Roman Hispania at the time, but had grown rebellious — and a new leader, who would later be known as Pompey the Great The city’s medieval period has been called the “Golden Age of Girona,” largely thanks to contributions by the local Jewish community visitors can choose from various well-preserved attractions representative of each of Girona’s controlling entities The city’s Arab Baths were built in the 12th century Visitors can also choose to stroll upon some of the longest Carolingian walls in Europe was built in the Neoclassical style and contains a monument commemorating Spain’s fight against Napoleonic France — and today it is a great spot to people-watch from a cafe Sarah Arksey Njegovan is a journalist and photographer originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Creative Writing from Western University in London, Ontario, much of which she completed remotely while traveling. Sarah has visited 60 countries, and is always planning her next adventure! chan lee / Unsplash Sitges Tours As a seaside town Sitges boasts some beautiful beaches right on its doorstep located to the east of the town is rather small but family-friendly whereas the Platja la Bassa Ronda is the main gay-friendly beach and one of the largest and busiest in the summer head there at sunrise for a soothing yoga session Take the culinary experience up a notch by booking a winery visit and paella cooking class so you can get hands on with classic Spanish cuisine Manuel Torres Garcia / Unsplash Sitges Boat Tours The Catalan coast is spectacularly beautiful so why not explore a little more of it by renting out a sailboat for the day Whether you have sailing experience or need to hire a skipper this is a great way to enjoy the warm Mediterranean waters surrounding Sitges hidden beaches and perhaps even a picnic onboard Spain’s sparkling answer to Champagne from France but in fact the Penedès wine region is directly inland from Sitges This makes it the perfect place from which to get fizzy with it of a sunny afternoon which includes visits to multiple vineyards and Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy Travel Telly / Shutterstock Now a museum, the Cau Ferrat building was once the home of Catalan artist Santiago Rusiñol one of the leading figures of the Catalan Modernist movement the artist bequeathed the house and its contents – including drawings ceramics and more – to the town of Sitges on condition that it be opened to the public as a museum Barcelona may be the bigger city, but everyone knows that when it comes to carnival time – at the end of Lent – Sitges is where the party is really at. One of the loudest and brightest carnivals along the Catalan coastline, the Sitges carnival is famous for its colourful floats bold fancy dress costumes and wild after-hours parties Blanche Peulot / Unsplash If the Old Town of Sitges is not particularly large in particular the old fishermen’s neighbourhood and its white houses with blue borders as well as the 15th-century Church of Sant Bartomeu and Santa Tecla and its Baroque interior Manuel Torres Garcia / Unsplash Sitges is surrounded by the Garraf Natural Park located on the small mountain range known as the Garraf Massif there are a number of marked walks which can be completed within a day round-trip or getting the train back along the coastline from the next town Along the way you will come across a Buddhist Monastery and abandoned villages Tara is a travel writer and editor who lived in Barcelona for 5 years writing exclusively for Culture Trip She has a passion for sharing experiences around food and wine See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Autumn Guides & Tips How to Spend the Perfect 24 Hours in Santander Guides & Tips How to Attend a Bullfight in Spain Food & Drink The 5 Best Food Markets in Madrid See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in November Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in December See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in July Architecture Spain’s Most Impressive Bullrings See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in October Sports The Most Epic Hiking Trails in Spain's Sierra Nevada See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in September US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Monday's massive power outage led to a surge in customers at supermarkets in the southern coastal town of Sitges. The larger supermarkets managed to stay open using their own generators, while small businesses were forced to shut down.   These big stores responded to the public's growing anxiety about the uncertainty of power returning and the water supply in homes as it relies on electric pumps.  By Tuesday, the emergency shopping that took place the previous day had resulted in empty shelves in some sections. Bottled water, store brand legumes, and batteries were the most sought-after items. Making some supermarkets still unable to restock them. At the Esclat hypermarket in Sitges, customers also cleared out charcoal bags and gas canisters for portable stoves.  Throughout the day, numerous people came to the store, with the highest number of shoppers arriving in the evening. Staff said they saw many unfamiliar faces, customers who normally shop elsewhere but came because most other stores in the town center were closed.   People were mainly buying large amounts of bottled water and batteries, and many also asked if they could buy a radio, but were disappointed to find out the store doesn't sell them. Despite the high demand, the store had to shut early. Just before 7 pm, two hours before its usual closing time, the generator overheated. For safety reasons, the staff evacuated the store. Firefighters later confirmed there was no danger, but the shop stayed closed for the rest of the night.  On Tuesday, workers resumed their day as normal, waiting to restock the shelves that had been emptied. Monday’s communication issues and the store’s every-other-day ordering schedule led to the sight of some empty shelves, but workers assured customers that they would be refilled by Wednesday.  Catalonia's distribution industry said that the outage did not cause any shortage issues in Catalan supermarkets and that establishments have recovered their usual activities during Tuesday morning. However, the sector highlights that those places where electricity returned later, could face "some logistic delays," and some "produce can be out of stock," Roger Gaspa, general secretary of the Catalan food distribution companies council, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN). He forecasts that losses "will not be catastrophic" as the outage was very "short." Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone GM Savva Vetokhin scored an impressive victory in the 2024 Sunway Sitges Chess Festival after cruising through the tournament undefeated and winning 2-0 in the blitz playoff against 22-year-old GM Ido Gorshtein The teenager's first victory in an open tournament was celebrated with fireworks The 15-year-old grandmaster proved he is a player worth watching after clinching victory in the open tournament in Spain, taking down top seed GM Kirill Alekseenko and the 2023 World Junior Champion GM Marc'Andria Maurizzi on the way Vetokhin was seeded only 11th in the field but exceeded expectations with an undefeated 8/10 and a 2633 performance. In the final round, he was forced to defend a worse position against third-seed GM Jules Moussard but saved the draw thanks to heroic defense in the rook and bishop endgame In the blitz playoff, the teenage grandmaster faced another undefeated player, Gorshtein, who ground down GM David Gavrilescu in the last round GM Savva Vetokhin (playing under @FIDE_chess flag) is checking the game between GM Ido Gorshtein 🇮🇱 and GM David Gavrilescu 🇷🇴. Savva knows that a draw (that seems the most possible outcome in his game) secures him at least a spot in a potential playoff if Ido wins his game. pic.twitter.com/k0VPhSOxsT had pretty much everything under control in the playoff and won 2-0 to cash in the €5,000 ($5,200) first prize (Full standings at Chess-Results.com) we need to provide some background on the tournament established itself as one of the most popular and well-organized open tournaments in Europe The driving force is the Spanish-German head of the Sunway Hotel chain his response is always the same: "We just want everyone to have a good time." The mission was accomplished once again Taking place at the Hotel Sunway Playa Golf & Spa in the beautiful Mediterranean coastal town of Sitges it is the perfect location for a December tournament with its pleasant temperatures and picturesque sunsets Sunway Sitges Chess Festival is not just about the classical tournaments and even bullet tournaments for the chess-hungry players who simply can't have enough Grandmaster masterclasses are also open and free for everyone If you've had enough chess or brought your non-playing family along there were plenty of opportunities as well you could wake up for the early morning yoga class or join the football Or you could go play on the golf court just outside the hotel Another factor that makes the tournament a favorite for many is that the organizers are exceptionally generous as both the red carpet party during the event and the closing ceremony offered a free bar players got an email like this with their pairings.  Also worth mentioning is the media team run by the Polish company European Chess TV. They ran two professional broadcasts in English (with IM Lawrence Trent and WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili) and Spanish (with GM Jose Carlos Ibarra Jerez and Maria Rodrigo Yanguas) and documented everything with videos like this First 5 days behind us, 5 more to come. Let's see all together who can fight for this year's first prize at #SunwaySitges! pic.twitter.com/RG7WIaxVH4 which likely had an effect on the Spanish contingent No longer sponsored by Chessable, and with a modest prize fund, the tournament is no longer attracting stars such as world number-eleven GM Leinier Dominguez, who showed up last year for later to pull out after he failed his attempt to qualify for the Candidates including the 2673-rated 2022 champion Alekseenko Another big star is, of course, GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, the second seed in Sitges, who came straight from a 31-move draw in the Qatar Masters to reach the second round in Sitges the next day This reporter bumped into a yawning 55-year-old in the elevator ready for breakfast and another game some hours later His 1653-rated opponent got a once-in-a-lifetime lesson Ivanchuk went on to win his four next games but then suffered his only loss in the tournament when he was outplayed by 20-year-old French GM Joseph Girel But the star of the tournament was the 15-year-old grandmaster Vetokhin The young Russian started with wins against some lower-rated players and then went on to defeat top seed Alekseenko with black The French teenager went for an exciting piece sacrifice but then got lost in the complications that followed a tie meant there would be a playoff outside the hotel.  