The 56th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia took place from 5 October to 15, 2023, in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain. The supernatural horror film Sister Death, directed by Paco Plaza, opened the festival. Argentine horror film When Evil Lurks by Demián Rugna won the Best Feature Film Award.
Background The official artwork for the festival was unveiled on 24 May 2023. Photographed by Nacho Alegre, it was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film The Birds, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the film. On 12 September, the festival announced both the recipients for the special awards and the complete lineup. German-American producer Jan Harlan and American director and visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett wil received the Honorary Grand Prize while Spanish director J. A. Bayona, Japanese director Hideo Nakata and American director Lee Unkrich, all will be honored with the Time Machine Award (Premi Màquina del Temps).
Juries The juries consists of the following members:
Main competition Jérôme Paillard, French producer Ana Torrent, Spanish actress David C. Fein, American producer Kim Newman, British critic and writer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Australian film critic and historian
Noves Visions / Anima't Katharina Kubrick, American art director Sergi Caballero, Spanish filmmaker Fred Tsui, Chinese consultant
Blood Window / Òrbita Max Karli, French film producer Agnela Domínguez, Spanish cultural manager Júlia Olmo, Spanish journalist and critic
Méliès d'Argent Matthew Turner, British journalist and film critic Alexandra West, Canadian film critic Maura McHugh, Irish writer
Brigadoon Raúl Cerezo, Spanish director Daniel Rodríguez Sánchez, Spanish writer and critic Aida Solé, Spanish blogger
Crítica / Méliès d'Or Ylenia Cañadas, Spanish film critic Francesc Miró, Spanish film critic Antoni Peris, Spanish film critic
SGAE Nova Autoria Jaume Balagueró, Spanish director and screenwriter Marta Grau, Spanish screenwriter, writer and script editor Alfonso De Vilallonga, Spanish film composer, vocalist and singer-songwriter
Sections The films selected for each section are as follows:
Official selection In competition English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Acid Acide France Best Wishes to All みなに幸あれ Yuta Shimotsu Japan Club Zero Jessica Hausner Austria, United Kingdom She Is Conann Conann Bertrand Mandico France, Luxembourg, Belgium When Evil Lurks Cuando acecha la maldad Demián Rugna Argentina Divinity Eddie Alcazar United States The Animal Kingdom Le Règne animal Thomas Cailley France In Flames Zarrar Kahn Canada, Pakistan It Lives Inside Bishal Dutta United States Kubi 首 Takeshi Kitano Japan The Wait La espera F. Javier Gutiérrez Spain La Morsure Romain de Saint-Blanquat France Late Night with the Devil Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes Australia Red Rooms Les chambres rouges Pascal Plante Canada Flies Moscas Aritz Moreno Spain, Argentina Omen Baloji Tshiani Congo, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, South Africa Riddle of Fire Weston Razooli United States Robot Dreams Pablo Berger Spain, France Killing Romance 킬링 로맨스 Lee Won-suk South Korea France Sleep 잠 Jason Yu South Korea Sorcery Brujería Christopher Murray Chile, Mexico, Germany Stopmotion Robert Morgan United Kingdom The Seeding Barnaby Clay United States The Universal Theory Die Theorie von Allem Timm Kröger Germany There's Something in the Barn Magnus Martens Norway Tiger Stripes Amanda Nell Eu Malaysia, Taiwan, France, Germany, Netherlands, Indonesia Infested Vermines Sébastien Vaniček France Vincent Must Die Vincent doit mourir Stéphan Castaing France François Simard, Annouk Whissel, Yoann-Karl Whissel France Műanyag égbolt Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó Hungary, Slovakia Highlighted title indicates Best Feature Film winner.
Out of competition English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Special Screenings Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out Jake Van Wagoner United States Amelia's Children Portugal Awareness United States, Spain Blood Brad Anderson United States The Boy and the Heron 君たちはどう生きるか Hayao Miyazaki Japan The Chapel La ermita Carlota Pereda Spain Society of the Snow La sociedad de la nieve J. A. Bayona Spain Poor Things Yorgos Lanthimos United Kingdom Sister Death Hermana Muerte Paco Plaza Spain The Toxic Avenger Macon Blair United States UFO Sweden Crazy Pictures Sweden Midnight Special God Is a Bullet Nick Cassavetes United States Gueules noires France
