The Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival has sold 14% more advance tickets than last year, with just one week to go before it kicks off. Director Mònica Garcia says the early sales show the public’s enthusiasm for this year’s edition, which runs from 9 to 19 October.
Right now, comedy in horror is the festival’s main theme. The event opens with Alpha by Julia Ducournau and will honour Benedict Cumberbatch, Terry Gilliam, Carmen Maura and Joe Dante before closing with Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of The Long Walk.
Festival director Ángel Sala announced a major addition to the programme. Sitges will premiere the opening minutes of HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry, a prequel series to the It universe. Executive producers Barbara Muschietti and Andy Muschietti will attend the screening.
Meanwhile, car brand Cupra is putting up 20,000 euros for the best film winner in the Official Fantàstic competition. The money will support the film’s distribution in Spain.
The official selection includes 34 films, featuring directors like Park Chan-wook with No Other Choice, Radu Jude’s Dracula, Ben Wheatley’s Bulk, and Spanish entries like Eduardo Casanova’s Silencio and Paul Urkijo’s Gaua.
This year Sitges is launching a hybrid format between public encounters and press conferences. Benedict Cumberbatch, Julia Ducournau, Scott Derrickson, Emilie Blichfeldt and Ben Wheatley will all take part.
The festival also debuts its MaestrAs cycle, taking over from Horror Girls to host conversations with female creators. Participants include Ducournau, producer Gale Anne Hurd, actresses Carmen Maura, Nancy Loomis and Barbara Crampton, plus director Mary Harron.
However, the traditional Zombie Walk will feature the Re-Animator team, with actress Barbara Crampton and composer Richard Band as special guests.
Sitges mayor Aurora Carbonell announced the town will install a three-metre King Kong sculpture near Sant Sebastià beach as a tribute to the festival. The work by Antoni Parera Buxeres will stand on the path between the beach and Hotel Melià, where much of the festival activity takes place.
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