The man with the shortest name of all grandmasters, GM Di Li, won the playoff for third place after beating GM Jingyao Tin Vetokhin and Gorshtein had to move indoors for their playoff the organizers were prepared even for that Vetokhin controlled the playoff from start to finish Minutes after winning the second blitz game Not a bad celebration after winning your first tournament as a 15-year-old. pic.twitter.com/Mp2AJ2wUN3 The 15-year-old is not the most known young player but is clearly on the rise after gaining 100 rating points in a year and receiving his grandmaster title in September In Sitges, he improved from second place in the El Lobregat Open a week prior, and he has picked up 25 rating points based on his performance in the two tournaments. He is currently eighth on the list of the world's highest-ranked players under 15 years, behind GM Abhimanyu Mishra The Sunway Sitges Chess Festival will return in December 2025 the organizers are already gearing up for the 4th Sunway Formentera Chess Festival set to take place from April 29 to May 5 on Spain’s beautiful Balearic island of Formentera Previous winners include GM Gukesh Dommaraju (2022), GM Vladimir Fedoseev (2023), and GM Alexander Donchenko (2024) Perhaps Vetokhin can add his name to the list?  DanceSportReplay42:25DanceSport | 3rd Round Standard | Sport Series Games Qualifier | Sitges DanceSportReplay21:51DanceSport | Semi-final Standard | Sport Series Games Qualifier | Sitges You're just a ticket away from Milano Cortina 2026Get early bird pricings on Milano Cortina 2026 tickets to secure your spot for an experience of lifetime at the Winter Olympic Games in the magical Italy “The people we needed to come out didn’t come out,” the director says When “Black Bag” hit theaters in March the film received widespread praise and emerged as one of the most well-reviewed films of the year Its critical success did not translate financially The film grossed just over $38 million at the worldwide box office falling short of its reported $50 million budget “My concern is that the rest of the industry looks at that result and just goes ‘This is why we don’t make movies in that budget range for that audience because they don’t show up.’” “That’s the kind of movie I’ve made my whole career,” Soderbergh continued which we all don’t want to admit is disappearing Its seemingly wide-ranging appeal is one of the reasons why Soderbergh was surprised to see general audiences largely ignore the film. “It’s the best-reviewed movie I’ve ever made in my career, and we’ve got six beautiful people in it and they all did every piece of publicity that we asked them to do,” the filmmaker observed. “This is the result. So it’s frustrating.” Soderbergh did not blame the film’s performance on its distributor, Focus Features, “I think they did everything right. Going any wider was not going to solve the problem, obviously. They spent the money. I liked the campaign. They were incredibly supportive.” He also noted that Focus did assure him “Black Bag” was going to break even eventually. “I was worried. I don’t like losing people’s money,” he said. The “Ocean’s Eleven” filmmaker has spent the past several years making mostly straight-to-streaming, modestly-budgeted films like “No Sudden Move,” “Kimi” and “Let Them All Talk.” “Black Bag” is, along with “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” and “Presence,” one of the few Soderbergh films from the past six years to be released in theaters. That fact the film has only made a minimal impact among casual moviegoers is all the more frustrating for the filmmaker. “It’s really not fun when someone asks you, ‘What are you working on?’ and you go, ‘Oh, I just made this thing,’ and they go, ‘Oh, did that come out?’” Soderbergh confessed. “You get tired of that.” Structure, Program, and Sustainability. Originally, the house was only lived on the upper floor, with a highly compartmentalized layout consisting of corridors and rooms barely connected to each other or to the exterior. The ground floor was an independent space, lacking natural light and ventilation, due to the presence of a natural stone wall with limited openings to the outside. © José HeviaIn the day area located on the upper floor, the first bay contains the study; the second, the terrace, dining area, and kitchen; and the third, the living room, stairs, bathroom, and playroom. On the ground floor, the first and second bays contain the porch, entrance hall, master bedroom, and bathroom, while the third houses two bedrooms, a bathroom, stairs, and a laundry room. © José HeviaThe second phase involved creating new openings with structural reinforcements in both the facade and the interior load-bearing walls, in order to connect the three bays to each other and to the outside. This operation resulted in large windows and interior thresholds, generating four transversal circulation axes that provide a greater sensation of visual spaciousness while promoting cross ventilation.  © José HeviaThe new sight lines stretch across the entire house, from the interior to the sea and mountains, fostering a seamless flow of thresholds and rooms connected to the landscape. The project optimizes the energy efficiency of the house and enhances the flow of natural light to the deepest areas of the interior, also taking advantage of the thermal inertia of the stone walls. © José HeviaThe white ceilings and walls contrast with the presence of wood and the surrounding nature while enhancing the brightness of the interior. The interplay of wooden sliding doors, in harmony with the long horizontal strips that support the rails, is inspired by the structure of the Japanese sliding panels known as fusuma. These elements, combined with the wooden flooring and custom-made furniture, give rise to a warm domestic atmosphere.  the project is an opportunity to bring humans closer to their original state of connection with nature The duality between living and dead matter; the green of the mountain pines in contrast with the wood that once formed the chestnut trunks A landscape between the organic and the abstract blurring the boundaries between inside and outside where the interaction of light plays a poetic role You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email by October 4 It's October which means it's time to celebrate horror and all the magnificent genre cinema. Now underway in Spain is the 57th Sitges Film Festival, still regarded as THE best horror film festival in all of Europe. It's also the oldest horror festival in the world, with the very first festival taking place in 1968. This is my 6th year back to Sitges Sitges is a small beach town located just 30 minutes by train from Barcelona in Catalonia The official Catalan name of this fest is Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya which just translates to Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia it's much easier for me to attend Sitges instead of TIFF or Fantastic Fest or Fantasia or Beyond Fest or Telluride Horror Show (some of the best genre fests in North America) I'm glad Sitges usually plays the best films from these fests for everyone here in Europe to feast upon diving into horror and sci-fi and thrillers and action and everything fun from all corners of the world showing plenty of classics (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Night of the Creeps) as well as all the latest buzzy genre offerings (The Substance and Cuckoo and Strange Darling and Terrifier 3 and Presence) with their annual Zombie Walk on Saturday night & horror-themed decorations everywhere not to mention special booths selling tons of geeky movie merch Some of my other faves & hits from festivals earlier in the year are also showing: Cuckoo Unless you don't like horror or sci-fi or action but hey this fest is all about the craziest cinema creations if you want more thoughts on what I'm watching And now - time to enjoy some sun before the next screening Find more posts in: Editorial, Feat, Horror, Indies, Sitges Add our RSS to your Feedly +click here+ Latest posts now available on Bluesky: Get the latest posts sent on Telegram Want emails instead?Subscribe to our dailynewsletter updates: Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb by October 12 I don't enjoy writing negative reviews and I don't feel good about bashing films I try to remain positive and talk about what I love But sometimes there's a movie that is just so terrible that it is necessary to write about just so that the film industry can learn from their mistakes They will continue making bad films like this one But at least I expressed my frustration and dissatisfaction in hopes that maybe they would spend money on better projects next time around Luna (which translates to simply Moon) is a Spanish science fiction thriller film directed by filmmaker Alfonso Cortés-Cavanillas Because it's an entirely Spanish production made mainly for Spanish audiences the film had its world premiere at the 2024 Sitges Film Festival in Spain/Catalonia Luna is one of these awful films that makes me want to actually stop anyone about to watch it and implore they do not waste any time or money on it Luna features a script written by Jorge Navarro de Lemus (of Ego El Molino) and it's directed by Alfonso Cortés-Cavanillas (also of Ego I'm a bit worried that this already their fourth film together and somehow they're still allowed to make more Aside from the movie having that annoying streaming sheen it's so cheap and excruciating to sit through that I'm surprised it's not being dumped on DVD The concept for Luna involves a group of Spanish astronauts on a "recreational" trip to the Moon Some rich asshole has paid for this space tourism voyage all so he can get a photo standing on the Moon while a comet passes by Earth in the background a piece of the comet breaks off and smashes into Earth cutting off all communication (and destroying all life on Earth? It isn't an entirely original idea - The Cloverfield Paradox and 3022 and other indie sci-fi films have similar plots about Earth going dark with awful dialogue where every single line makes you roll your eyes Luna looks like it was shot in someone's garage (and not in some cool indie way It's extremely cheesy and cheap in every aspect Not a single moment of this movie looks acceptable The comet hitting Earth is some stock VFX shot that just happens off in the distance A scene involving comet debris crashing down on the Moon near them features bland VFX that were made by elementary school kids using some "My First CGI Modeler" software leftover from the 1990s The filmmakers inexplicably decided that every space tourist on this mission could have their own spacesuit (which makes no logical sense) so each character has a different spacesuit and they all look terrible This isn't any part of this film where anyone will actually feel an tension or worry or fear or concern for these people I wanted it to walk out after the first 15 minutes but I sat and suffered through the rest of it (only 94 minutes) just so I can report back that nothing happens at the end either – the script is so underwritten there isn't even a conclusion either The greatest relief is when the credits finally start rolling I always take the risk and try to watch any new (indie) sci-fi films with the hopes that maybe I'll discover something unique and exciting My frustration is not that the film is frustratingly bad it's that I'm sad I wasted 94 minutes of my own time sitting through this cinematic junk It represents everything wrong with sci-fi filmmaking from bad storytelling to annoying characters to horrible VFX and everything else This is a mission everyone must refuse no matter how exciting it sounds Just go out and enjoy the Moon from here.. Find more posts in: Review, Sci-Fi, Sitges Loreen, the Swedish two-time Eurovision winner, will headline this year’s music festival Terramar in Sitges, just south of Barcelona.  