SITGES - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia () is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain. It specializes in fantasy, horror and cult films. Established in 1968, the festival takes place every year, usually in early October, and is considered to be one of the world's top three largest and most prestigious genre film festivals, alongside Fantasia and Fantastic Fest.
History The festival's origins lie in the International Week of Fantasy and Horror Movies, held in 1968.
The 58th edition of the festival was held from 9 to 19 October 2025. The winner of the Best Feature Film in SOFC was Emilie Blichfeldt for her film The Ugly Stepsister (Den stygge stesøsteren).
In July 2026, the Sitges Film Festival and the International Federation of Film Critics announced the establishment of a three-member FIPRESCI jury awarding a FIPRESCI Award among the titles beginning with the 2026 festival edition.
Venues The main venue of the Sitges Film Festival is the Auditori (Auditorium), located in the Hotel Melià Sitges, which has a capacity of 1,380 seats. In the same building the Tramuntana Room provides space for journalists to gather each morning.
As of 2023, other venues are: Cine El Retiro, Cine Casino Prado, and various other venues in the "King Kong area" providing for exhibitions, gatherings, and other events.
Directors , the director of the festival since 2001 is Àngel Sala Corbí. Previous directors have included:"Dimiteixen els responsables de Sitges Teatre Internacional", Teatralnet, 13 Feb 2001, (in Catalan). [Consulted 27-05-2020]."Team", Sitges Film Festival official website. [Consulted 27-05-2020].
Roc Villas i Ventura (1999–2000) Àlex Gorina i Macià (1994–1998)
Awards Since 1971 the festival has given awards to the best films, actors, and filmmakers.
The festival is accredited by FIAPF as a "competitive film festival specialised in fantasy films".
The Gorilla (Official Fantastic Section) are the festival's main awards. Award-winners are selected by an international jury. These awards are:Festival Awards, official website of the Sitges Film Festival. [Consulted 27-05-2020].Festival Award-winners for the 52nd Edition (2019), official website of the Sitges Film Festival. [Consulted 27-05-2020]. Best Feature-Length Film Best Director Best Actor Best Actress Best Screenplay Best Special Effects Best Cinematography Best Original Score Special Jury Prize Grand Audience Award for Best Motion Picture (Official Fantastic Selection) Best Fantastic Genre Short Film
The festival also presents: The José Luis Guarner Critics' Award Citizen Kane Award for the Best Debut Feature (Best New Director) The Noves Visions (New Visions) Award The Carnet Jove Jury Award (film selected by a youth jury) The Grand Honorary Award (for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema) The Anima't Awards for Best Animated Short and Feature Film The Màquina del Temps (Time Machine) Award, given to individuals from the fantasy world film genre The Midnight X-Treme Award, for the best motion picture from the special screenings (selected by the Carnet Jove Jury) Time Machine Award: In recognition of the lifetime achievement of film personalities and/or institutions that have had a special relationship with the festival and, above all, with the fantastic genre.
and a few others.