On August 3, the festival will host a Euro-Party, a night dedicated to the biggest Eurovision artists. Alongside the singer of ‘Tattoo’ and ‘Euphoria’ will be the Valencian duo Nebulosa, who represented Spain at Eurovision in 2024 with the song ‘Zorra’.  Also performing at Terramar will be the artist Kuve, who participated in this year’s Benidorm Fest with the song ‘LOCA XTI’, but didn’t become Spain’s representative in the Eurovision Song Contest. Tickets for the Euro-Party will go on sale on Friday, April 25, at 10 am. Separate from the Eurovision celebration, this year’s Terramar Festival will also feature international artists such as the Beach Boys and Kool & the Gang, who will perform on July 25 and August 9, respectively. v1.1.0. Copyright © 2025. Powered by EBANTIC. All rights reserved. The Sitges Fantasy and Horror Film Festival will honor American actor Giancarlo Esposito with the Time Machine Award.  known for his iconic role as Gus Fring in the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul series will be in Sitges to present his latest film The festival is also awarding Catalan filmmaker Mar Targarona with the Woman In Fan award an honor that the festival is bringing back after first introducing it two years ago.  explained that the event explicitly wants to support women in the film industry and this award is a manner of giving additional visibility to women in cinema.  31% of the films showing at the Sitges film festival have been created by women Garcia pointed out that this number is higher than what is shown at the Cannes and Venice film festivals and highlighted that Sitges seek talent to showcase with the limit of a specific genre The Sitges Fantasy and Horror Film Festival takes place in the seaside town south of Barcelona between October 3-13. You can see the full festival lineup here. Ángel Sala, director of the festival, also explained that new titles have been added to the Sitges program. Nightbitch, Sala highlighted, comes with decent chances at making the next Oscars. He called it a "risky film, very interesting, and very fun."  Another "very fun" title comes in Ick, a "classic monster movie" playing with themes of body horror. The Sitges film festival will be its European premiere.   Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a documentary that tells the tragic story of the actor and his dramatic accident that left him in a wheelchair.  V/H/S/Beyond is the latest installment of the cosmic terror series, telling the story of extraterrestrial invasion, while Shatter Belt is "interdimensional science-fiction fun," according to Sala. In addition to the excellent program of films on show, Sitges also offers two exhibitions for fans to enjoy in between screenings.  Coinciding with the festival's tribute to Freaks, Tod Browning's cult 1932 film, on exhibition pays homage to the figure of the "freak" in cinema and other disciplines. Elsewhere, 'The Strange Colors of Vranckx' showcases the poster art of the legendary illustrator Giles Vranckx. by October 14 There are an endless number of films about parenting (another good one this year - Nightbitch) But few films about parenting are ever this intelligent this compelling in their depiction of humanity's choices with parenting The Assessment is a new science fiction film directed by French filmmaker Fleur Fortune making her feature debut in what is irrefutably one of the most impressive feature debuts of 2024 Set in the near future when parenthood is strictly controlled it's about a couple who wants to have a baby so they're put through a seven day "assessment" of their viability as parents with extraordinary filmmaking bringing it all to life.. This will be on my Top 10 of the year - it's one of these amazing indie creations that instantly earns a spot on your list of favorites The Assessment is directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Fleur Fortune (she has also directed tons of music videos before) with a screenplay written by John Donnelly and Mrs It premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival and appeared at the Sitges Film Festival as a last-minute surprise screening at the very end of the fest So happy they decided to screen this – it deserves to be seen by audiences worldwide The Assessment takes place in a climate change ravaged future where the atmosphere is unstable and most live underground or in other safe haven places Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel star as Mia and Aaryan a couple living in a remote home doing their own high-level research for work They're happy and stable and want to have a baby which will be grown in ex-utero by the government who suddenly appears at their door for seven days of intense scrutiny and assessment they wake up the next day to discover Virginia acting like a rebellious toddler putting them through psychological hell as a test of their ability to be parents And this is just the start of her assessment captivating film for nearly a thousand different reasons This is what intellectual sci-fi is all about when it's handled with this much care & concern The main question isn't just "what would you do to become parents?" There are so many more intriguing questions it brings up: Why do you even want to be parents What makes you think you'd be a good parent Why are you worthy of being parents and others are not Then there's all of the sci-fi sides of it that are so subtly worked into the script without being overt and obvious Is this world better than one where people have freedom to have as many kids as they want What are the choices humanity made that led us to this kind of future Will choosing better people to have parents make the world better and/or prevent us from heading towards this future It even gets philosophical wondering: What is the more important for humanity - technological research or having kids I've been thinking about more and more questions it brings up and how it tries to answer them Or at least provoke us to consider the implications of each question & answer.. The best cinema comparison to make is that it reminds me of the brillaint sci-fi Ex Machina and how that film also makes you think about so many different questions & answers about technology (and A.I.) and humanity It's on the same brilliant level as that film It cannot be a coincidence that both Ex Machina and The Assessment star the exceptionally talented actress Alicia Vikander delivering yet another extraordinary performance in this who has the most complex performance in the film with (as I've said before) layers upon layers of emotions and experiences and Himesh Patel are all mesmerizing in this each one distinct in how they handle the situations they're put in and the questions they're asked These three strong performances are the backbone of the film driving the narrative and also keeping it nuanced and intellectual But they're only one part of the bigger picture as the film is ingenious because of how everything comes together as a film about more than just one idea or one thought Even if some of the bigger sci-fi concepts (even the climate change setting) are presented in lo-fi ways or just in the background they still play a part in making this sci-fi movie have such a profound effect on viewers I woke up the next morning after watching The Assessment and was awash with feelings & thoughts related to what I had experienced This can only happen when a film is seriously clever and complex crafted by a real artist who understands the great power of science fiction storytelling Even if I don't understand every single moment of it I'm excited to dig in & attempt to make sense of it attempt to understand what Fortune is trying to say Is this what she means?" The best cinema out there can then let us take all these thoughts and integrate them back into our own lives the vividly unique score by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch all of it is so breathtaking and fascinating I'm so glad there's still excellent innovative indie sci-fi being made out there So glad there are new films that can still challenge what we think and what we know and make us wonder what we're missing The Assessment is as much about assessing Mia and Aaryan as it is about assessing ourselves and our choices as humanity Sitges is home to one of the world’s biggest genre film festivals and as such draws the attraction of some of the world’s biggest stars in fantasy and horror cinema.  this year has seen plenty of superstars stroll the red carpet Australian Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush visited the Catalan seaside town to present The Rule of Jenny Pen an unsettling thriller about two rivals in a care home.  The legendary actor, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1997 for his role in Shine, received the Time Machine Award in recognition of his lifetime achievements in the entertainment industry "I can hardly express the feeling of being honored by this fantastic festival," Rush said in a speech in Catalan after receiving the award Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh was also in Sitges to open the festival with his latest work a horror-suspense film starring Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan.  expressed his gratitude to the audience in Sitges.    “Bringing so many people together in one room to watch the same thing is magical," he said Another star who graced the Sitges red carpet was Giancarlo Esposito famous for his portrayal of Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul one of the most iconic villains in recent years Esposito attended the festival to present his latest film a horror movie directed by Destry Allyn Spielberg The actor also received the Time Machine Award from the festival "When I meet a young director who has a vision and an idea who’s able to express that with real clarity who on the day sometimes says ‘maybe we should do it like this oh I have a new idea’ and you can flow with that is what creativity is all about," he said English actor and comedian Nick Frost was also at Sitges a film in which he serves as both screenwriter and protagonist.  Frost, known for his work with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright in Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End, received the Sitges Time Machine Award and told the media that he feels more comfortable in terror comedy.  "Maybe I feel more comfortable in this kind of movie in this genre of horror comedy—you kind of know how it works it’s just acting; the genre doesn’t really matter," he said Frost reflected on the importance of maintaining a good atmosphere on set.  "I like making sure that I can do what I can so everyone has a positive experience on the set that I’m working in And sometimes that’s easier when it’s on a little low-budget indie horror comedy than it is on a huge $300 million Hollywood picture," he added The Sitges Festival, which concludes on Sunday, is wrapping up its 57th edition after screening 235 feature films and 120 shorts from the horror genre, with thousands of attendees over the 10-day event.  Carnival kicks off in Catalonia with the arrival of Queen Belluga in Barcelona and in Torelló by symbolically cutting off their king's penis Catalonia's carnival celebrations are a whirlwind of color Barcelona's carnival celebration introduced a major change: the traditional Arrival of Queen Belluga was decentralized, moving from the Ciutat Vella district to Sants-Montjuïc due to construction works.   This edition merged two iconic events: the central city's Arrival, and the Arrival from the Sants neighborhood, known for its satire and the representation of King Carnestoltes in the form of a puppet inspired by current figures.  Beyond Barcelona, other cities across Catalonia have also embraced the carnival spirit with their own unique traditions.   In Sitges, a coastal city south of Barcelona, carnival is celebrated like a true local legacy. Their arrival of King Carnival: King Vergala Totarreus Partyhard, was organized by the historic Paperets Club at La Fragata.   The show transported the audience to the 'World of Eternal Party,' a realm created by a fun-loving god who enjoys disturbing the other gods. Sitges will be one of the invited guests to the realm for one week. The coastal city is expected to welcome around 250,000 visitors.   In Torelló, a city northeast of Barcelona, the carnival began with the Pullassu celebration. A playful, festive, and sexually charged event.  The story goes that sorcerer Xapot el Bruixot set out to deceive Margalef, the illegitimate son of King Carnestoltes, into cutting off his penis so that they could feast on botifarra (Catalan sausage) on Fat Thursday (Mardi Gras held on Thursday in Catalonia), while drinking the festival’s signature magical potion. The ceremony, filled with mythical creatures, music, and a lively audience, is a proud showcase of Torelló’s popular carnival culture.  This year, part of the festival’s imagery has been updated, and the four capgrossos (giant heads) representing the four most important carnivals in the country have been restored. Also Margalef, Torelló's main giant and illegitimate son of King Carnestoltes, has been renewed.   First published: October 13, 2024 10:43 AM The horror drama 'The Devil's Bath' by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz won the award for the best film at the 57th edition of the Sitges International Fantasy and Horror Film Festival. The story is based in Austria in the 18th century. Agnes, the main character played by Anja Plaschg, is a profoundly religious woman who has just married Wolf. Little by little Agnes will see herself on a lonely path with reocurrent bad thoughts. On an interview with the Catalan News Agency (ACN), Veronika Franz highlighted that the film talks about the "taboo of depression and suicide". 'The Devil's Bath will premiere on November 15 and it has been shortlisted by Austria to represent the country on the Oscars. The award for best direction has been awarded to Soi Cheang for 'Twilight for the warriors: walled in'. The film is based in Hong Kong in the 1980s, and it follows the main character Chan Lok-kwun looking for a better future.  The special award from the jury has been awarded to 'Exhuma' by Jan Jae-hyun and the award for best script to 'A different man' by Aaron Schimberg. 'Strage darling' by JT Mollner won the award from the public and the award for best photography for Giovanni Ribisi. “We are all most grateful to members of The Consumer Goods Forum for doing what is in their power to ensure the availability of these products at affordable prices We appreciate CGF members’ constant support for the efforts of national governments and public health bodies.” “The CGF proves that partnership creates more impact This is what I will hold myself accountable for – fostering the force of impactful partnerships to enable better lives through better business” The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) is committed to helping its members understand the challenge being faced and provides a unique global platform that promotes best practice sharing.” We had the opportunity to have a sit down with Leontien Hasselman During our discussion she broke down the key discussions that she really enjoyed during the conference that also connected with her session about the Data Paradox STANDARD: The BRCGS Global Standard for Ethical Trade & Responsible Sourcing Issue 2 achieved SSCI Recognition under Scope AI — Social Compliance: Manufacturing & Processing in November 2021 STANDARD: FISH Standard for Crew Version 1.0 achieved SSCI Recognition in March 2025 for Scope CI — Social Compliance: At-Sea Operations STANDARD: The Florverde standard for the sustainable production of flowers and ornamentals version 7.2.1 achieved SSCI Recognition under Scope BI – Social Compliance: Primary Production in April 2024 Florverde Sustainable Flowers (FSF) is an independent social and environmental standard which ensures that flowers certified under this scheme have been responsibly produced This requires flower growers to adopt measures that will protect and enable worker’s rights FSF also helps safeguard quality by requiring the proper care and handling of flowers STANDARD: FSSC 24000 Social Management System Certification Version 6.0 achieved SSCI Recognition under Scope AI — Social Compliance: Processing and Manufacturing in January 2024 The aim of FSSC 24000 is to ensure that social sustainability management system requirements are met resulting in certifications that assure organisations provide safe and fair working conditions and apply due diligence in their supply chain management FSSC 24000 provides a strategic approach incorporating the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and risk-based thinking which ensures the identification and control of social risk and continuous improvement This process demonstrates corporate responsibility and facilitates improving the social management systems and performance thus driving impact STANDARD: The Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard 2.1 achieved SSCI Recognition under Scope CI — Social Compliance: At-Sea Operations in November 2022 Global Seafood Assurances and the UK Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) announced a memorandum of understanding to work together to create the next version of the Responsible Fishing Scheme (RFS) committing to expand its global applicability which resulted in the creation of the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard GSA took ownership of the standards last year The first RFVS-certified vessel was announced in Australia in January and the second set of RFVS-certified vessels was announced in the United Kingdom in April The standard addresses social responsibility including working conditions and worker voice STANDARD: The SIZA Social Standard Version 6 achieved SSCI Recognition under Scopes AI — Social Compliance: Manufacturing & Processing and BI — Social Compliance: Primary Production in June 2023 the Sustainability Initiative of South Africa is enabling the South African agricultural sector to become a global leader in sustainable farming The aim is to encourage continuous improvement in practices over time SIZA aims to have a cost-effective approach for growers by supplying one standard and one audit no matter which market a producer supplies SIZA engages directly with stakeholders throughout the value chain to improve supply chain sustainability ensuring compliance and reducing risks while at the same time offering support and training with regard to best practices and continuous improvement Verification occurs via third-party audits STANDARD: WIETA Standard Version 4.0 achieved SSCI recognition under Scope AI — Social Compliance: Manufacturing & Processing and BI — Social Compliance: Primary Production in January 2025 The Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association T/A WIETA was the first South African social standard to establish an appropriate social auditing methodology for fruit and wine suppliers in South Africa WIETA proudly demonstrates how a multi-stakeholder model can  successfully promote a world class ethical trade and human rights programme within the wine value chain a rigorous capacity building and training programme for both workers and producers coupled with a participative multi-pronged approach to auditing and remedial approach to ensure sustained corrective actions the amfori BSCI enables companies to drive sustainability by setting up the human rights due diligence principles that business enterprises strive to implement in their global supply chain Representing over 2,400 participants in 46 countries the amfori BSCI operates in a variety of sectors and Garment & Textile with a combined annual turnover is evaluated to EUR 1.6 trillion The amfori BSCI Code of Conduct set out the values and principles for the implementation of supply chain due diligence The amfori BSCI System Manual outlines the supporting tools and methodology for participants to exercise human rights due diligence and environmental protection set out in the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct STANDARD: The Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) is currently being benchmarked under Scope BI – Social Compliance: Primary Production Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) is a business membership organisation which was established in 2002 It is an organisation meant to promote the interest of its members who are engaged in the production and export of cut flowers STANDARD: The KFC Flowers and Ornamentals Sustainability Standard Version December 2021 is currently being benchmarked under Scopes AI — Social Compliance: Manufacturing & Processing and BI — Social Compliance: Primary Production Kenya Flower Council (KFC) is the country’s leading Business Membership Association for growers and exporters of cut-flower and ornamentals KFC members account for approximately 80 percent of Kenya’s floricultural exports KFC also owns the Flowers and Ornamentals Sustainability Standards (FOSS) It is one of only three internationally benchmarked standards that demonstrate sustainable social environmental and good agricultural business practice benchmarks set by the EU-based Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) The standard encourages commitment to ethical practices innovation and promoting equitable trading practices thus ensuring that certified producers foster sustainable responsible and safe production of cut flowers and ornamentals The Council is in the forefront promoting Kenya as a reliable source of quality cut flowers and ornamentals and the country’s competitiveness in the global floriculture trade KFC is actively engaged in all major trade negotiations in existing new and emerging markets and in amplifying Kenya’s image in the international market as the most trusted source of cut flowers and ornamentals Kenya is the third largest producer of cut-flowers and ornamentals in the world and exports to over 60 destinations globally Floriculture is the fastest growing export sector in the Kenyan economy providing direct employment for over 200,000 workers KFC engages with key actors locally for a favourable business environment for growers and exporters of cut flowers and ornamentals STANDARD: The MPS-SQ Standard is currently being benchmarked under Scope BI — Social Compliance: Primary Production The Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard is designed to deliver