Winners Year Best Film Best Director Best Actor Best Actress1971Sitges 1971 AwardsJanusz Majewski (Lokis) and Michael Skaife (Necrophagus)Vincent Price (The Abominable Dr. Phibes)Youn Yuh-jung (Woman of Fire)1972Sitges 1972 AwardsThe CrematorRobert Mulligan (The Other)Rudolf Hrusinsky (The Cremator)Geraldine Chaplin (Zero Population Growth)1973Sitges 1973 AwardsJuan Luis Buñuel (Au rendez-vous de la mort joyeuse)Eugene Levy (Cannibal Girls)Andrea Martin (Cannibal Girls)1974Sitges 1974 AwardsRobert Fuest (Dr. Phibes Rises Again)Mark Burns (House of the Living Dead)Cristina Galbó (Let Sleeping Corpses Lie)1975Sitges 1975 AwardsDavid Cronenberg (Shivers)Paul Naschy (La Maldicion de la Bestia)Lana Turner (Persecution)1976Sitges 1976 AwardsDario Argento (Profondo Rosso)Peter Cushing (The Ghoul)Brenda Vaccaro (Death Weekend)1977Sitges 1977 AwardsDan Curtis (Burnt Offerings)Burgess Meredith (Burnt Offerings)Karen Black (Burnt Offerings)1978Sitges 1978 AwardsLong WeekendRichard Franklin (Patrick)John Hargreaves (Long Weekend)Camille Keaton (Day of the Woman)1979Sitges 1979 AwardsJuraj Herz (Panna a netvor)Gerhard Olschewski (Der Mörder)Lisa Pelikan (Jennifer)1980Sitges 1980 AwardsVeljko Bulajic (The Man to Destroy)Nicholas Worth (Don't Answer the Phone)Cyd Hayman (The Godsend)1981Sitges 1981 AwardsWalerian Borowczyk (Docteur Jekyll et les femmes)Mircea Bogdan (Povestea dragostei)Linda Haynes (Human Experiments)1982Sitges 1982 AwardsTony Williams (Next of Kin)Richard Chamberlain (The Last Wave)Annie McEnroe (Warlords of the 21st Century)1983Sitges 1983 AwardsLe Dernier CombatLuc Besson (Le Dernier Combat)Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, John Carradine (House of the Long Shadows)Elizabeth Ward (Alone in the Dark)1984Sitges 1984 AwardsThe Company of WolvesCarl Schenkel (Abwärts)Joe Morton (The Brother from Another Planet)Amy Madigan (Streets of Fire)1985Sitges 1985 AwardsRe-AnimatorShuji Terayama (Farewell to the Ark)John Walcutt (Return)Lori Cardille (Day of the Dead)1986Sitges 1986 AwardsBlue VelvetSergei Parajanov, Dodo Abashidze (The Legend of the Suram Fortress)Juanjo Puigcorbé (Més enllà de la passió)Caroline Williams (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2)1987Sitges 1987 AwardsA Hungarian Fairy TalePaul Verhoeven (RoboCop)Michael Nouri (The Hidden)Jill Schoelen (The Stepfather) 1988Sitges 1988 AwardsThe Navigator: A Medieval OdysseyGeorge A. Romero (Monkey Shines)Grigory Gladiy (Otstupnik)Kate McNeil (Monkey Shines)1989Sitges 1989 AwardsHeart of MidnightPeter Greenaway (The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover)Michael Gambon (The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover), Nicolas Cage (Vampire's Kiss)Rosanna Arquette (Black Rainbow)1990Sitges 1990 AwardsHenry: Portrait of a Serial Killerex-aequo: Sam Raimi (Darkman), John McNaughton (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer) Jeff Goldblum (Mister Frost) Lindsay Duncan (The Reflecting Skin)1991Sitges 1991 AwardsEuropaJean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro (Delicatessen) Dominique Pinon (Delicatessen) Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply) 1992Sitges 1992 AwardsMan Bites DogQuentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs)Benoît Poelvoorde (Man Bites Dogs)Joey Wang (A Chinese Ghost Story III)1993Sitges 1993 AwardsOrlandoDave Borthwick (The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb)Federico Luppi (Cronos)Jennifer Ward-Lealand (Desperate Remedies)1994Sitges 1994 AwardsJustino, a Senior Citizen Killer71 Fragmente einer Chronologie des Zufalls & Justino, un asesino de la tercera edadScott McGehee, David Siegel (Suture)Santiago Segura (Justino)Jane Horrocks (Deadly Advice)1995Sitges 1995 AwardsCitizen XChris Gerolmo (Citizen X), Michael Almereyda (Nadja (film))Stephen Rea (Citizen X)Bridget Fonda (Rough Magic)1996Sitges 1996 