more value to the more than four million farmers and workers and thousands of businesses that use Rainforest Alliance certification to drive more sustainable agricultural production and responsible supply chains The Sustainable Agriculture Standard is used in more than 70 countries around the globe and many other important commodity sectors facing urgent environmental and social challenges This website uses cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Functionality cookies need to be enabled at all times enabling you to move around the site and use its features we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again Third-party cookies are not installed and operated by The Consumer Goods Forum They are installed and read by third parties during your navigation time on our Website Please enable Functionality Cookies first so that we can save your preferences Analytical cookies may be used in view to establishing statistics on our Website’s audience More information about our Cookie Policy by October 16 How do you reinvent movies about ghosts? This is how. One of my favorite discoveries from the 2024 Sitges Film Festival is this delightfully kooky clever film from Taiwan called Dead Talents Society This first premiered at the 2024 Taipei Film Festival in Taiwan earlier this year then screened at TIFF and Fantastic Fest before sliding into Sitges It's another one of these indie gems films that I'm glad I took the time to watch because amidst so many mediocre and forgettable horror films in 2024 (sorry but too many of them are awful) Dead Talents Society is a bit of a Beetlejuice remix - it's not the only new Beetlejuice movie this year Ghosts are the main characters – people who have died in horrible ways who haunt the living despite not being seen by them and what makes it great is it progresses to places I was not expecting at all Directed by John Hsu as his second feature after 2019's Detention and co-written by John Hsu and Kun-Lin Tsai Dead Talents Society already opened in Taiwan cinemas earlier this year The main characters are ghosts and most of the film takes places within their "realm" of existence – humans that are alive can't see them but the ghosts also still occupy the world of the living Most of them participate in a game where they must come up with the most spectacular horrifying scares which cause even the most un-scareable living humans to freak out – bringing fame and glory to the ghost world One young Taiwanese woman played by actress Gingle Wang doesn't really care about all of this until she's told she must scare the living or vanish forever from the afterlife She's recruited by a goofy talent scout ghost and partners with a mega-famous veteran with a signature hotel room scare The twist is that she's not really good at scaring anyone It's an astonishing push back against a society that demands every kid be the best at something then grow up to the be the greatest I always admire films that dare to say something bold and take a stance against a taboo topic successfully commenting on something that is broken in society with an endearing and meaningful story Dead Talents Society achieves all of that and even goes above-and-beyond upbeat vibe that almost clashes with the scary supernatural realm it takes place in at the same time it carefully progresses into an especially intelligent criticism of the obsession with popularity and success especially in Asia where there is even more pressure from parents to become successful doctors or lawyers or whatever and not end up sounding preachy or obvious But this film is as far from preachy as any can be because it's intertwined with this highly entertaining horror genre story of ghosts and scaring the living and the art of haunting people and so on I am profoundly impressed by how delicately it mixes this commentary within this storytelling The second half has some surprising twists and turns that aren't about making viewers think "wow" they're more about making sure it has an honest voice Hsu and co-writer Kun-Lin Tsai successfully avoid any cliche by surprising us with actually nuanced the most valuable lesson from Dead Talents Society is that popularity can really be an unhealthy obsession and that we don't all need to chase it but everyone else will feel better simply living their lives in whatever ways bring joy and happiness to them it will stick with me for a long time beyond the festival There's one joke about coriander that made me laugh so hard I almost fell out of my chair Everyone needs a few good laughs and this has plenty It will keep you smiling and giggling while reminding us to stop chasing what isn't worth it An indie film creation that deserves to be a global hit Find more posts in: Horror, Review, Sitges By 2024-08-22T18:02:00+01:00 Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Mike Hermosa’s Sitges horror-comedy The Invisible Raptor Mike Capes and Johnny Wickham co-wrote the feature about a hyper-intelligent invisible raptor that breaks out of a top-secret laboratory and goes on the rampage through the nearby town The only hope of stopping the beast is a motley crew comprised of a disgraced paleontologist his unhinged amusement park security guard co-worker and a no-nonsense local celebrity chicken farmer The Invisible Raptor premiered at 2023 Sitges and screened at this year’s Glasgow FrightFest William Ramsey and Johnny Wickham produced the feature from Valecroft with Bobby Gilchrist serving as executive producer director of acquisitions and production at Well Go USA negotiated the deal with Ramsey on behalf of the filmmakers and said “The Invisible Raptor is a throwback to a more fearless when bold humour and boundless creativity dominated the market.” The producers said they were happy Well Go USA “shares our vision for the film and was able to see the massive potential present in a dinosaur that you can’t actually see” Oscar winner proposing federal tax incentives Monday’s statement to reporters follows Truth Social ‘Ish’ and ‘Learning To Breathe Under Water’ will also feature Company’s latest foray into genre will open theatrically on October 10 ’Thunderbolts*’ has achieved the third-biggest opening number for a US studio film in 2025 Screen International is the essential resource for the international film industry access to the Screen International archive and supplements including Stars of Tomorrow and World of Locations Site powered by Webvision Cloud by October 13 Holy freaky hell this film is an instant horror classic The Rule of Jenny Pen is an outstanding new horror feature from New Zealand that premiered at Fantastic Fest 2024 before touring to 2024 Sitges Film Festival for its European debut I'm so glad I was there to witness it and incur the wrath of Jenny Pen the best horror films are experienced with passionate horror audiences watching something together for the very first time cheering and applauding and gasping when all the craziest moments happen The Rule of Jenny Pen isn't really the scariest horror film Modern horror doesn't have to be "scary" anymore to be good But it is terrifying in an extraordinarily disquieting "I never ever want to experience anything like this in my life ever" way A guy who wears a doll on his hand torments old people This is such a bonkers horror concept that shouldn't really work at all especially with this great cast and this filmmaker The Rule of Jenny Pen is a suspenseful, elevated horror movie set almost entirely in an elderly care home. It's directed by Kiwi filmmaker James Ashcroft, bringing us his second horror feature following up 2021's Coming Home in the Dark with a screenplay co-written by James Ashcroft and Eli Kent You'd never believe they could pull off a clever horror concept set at an elderly care facility where one of the kooky old residents goes around with a doll on his hand using it to torment others and scare them all would've been happy to keep watching - I was glued to my seat The film had me fully invested in the story genuinely freaked out by what was happening caught up in hoping the residents would soon defeat this sick bastard and frightened by the imagery even though there isn't much gore at all This is how you make an unsettling horror film without resorting to blood and guts and violence it's just much more uncomfortable than it is grotesque And best of all - there are a shocking number of perfectly lit perfectly composed horror shots that will make you want to burst out into applause right then and there because all of it looks so damn good unquestionably one of the best genre discoveries of late 2024 – the filmmaking choices and disturbing intensity and freaky thrills and originality are all off the charts And the two lead performances are exceptional and make it all believable and extremely unsettling Geoffrey Rush stars as a stern judge named Stefan whose body begins to fail him after a stroke John Lithgow co-stars as his tormentor Dave another resident there who seems a bit off of it who also hides a dark side all the while convincing the orderlies he's harmless an ex-rugby star who ends up being one of the coolest side characters in this and an important part of the plot the titular star of this horror film who is the unrelenting ruler of this home a simple plastic doll puppet doesn't seem that scary The way the lighting makes her eyes glow had me second guessing whether or not there's a supernatural side to this story subtly hinted at Her closest companion is Chucky but Jenny is a horror villain deserving of her own acclaim As engrossing as it is to watch this story of elderly men unfold it only bothered me that it's so relentlessly brutal towards the protagonists I hate seeing anyone tormented without any chance of escape or recourse as it is irrefutably a smart horror movie with a conscience That's what impressed me about the filmmaking – at the end of it all it isn't merely horror for horror's sake it's empathetic horror with a thought behind it introducing a new horror concept and sending her to great heights all the while earning acclaim with horror audiences The 57th edition of the Sitges International Fantasy and Horror Film Festival is here showcasing the best in contemporary genre film and looking back at some classics that have shaped the history of this cinema style there are 235 feature films and 120 shorts showing at the Sitges Fantasy and Horror Film Festival between October 3-13.  Titles showing this year which stand out include Terrifier 3 from the Art the Clown saga; The Substance Demi Moore’s latest work which won Best Screenplay at Cannes this year and received a 13-minute standing ovation; Nightbitch the surreal horror comedy starring Amy Adams; Apartment 7A the long-awaited prequel to The Devil's Seed and Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End Once again the festival will welcome A-listers in the world of cinema who will be recognized with the Time Machine Award this year and is known especially for his role as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul who made films such as Traffic and Ocean's Eleven will kick off the festival in Sitges on Thursday with his new movie Presence while Australian Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush will also be in town to show off his latest Soderbergh will have the responsibility of opening the festival on Thursday with Presence her husband (Chris Sullivan) and their children begin to experience unexplained phenomena after moving into a new house in the suburbs The strange presences that manifest around them make them cross the fine line between reality and perception The festival is divided into different sections which are titles competing for the top honors of the festival Major international directors are competing in the official selection Quentin Dupieux returns to Sitges with his film that opened the last edition of the Cannes Film Festival while Soi Cheang also returns with the action/thriller Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.  Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz are back with The Devil's Bath Ireland is also well presented this year with one of the year’s biggest surprises in genre cinema this year will compete in the official selection.  Sitges will be delighting film buffs with screenings of vintage classics and this year The Texas Chain Saw Massacre arrives in 35mm the original 1954 Godzilla will be shown in 4K and the festival pays homage to Tod Browning’s 1932 cult classic Freaks accompanied by a cycle of films 🎪 exploring the circus and fairground space New Visions is a category of the festival highlighting experimental films and hybrid genres; Panorama highlights movies with an indie spirit; Brigadoon is for totally independently produced works; Anima’t is for animated films; while Seven Chances looks at older films worth revisiting or discovering Check out the full program on the Sitges Fantasy and Horror Film Festival website. By 2024-10-17T22:11:00+01:00 Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks has announced distribution deals on its animated feature and recent Sitges world premiere Dalia And The Red Book Warner Bros Discovery has picked up East European rights Alfa Pictures and Moving Pictures will release the family film in Spain and in Argentina this weekend; Tondero Distribucion will release in Peru on October 31 and Caribbean Cinemas in Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic Previous deals saw The Walt Disney Company acquire for Brazil and other Latin American territories for release in December through Star Distribution before the film lands on Disney+; Little Brother took German-speaking territories; Nashe Kino acquired CIS and the Baltics; AV Jet took Taiwan; Muse Ent acquired for Singapore; and Nos Lusomundo took the film for Portugal Argentinian filmmaker David Bisbano directed Dalia which is inspired by The NeverEnding Story and Corpse Bride and follows the adventures of a girl who finishes the book started by her late author father “We are so happy with the audience reaction in Sitges and private screenings creating strong opportunities for this bold film that was the very first to mix the three animation techniques – stop motion and 2D classic animation,” said FilmSharks head Guido Rud Dalia And The Red Book is scheduled to receive its international premiere at Tallinn Black Nights section Just Film next month (November 8-24) by October 10 His third feature is Zero and it's his most provocative yet as it's about two Americans who wake up in Senegal with bombs strapped to their chests So many questions at the start that the film does eventually answer in distinct & surprising ways It's really refreshing to see Herbulot continue to make edgy genre films that are unlike anything else made by North American and European filmmakers or waking up in a strange place (like Saw) they didn't expect It's what the film does with this concept and where the story goes that makes it compelling & unique the first guy who wakes up on a bus in Dakar with a bomb on his chest He's given a phone & earpiece and suddenly the voice of Willem Dafoe calls in and tells him he has to complete 5 missions within 10 hours or kaboom played by Cameron McHarg with a big bushy beard the other American guy who wakes up in Dakar with a bomb on his chest It turns out that #1 was on his way to Dakar anyway All that matters now is following orders and doing what he's told - so off he goes because the police are already after him The first 30 minutes play out like the early scenes in The Matrix where Neo is told how to get out of the office before Agents find him Aside from the obvious ticking clock concept the pacing isn't overly erratic or intense the film takes its time to breathe and rest inbetween the intensity of the missions and most of the performances are just barely good enough to grab the audience's attention but that doesn't take away from the overall edginess and thrill of what Herbulot is trying to do with Zero He absolutely has something to say with this film It's not just an exercise in genre filmmaking and ticking clock writing thankfully there's more driving this story this time It's naturaly violent and brutal but actually for a reason – the characters learn there is a value in death even though they're still unwilling participants in this game As with most films I watch at film festivals I do no want to discuss spoilers or reveal everything said in the film thus making it really hard to discuss it in full now There's a point in the final act where the film finally comes together and everything is explained – there is a point to all of this chaos And I admire that Herbulot is confident enough to make this point and to take us on this hair-raising journey around Dakar This scrappy style of filmmaking might not be for everyone and of course some Americans might be slightly disturbed by seeing these two American characters at the center of it be used as pawns to criticize America But these kind of films are necessary and are important in cinema anyway And I'm especially relieved that Herbulot is also a legitimate genre filmmaker - he knows how to tell gripping stories take us through the narrative as these two dudes try to navigate the craziness of Dakar while they've got a bombed strapped on It's provocative storytelling wrapped around vivid filmmaking and I'm all for this Whether or not the point being made actually makes sense is a different question I do think it encourages the kind of conversation that we're all afraid of having And what does freedom for Africans really mean when most of Africa has been colonized by Europeans or White people from other parts of the world It's kind of awesome to see these questions worked into a film that plays at genre festivals and gets horror fans riled up Find more posts in: Review, Sitges This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page we had the opportunity to interview Bram van Schijndel Tromp he shared his vision for reducing waste in the retail sector specifically addressing the billion kilograms of cardboard wasted annually on promotional displays Bram also gave us an exclusive sneak peek into the exciting new innovations Pure Value is working on which he describes as ‘Tinder for Business.’ Another Bears Sitges Week is in the books and our good friend TeTe from @bearsmeets for @bearssitgesofficial  sent us these first look photos for you all to enjoy We will have a lot more coverage on this Bear World Magazine Award winning event in the days to come including an interview with the new Mr Bear Sitges Sergi Gorgues and a firsthand account of the festivities from Beltran Horisberger Despite reports of indecent behavior and potential cancellation of the event going forward it has been confirmed that Bears Sitges Week will return September 5-14 let’s enjoy these photos from around the town and at the Mr Bear Sitges competition Our Staff Writing Team works hard to bring you great content and share news & events from the bear community and beyond Bear World Magazine is a Gray Jones Media brand, visit www.grayjonesmedia.com for more info Bear World Magazine reaches over 1.6 million people per month through our website and socials Download the 2024 Bear World Magazine Intro Deck here. To advertise, please contact advertising@grayjonesmedia.com  If you want to contact us with feedback, or if you have a story, please email: editor@bearworldmagazine.com BWM: Can you tell us a bit about your background where you are from and current city of residency and I was born in a small town of 2,000 habitants located in the west of Catalonia and I moved to finish my studies in Barcelona which is where I still live and work as a graphic designer BWM: What attracts you to the bear community Sergi: What attracts me most about the bear community is how friendly it is because I was so hairy and a bit chubby and I was feeling that I didn’t fit in anywhere I have never felt judged for how I dressed or what my body was like so I have always felt at ease knowing that I was at home BWM: Tell us about your local bear community and some of your favorite places to hang out and events to attend is small compared to other cities where there is more of a bear presence it has three well-known bear bars and a party that takes place monthly in Barcelona (and during the Bears Meeting or the Bear Week in Sitges) One advantage for the bear community in Barcelona is that Sitges is very close by with another bear community of its own and bars like the Bears bar or Parrots and beaches like Balmins where bears go to refresh in the hottest months there is the well-known Bears Week Sitges which we already know about Sergi: My experience during the competition was very pleasant and fun This year I didn’t initially plan to enter because I already participated in the previous edition and came in third place but some friends convinced me because they knew that I had a great time at the Mr so in the end I decided to sign up at the last minute and my only goal was to repeat the experience and enjoy it BWM: What are the responsibilities of being Mr Bear Sitges I guess I’ll be the visible face of the Bear community in Sitges for at least a year And I might be a good example for the many people that don’t feel comfortable with their own bodies that you can get where you want to go no matter what your situation is I lived in a remote village in the interior of the country and I would never have imagined getting to where I am today BWM: What are your goals for your title year I haven’t thought about what events to attend yet I’d like to go to some big bear events or parties in the USA because it’s always caught my attention it would be easier to attend some bear events at a national level like the Bear Carnival in Maspalomas or the Madbear in Torremolinos BWM: How was this year’s Bear Week Sitges the Sitges bear week has always been a lot of fun since I discovered it in 2018 I think it’s a great place to meet up with acquaintances and old friends I’ve been attending this event for 6 years and this year I didn’t have holiday time like in other years so I only had the option of coming and going to Sitges when I could after work I attended the POPair BBQ party and nights in the Bear Village in addition to having some drinks at the bars on “Pecado” Street Be sure to follow Sergi, Mr. Bear Sitges 2024 on Instagram @mistersegork Feature Films Database Southern Mediterranean films database Scriptwriters European Film Schools Production Companies Distributors International Sales Submit a Film Industry Reports Co-Production Podcast Online Screenwriting Training Course Guided Course for Feature Film Writing Script Analysis Analysis of the potential of your series Cineuropa's Training Catalogue Film Festival Photographs Newsletter Photogalleries EUFCN Location Award Euro