AwardsThe Pillow BookMohsen Makhmalbaf (Gabbeh)James Woods (Killer: A Journal of Murder)Melinda Clarke (Killer Tongue)1997Sitges 1997 AwardsGattacaScott Reynolds (The Ugly)Sam Rockwell (Lawn Dogs)Reese Witherspoon (Freeway)1998Sitges 1998 AwardsCubeMichael Di Jiacomo (Animals with the Tollkeeper)Jared Harris (Trance)Évelyne Dandry (Sitcom)1999Sitges 1999 AwardsRinguBen Hopkins (Simon Magus)Noah Taylor (Simon Magus)Emma Vilarasau (The Nameless)2000Sitges 2000 AwardsIn the Light of the MoonGeoffrey Wright (Cherry Falls)Steve Railsback (In the Light of the Moon)2001Sitges 2001 AwardsVidocqBrad Anderson (Session 9)Eduard Fernández (Fausto 5.0)Yūki Amami (Inugami)2002Sitges 2002 AwardsDracula: Pages From a Virgin's DiaryDavid Cronenberg (Spider)Jeremy Northam (Cypher)Angela Bettis (May)2003Sitges 2003 AwardsZatōichiAlexandre Aja (High Tension)Robert Downey Jr. (The Singing Detective)Cécile de France (High Tension)2004Sitges 2004 AwardsOldboyJohnnie To (Breaking News)Christian Bale (The Machinist)Mónica López (El Habitante Incierto)2005Sitges 2005 AwardsHard CandyJohnnie To (Election)Lee Kang-sheng (The Wayward Cloud)Lee Young-ae (Sympathy for Lady Vengeance)2006Sitges 2006 AwardsRequiemMartin Weisz (Grimm Love)Thomas Kretschmann, Thomas Huber (Grimm Love)Sandra Hüller (Requiem)2007Sitges 2007 AwardsThe FallJaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza (REC)Sam Rockwell (Joshua)Manuela Velasco (REC)2008Sitges 2008 AwardsSurveillanceKim Jee-woon (The Good, the Bad, the Weird)Brian Cox (Red)Semra Turan (Fighter)2009Sitges 2009 AwardsMoonBrillante Mendoza (Kinatay)Sam Rockwell (Moon)Elena Anaya (Hierro), Kim Ok-vin (Thirst)2010Sitges 2010 AwardsRare Exports: A Christmas TaleJalmari Helander (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale)Patrick Fabian (The Last Exorcism)Josie Ho (Dream Home)2011Sitges 2011 AwardsRed StateJulia Leigh (Sleeping Beauty)Michael Parks (Red State)Brit Marling (Another Earth)2012Sitges 2012 AwardsHoly MotorsLéos Carax (Holy Motors)Vincent D'Onofrio (Chained)Alice Lowe (Sightseers)2013Sitges 2013 AwardsBorgmanNavot Papushado, Aharon Keshales (Big Bad Wolves)Andy Lau (Blind Detective)Juno Temple (Magic Magic)2014Sitges 2014 AwardsI OriginsJonas Govaerts (Cub)Nathan Phillips (These Final Hours), Kōji Yakusho (The World of Kanako)Essie Davis (The Babadook), Julianne Moore (Maps to the Stars)2015Sitges 2015 AwardsThe InvitationS. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk)Joel Edgerton (The Gift)Pili Groyne (The Brand New Testament)2016Sitges 2016 AwardsSwiss Army ManYeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan)Daniel Radcliffe (Swiss Army Man)Sennia Nanua (The Girl with All the Gifts)2017Jupiter's MoonCoralie Fargeat (Revenge)Rafe Spall (The Ritual)Marsha Timothy (Marlina The Murderer In Four Acts)2018ClimaxPanos Cosmatos (Mandy)Hasan Majuni (Pig)Andrea Riseborough (Nancy)2019The PlatformKleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles (Bacurau)Miles Robbins (Daniel Isn't Real)Imogen Poots (Vivarium)2020PossessorBrandon Cronenberg (Possessor)Grégoire Ludig, David Marsais (Mandibules)Suliane Brahim (The Swarm)2021LambJustin Kurzel (Nitram)Franz Rogowski (Luzifer), Caleb Landry Jones (Nitram) Susanne Jensen (Luzifer), Noomi Rapace (Lamb)2022SisuTi West (Pearl)Jorma Tommila (Sisu)Mia Goth (Pearl)2023When Evil LurksBaloji (Omen)Karim Leklou (Vincent Must Die)Kate Lyn Sheil (The Seeding)2024The Devil's BathSoi Cheang (Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In)John Lithgow & Geoffrey Rush (The Rule of Jenny Pen)Kristine Froseth (Desert Road)2025The Ugly StepsisterPark Chan-wook (No Other Choice) Cast of The PlagueRose Byrne (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You)
See also List of fantastic and horror film festivals European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation
References
External links Official site