Film Fest 27 Times Cinema GoCritic! Advertise on Cineuropa Logos and Banners SITGES 2024 Awards by Olivia Popp 14/10/2024 - The Austrian-German film secured top prize in the Official Fantastic Competition alongside two other gongs with the Special Jury Award going to Jang Jae-hyun’s Exhuma including the José Luis Guarner Critics' Award for Best Film given out by the Catalan Association of Cinematographic Critics and Writers and the Carnet Jove (European Youth Card) Jury Award for Best Feature Film The jury also presented the Korean supernatural horror-mystery Exhuma by Jang Jae-hyun which also premiered at the Berlinale earlier this year These prizes are given to the best European feature and short fantastic films of the festival by the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF) a network of 29 genre film festivals in 21 different countries Camila Beltrán’s Colombian-French Mi bestia [+see also: film reviewfilm profile] which premiered earlier this year in Cannes’ ACID parallel section scooped the Blood Window Award for best Ibero-American film JT Mollner’s Strange Darling received the People’s Choice Award for the Official Fantastic Competition while John Hanchiang Hsu’s Dead Talents Society took home two People’s Choice trophies for best film in the Sitges Collection strand and the Focus Asia Award (best Asian film) Matúš Vizár’s Free the Chickens (Best Animated Short Film) and Félix Dobaire’s Chew (Best Short Film from the Official Fantastic Competition will be automatically eligible for the Academy Awards Best Feature FilmThe Devil’s Bath [+see also: film reviewtrailerinterview: Veronika Franz, Severin Fialafilm profile] – Veronika Franz Special Jury AwardExhuma – Jang Jae-hyun (South Korea) Best DirectionSoi Cheang – Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong) Best ActressKristine Froseth - Desert Road (USA) Best Actor (ex-aequo)John Lithgow – The Rule of Jenny Pen (New Zealand)Geoffery Rush – The Rule of Jenny Pen Best ScreenplayAaron Schimberg – A Different Man (USA) Best Special, Visual or Makeup EffectsDigital District, Machina Infinitum – Else [+see also: film reviewtrailerfilm profile] (France/Belgium) Best MusicDie Hexen – Fréwaka [+see also: film reviewtrailerinterview: Aislinn Clarkefilm profile] (Ireland) Best CinematographyGiovanni Ribisi – Strange Darling (USA) Best Feature FilmA Desert – Joshua Erkman (USA) Best DirectionGrazia Tricarico – Body Odyssey [+see also: film reviewinterview: Grazia Tricaricofilm profile] (Italy/Switzerland) SGAE Nova Autoria Award for Best Direction-Production (ex-aequo)Blava Terra – Marine Auclair (Spain)Passed/Mother – Benjamin Hindrichs (Spain) SGAE Nova Autoria Award for Best Original MusicYuliya Protasova – De-Sastre (Spain) Best Animated Feature FilmMemoir of a Snail – Adam Elliot (Australia) Best Animated Short FilmFree the Chickens – Matúš Vizár (Slovakia/Czech Republic) Best Feature FilmZero – Jean Luc Herbulot (USA) Brigadoon Paul Naschy Award for Best Short Film Céntrico – Luso Martinez (Spain) Best European Fantastic Genre Feature FilmAnimale [+see also: film reviewinterview: Emma Benestanfilm profile] – Emma Benestan (France) Best European Fantastic Genre Short FilmMeat Puppet – Eros V (UK) Blood Window Award for Best Ibero-American Production Best Feature FilmMi bestia [+see also: film reviewfilm profile] – Camila Beltrán (Colombia/France) José Luis Guarner Critics' Award for Best FilmThe Devil’s Bath – Veronika Franz Citizen Kane Award for Best New Director Thibault Emin – Else Best Short Film in the Official Fantastic CompetitionChew – Félix Dobaire (France) Best Feature Film in the Official Fantastic CompetitionThe Devil’s Bath – Veronika Franz Best Sitges Documenta FilmGrand Theft Hamlet [+see also: film reviewfilm profile] – Pinny Grylls Grand People's Choice Award for Best Film - Official Fantastic CompetitionStrange Darling – JT Mollner (USA) People’s Choice Award for Best Film - Panorama sectionHandsome Guys – Dong-Hyub Nam (South Korea) People’s Choice Award for Best Film - Sitges Collection sectionDead Talents Society – John Hanchiang Hsu (Taiwan) People’s Choice Award for Best Film - Midnight X-treme sectionDie Alone – Lowell Dean (Canada) Focus Asia People’s Choice AwardDead Talents Society – John Hanchiang Hsu Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox 05/05/2025Festivals / Awards – Czech Republic Czech Republic’s Anifilm goes sci-fi 05/05/2025HOFF 2025 The Shadow and U Are the Universe win at Estonia’s Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival 05/05/2025Crossing Europe 2025 – Awards The New Year That Never Came and The Flats crowned at Crossing Europe 30/04/2025Cannes 2025 16 works to be presented in the Immersive Selection at Cannes 30/04/2025Festivals / Awards – Romania The New Year That Never Came sweeps the Romanian Gopos 30/04/2025goEast 2025 – Awards Holy Electricity comes out on top at goEast Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the most important daily or weekly news on European cinema Cannes 2025 Marché du Film AFCI runs its second annual Global Film Commission Network Summit at Marché du Film Festivals / Awards Czech Republic Distribution / Releases / Exhibitors Europe European Arthouse Cinema Day set to return on 23 November Cannes 2025 Marché du Film Indie Sales presents a three-star line-up at Cannes HOFF 2025 Crossing Europe 2025 Awards Cannes 2025 Marché du Film Be For Films to sell Love Me Tender in Cannes Cannes 2025/Sponsored Latvia set to shine bright at Cannes, led by Sergei Loznitsa’s competition entry Two Prosecutors Las Palmas 2025 MECAS/Awards Manuel Muñoz Rivas and Joana Carro win awards at the eighth MECAS Cannes 2025 Marché du Film Playtime to present some high-impact and entrancing trump cards at Cannes Production / Funding Italy Shooting begins on Walter Fasano’s Nino, a portrait of scoring maestro Nino Rota goEast 2025 Review: My Magical World Market TrendsFOCUSA busy spring festival season awaits the European film industry. Cineuropa will continue to keep its readers up to date with the latest news and market insights, covering the buzziest events, including Cannes, Kraków, Karlovy Vary, Tribeca, Hot Docs, Annecy, Brussels, Munich and many others Distribution, Exhibition and Streaming – 02/05/2025Slovak crime-thriller Černák becomes the highest-grossing film in domestic cinemasThe second film in the saga about a local mafia boss, directed by Jakub Króner, outgrossed its first part, which dominated Slovak cinemas last year Animation – 30/04/2025Mirko Goran Marijanac • Media sales executive, DeAPlaneta EntertainmentDuring our chat, the exec shared key insights from this year’s Cartoon Next and touched on the current climate for the animation sector Jaśmina Wójcik • Director of King Matt the First The Polish director discusses her approach to taking on a 1920s children’s literary classic in an unexpected way Želimir Žilnik • Director of Eighty Plus The Serbian director discusses his deep suspicion of ideologies in relation to his irresistibly charming latest feature, which follows a man whose life spans three political systems Paulina Jaroszewicz • Distribution and marketing manager, New Horizons Association Cineuropa sat down with the Polish distributor to discuss her company’s strategy as well as the connection between its distribution line-up and BNP Paribas New Horizons Festival’s programme Lorcan Finnegan • Director of The Surfer The Irish filmmaker discusses his mystery-thriller, how he created the character with Nicolas Cage and his approach to the use of colours in the film Privacy Policy The images used on this website have been provided by journalists and are believed to be free of rights if you are the owner of an image used on this website and believe that its use infringes on your copyright We will remove the image in question as soon as possible We have made reasonable efforts to ensure that all images used on this website are used legally and in accordance with copyright laws About us | Contact us | Logos and Banners Mission | Partners | Team | Donations | Terms and conditions Best Dressed at Met Gala 2025 - Top 32 Red Carpet Looks Revealed! Rihanna Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 3 With A$AP Rocky! Every Celeb at Met Gala 2025 - See All Red Carpet Photos & Full Guest List (Updating Live All Night) Destry Allyn Spielberg is ready for the world to see her directorial feature debut The 27-year-old filmmaker, who is the daughter of acclaimed director Steven Spielberg and actress Kate Capshaw premiered the new movie at the 2024 Sitges Film Festival on Friday night (October 11) in Sitges Destry was joined on the carpet by her boyfriend of two years, Jake Herskowitz Here is the film’s synopsis: “After a viral outbreak ravaged the country’s adult population a group of orphans make their way south in search of a new life only to find themselves at the mercy of a deranged woman harbouring a dangerous secret.” Destry said her goal as a filmmaker is to work with fresh talent “My goal was to bring in as many new faces as possible – that’s kind of my goal as a director in the future,” she said “I want to start careers – I’m sick of seeing movies that lack young talent There are so many young and talented actors that are not getting seen I think the whole system is bullshit and I don’t understand why the industry is so exclusive Browse through the gallery for more photos of Destry Spielberg at the festival… By 2024-09-26T01:25:00+01:00 Source: Adam Reiland © Minds Eye Entertainment Carrie-Anne Moss and Douglas Smith in ‘Die Alone’ Myriad Pictures has closed a raft of territory sales on Die Alone starring Carrie-Anne Moss Douglas Smith and Frank Grillo ahead of the survival horror-thriller’s presentation in Sitges next month Lowell Dean directed Minds Eye Entertainment’s story about a man suffering from amnesia who teams up with a rugged survivalist in a post-apocalyptic world to find his girlfriend Myriad has licensed the film in Australia (Rialto) Further sales have closed in Poland (Monolith) The film’s international rollout is expected to begin in autumn and continue into 2025. Quiver will release day and date in the US on October 18 and Film Option/Cineplex will release in select theatres in Canada “We look forward to continuing to work with the international distributors and festivals to bring this original and elevated genre film to worldwide audiences.” which gave Moss her breakout role opposite Keanu Reeves is currently in US theatres to commemorate the sci-fi smash’s 25th anniversary She was recently seen in Disney+’s The Accolyte and will join Arnold Schwarzenegger in Fubar Season 2 for Netflix Grillo can be seen in Tulsa King and his credits include The Grey Smith starred in Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga and can be seen in All The Lost Ones on Paramount+ The 57th Sitges Film Festival is back to celebrate fantasy and horror movies from October 3 to 13 in the seaside town of Sitges, south of Barcelona.   Two actors and two directors will receive honorary prices during the festival, as announced on Wednesday on a press conference.   The actors who will be visiting the Catalan city are British actor Nick Frost, known for 'Spaced' and 'Zombies Party', and the 80s American star Corey Feldman, known for films like 'Gremlins' and 'The Goonies'.   Director, screenwriter, and film producer Fred Dekker ('House', 'Night of the creeps', RoboCop') and the Italian film director Ovidio G. Assonitis ('Beyond the Door', 'Tentacles', 'The visitor') will be the two film directors who will receive an honorary prize by Sitges Film Festival.   In addition, the International Federation of Festival de Méliès has awarded the Méliès Career prize to French filmmaker Christophe Gans ('Brotherhood of the Wold', 'Silent Hill').   On a press conference, the festival has announced some of the films that will be screened this year, such as ‘Terrifier 3’, ‘Exhuma’, ‘Azrael’ or ‘A Different Man’.   'Terrifier 3', directed by Damien Leone is the third part of this saga starring David Howard Thornton and Lauren LaVera about the 'terrifying' Art the Clown.   Catalan film director Carles Torrens will present his latest film 'Apocalipsis Z: El principio del fin’ (whic translates to 'the beginning of the end'). It is the adaptation of a book by Manuel Loureiro about zombies, but also a personal journey about emotional and physical survival, all of this located in Galicia.   Another of the films that will be presented is 'Una ballena' by Pablo Hernando, where Ingrid Garcia Jonsson plays a murderer that can infiltrate anywhere and disappear without leaving any trace.   Sitges Film Festival will also be a place for animated movies to premiere such as ‘Spermageddon’ by Tommy Wirkola and Rasmus A. Sivertsen, ' Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust’ by Indian director Ishan Shukla, and ‘Ghost Cat Anzu’ by Japanese filmmakers Nobuhiro Yamahita and Yôko Kuno.   In addition, the festival will pay homage to the 1932 film 'Freaks' directed by Tod Browning, which will also be the center of some panels and the theme for other films that will be screened in October.   And after my husband and I took our two sons (ages 16 and 22) to the Iberian Peninsula we more fully appreciate why this country is perfect for families We visited Madrid and Barcelona, vibrant world cities that have so much to see and do. From the iconic architecture of Gaudi in Barcelona to the famed galleries of Madrid's Prado museum, you'll really have to pace yourself. In both urban centers, we used Go City which has a variety of city passes for shorter or longer durations as our kids could choose whatever they wanted to see -- and we didn't feel like their choices were constantly emptying our wallets In Barcelona, we used our passes for a relaxing waterfront cruise that enabled us to admire the city from the Mediterranean. We also sampled the newest architecture, with a visit to the top floor of Torre Glories While in Madrid, the Prado was a hit with all of us given its extensive collection that includes Rubens we also booked an e-bike ride through the city to admire the architecture of El Retiro Park and we discovered that we all really love the freedom e-bikes provide on busy city streets But we know that kids -- even older ones -- only have so much interest in museums and parks, so we also allowed time for some sillier activities. We followed the boys to the Museo de Cera (the wax museum) where they had a fantastic time chuckling at some of the famous figures on display and rolling their eyes on the not-so-scary Horror Train ride (it's intended for little kids but they insisted on getting their free ride) ended up being a great side benefit for all of us we searched the Viator website for some day tour options while in Barcelona Our kids pushed for a combo Spain/France/Andorra tour; they loved the idea of visiting two additional countries on this vacation My husband and I were also intrigued by the idea and we ended up having a nice time together We visited lovely small towns in each country enjoying a meal in each and soaking in the local culture -- and met an interesting variety of travelers in our small group we all were able to nap in our comfortable tour bus so we returned from the tour reasonably refreshed We wanted the boys to experience and learn about some of the incredible Gaudi architecture in the city, but I knew from past experience that no kids want to hear a parent drone on and on about buildings and history. So we hired a local company, Private Cicerone Sagrada Familia and the city's famed beachfront provided the perfect mix of historical knowledge and she kept our kids' attention the whole time with her easy banter and fun personality We loved the countless options in each city and felt like we could spend a lifetime just sampling incredible hole-in-the-wall restaurants on almost every street enabling them to try things without committing to an unfamiliar dish as their entire meal they each discovered some dishes that were pleasant surprises In Barcelona, be sure not to miss tiny, adorable Ocho Bcn run by a couple with a passionate desire to serve excellent small plates We've eaten there several times over the years while initially skeptical of the tiny restaurant were quickly won over by the gnocchi and the grilled octopus We also had a delightful meal at the Majestic Hotel & Spa's rooftop restaurant the views of the city matching the fresh dishes Iberian meatballs and the fresh pasta there The boys still talk about the amazing desserts Speaking of rooftop restaurants, we ate well in Madrid at the Four Seasons' stunning Dani Brasserie which also offered unmatched city views and breathtaking architecture You can't go wrong with any of their seafood entrees but we also found the pasta and steaks to be perfectly prepared we enjoyed the chef's menu at La Musa -- everything was conveniently preselected for us We actually spent much of our Barcelona time in the quaint little Mediterranean beach town of Sitges I thought that Sitges was a better option with the boys If they didn't quite get the charm of the big city they could spend more time at the beach on their own This picturesque Spanish town is an easy 35-minute train ride to the center of Barcelona The kids loved being able to walk to the beach in less than five minutes rent a cabana and have a lazy European beach day you can order drinks or food from the beach staff or wander across the street and choose from a variety of nearby restaurants for a quick burger or pizza making their Midwestern friends jealous of their posh seaside surroundings By 2024-10-15T00:11:00 Néstor Sánchez Sotelo of Del Toro Films is producing SIGN IN if you have an account Access premium content Subscribe today If you have an account you can SIGN IN now Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Still from occult film ″Exhuma″ [SHOWBOX] Still from horror comedy film ″Handsome Guys″ [NEW] CHALLENGES THAT COMPANIES MUST FACE IN ORDER TO GROW European creativity has new references – our colleagues from CHINA part of LLYC have stood out at Eurobest 2024 Created for the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival this campaign pays tribute to Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film The Birds With the work done for the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival a Gold in Film – Screens & Events and a Bronze in Film – Use of Humour This site uses analytical cookies, customization and personalized advertising from third parties in order to analyze your browsing on the website and show you content tailored to the preferences known by this analysis of your browsing and behavior on the web. 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First published: October 10, 2024 01:35 PM Zombie survival adventures, experimental filmmaking methods, and a virus that targets the rich – these are just some examples of Catalan talent shining on the international platform provided at Sitges, at Catalonia’s biggest film festival. Carles Torrens, whose 2011 directorial debut Apartment 143 was a smash hit, premiered his latest work, the zombie survival adventure ‘Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End’, at this year’s Sitges festival. The Catalan director says that above all, he wanted to talk about human selfishness with the film. “You could describe the film a bit as ‘political fiction,’ as the book it’s based on is too, as it describes what Spanish society would do” at the beginning of an apocalypse, Torrens said at his Sitges press conference. The film begins on day one of a global society-destroying emergency, and starts with people slowly realising their new reality.  An examination of people and society, and set in a world which has already experienced the Covid-19 pandemic, Torrens asked rhetorically, “Who is the best survivor? The one doing things legally because they think at some point this situation will end and they’ll go back to the welfare state that they know, or those who never got to grow up in this welfare state, in democracy, because they’ve always been marginalized?” Elsewhere, Catalan director Marc Recha, known for an avant-garde approach to filmmaking, has given a world premiere of his latest experimental work, ‘Centaures de la Nit’, at Sitges. The film is shot mostly at Poblet Monastery in Tarragona with a cast largely made up of non-professional blind actors. One of the challenges of making the film was capturing ”the verticality of the space” on camera, Recha said. The Poblet Monastery buildings “have a lot of vertical space in them, which offers the image of the sky which works very well with the imagination of blind people.”  The film has poetic and surreal touches and is shot in black and white, and is set in the Poblet Monastery in the 1960s. The film is part of the New Visions section of the Sitges Festival, and is partly inspired by the world of the Slovenian blind photographer Evgen Bavcar and the imagination of Luis Buñuel. Featuring English, Catalan, and Spanish dialogue, Rich Flu, by Basque director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia is also competing in the official selection this year. The Catalan-produced work imagines a world plagued by a virus that only affects the rich and powerful.  Director Gaztelu-Urrutia won the top award at the Sitges festival in 2019 with ‘El Hoyo’, and with his latest work, he wanted to subvert privilege roles and to play with the experience of migration experienced “by a privileged person from the Global North, who in normal circumstances would never be persecuted or discriminated against.”   All crises "have taught us that those who have the most will always have the best chance of getting ahead, whether in a climate crisis, a natural catastrophe or a war," the director explained. As such, he wanted to ask what would happen if "the curse" fell on those who have historically been "immune to almost everything."  The film is competing in the official selection at Sitges International Fantasy and Horror Film Festival.  Competing in the official shorts category, Malet, by Roger Danès Morera and Alfred Pérez-Fargas, is set in rural Catalonia in the 16th century. A healer arrives in a town to aid the mayor's son, but a local warns him that a curse hangs over the family. Malet was screened ahead of the festival opener, 'Presence', directed by Steven Soderbergh.   As well as established filmmakers, the festival also provides an opportunity for film students in Catalonia to showcase their work, with short films on show grouped under the Nova Autoria category. Marine Auclair recently graduated from the ESCAC film school and shared the award for Best Direction-Execution for her Catalan language piece, Blava Terra. Also showing this year was Lluna by Pol Mansachs, whose work comes from the ECIB school.