Shorts English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Abominations Mike Fontaine United States Ahora vuelvo Lucas Paulino, Gabe Ibáñez Spain Bloody Fury Jordan Inconstant France Callus Ciarán Hickey Ireland Escape Attempt Alex Topaller, Daniel Shapiro United States, Portugal Eyestring Javier Devitt United States, Argentina Fishmonger Neil Ferron United States Hito Stephen Lopez Philippines Honk Charles de Lauzirika United States I'm Not a Robot Victoria Warmerdam Netherlands, Belgium Intercanvi Alberto Evangelio Spain Paragon Colin Treneff United States Pesudo Miquel Díaz Pont Spain Stop Dead Emily Greenwood United Kingdom Storm Lena Tsodykovskaya United States Sugar Rag Jai Love United States, Australia The Many Worlds of George Goodman Gregg Bishop United States The Shore Eron Sheean Netherlands, Australia Anima't A Night with Moosina Wang Shen Zhi Ye Shiu-Cheng Tsai Taiwan Astoria Franch Dion France Bye Bear Jan Bitzer Germany De Imperio Alessandro Novelli Portugal, Spain Drijf Levi Stoops Belgium Eeva Morten Tšinakov, Lucija Mrzljak Estonia, Croatia Flite Tim Webber United Kingdom Garden of Remembrance Naoko Yamada Japan Ghost of the Dark Path Fish Wang Taiwan La última historia Vicente Molina Spain Nezumikozō Jirokichi Rintaro Japan, France No Room at the Inn R. O. Blechman United States Radio-Pilotis Sonia Gerbeaud France, Portugal Sweet Like Lemons Jenny Jokela United Kingdom, Finland The Great Arc Camille Authouart France The Smile Erik van Schaaik Netherlands, Belgium To Bird or Not to Bird Martín Romero Spain Special Sessions ALEXX196 & la plage de sable rose Loïc Hobi France, Switzerland Dark Cell Jean-Michel Tari France La ley del más fuerte Raul Monge Spain Los cómplices Alberto Evangelio Spain Milk & Cookies Giancarlo Fernandez United Kingdom Paradero 893 Marc Martínez Pijoan Spain Tooth Jillian Corsie United States Venus Jolan Nihilo, Mickaël Dusa France
Órbita English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Black Flies Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire United States Concrete Utopia 콘크리트 유토피아 Um Tae-hwa South Korea Diabolik: Ginko Attacks! Diabolik - Ginko all'attacco! Marco Manetti, Antonio Manetti Italy The Roundup: No Way Out 범죄도시3 Lee Sang-yong South Korea Jackdaw Jamie Childs United Kingdom Jericho Ridge Will Gilbey Kosovo, United Kingdom The Extortion La extorsión Martino Zaidelis Argentina The Night Owl 올빼미 Ahn Tae-jin South Korea Lumberjack the Monster 怪物の木こり Takashi Miike Japan Mad Fate 命案 Soi Cheang Hong Kong Night of the Hunted Franck Khalfoun France Property Propriedade Daniel Bandeira Brazil Smugglers 밀수 Ryoo Seung-wan South Korea The Childe 귀공자 Park Hoon-jung South Korea The Last Stop in Yuma County Francis Galluppi United States Where the Wind Blows 風再起時 Philip Yung China, Hong Kong Highlighted title indicates Òrbita winner.
Panorama English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) #Manhole Kazuyoshi Kumakiri Japan Appendage Anna Zlokovic United States Blackout Larry Fessenden United States Brooklyn 45 Ted Geoghegan United States Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism Nick Kozakis Australia Hood Witch Saïd Belktibia France Last Straw Alan Scott Neal United States Let It Ghost Hoi Wong Hong Kong Nina of the Wolves Nina dei lupi Italy Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls Andrew Bowser United States Project Silence 탈출: Project Silence Kim Tae-gon South Korea Rabia Mexico Restore Point Bod obnovy Robert Hloz Czech Republic Superposition Karoline Lyngbye Denmark The Forbidden Play 禁じられた遊び Hideo Nakata Japan The Sacrifice Game Jenn Wexler United States You'll Never Find Me Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell Australia Special Screenings Cuando los amos duermen Santiago Alvarado Spain Immersion 忌怪島 Takashi Shimizu Japan The Primevals David Allen United States Tokyo Revengers 2: Bloody Halloween Part 1 東京リベンジャーズ2 血のハロウィン編 運命 Tsutomu Hanabusa Japan Tokyo Revengers 2: Bloody Halloween Part 2 東京リベンジャーズ2 血のハロウィン編 決戦 Tsutomu Hanabusa Japan
Anima't English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Deep Sea 深海 Tian Xiaopeng China Four Souls of Coyote Kojot négy lelke Áron Gauder Hungary Tender Metalheads Heavies tendres Joan Tomàs, Carlos Pérez-Reche, Juanjo Sáez Spain Komada – A Whisky Family 駒田蒸留所へようこそ Masayuki Yoshihara Japan Lonely Castle in the Mirror かがみの孤城 Keiichi Hara, Takakazu Nagamoto Japan Mars Express Jérémie Périn France Sand Land Toshihisa Yokoshima Japan Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light Tonda, Slávka a kouzelné světlo Filip Pošivač Hungary, Solavkia Special Screenings Phoenix: Reminiscence of Flower 火の鳥 #エデンの花 Shōjirō Nishimi Japan The Feast of Anrita アムリタの饗宴 Saku Sakamoto Japan Highlighted title indicates Best Animated Feature Film winner.
Noves Visions English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) All You Need is Death Paul Duane Ireland Embryo Larva Butterfly Kyros Papavassiliou Greece, CyprusFor Night Will Come En Attendant la Nuit Céline Rouzet France Halfway Home Madarász Isti Hungary Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant Ariane Louis-Seize Canada Hundreds of Beavers Mike Cheslik United States In My Mother's Skin Kenneth Dagatan Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan The Last Night of Sandra M. La última noche de Sandra M. Borja de la Vega Spain Luka Jessica Woodworth Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Armenia Mimì: Prince of Darkness Mimì - Il principe delle tenebre Brando De Sica Italy Mondays: See You "This" Week! Ryo Takebayashi Japan Monolith Matt Vesely Australia Moon Garden Ryan Stevens Harris United States Motel Melati Mike Wiluan, Billy Christian Indonesia, Singapore My Animal Jacqueline Castel Canada Pandemonium Quarxx France Raging Grace Paris Zarcilla United Kingdom River Junta Yamaguchi Japan Cobweb 거미집 Kim Jee-woon South Korea The Funeral Orçun Behram Turkey The Invisible Fight Rainer Sarnet Estonia, Lithuania, Greece, Finland The Last Ashes Läif a Séil Luxembourg, Belgium The Uncle David Kapac, Andrija Mardesic Serbia, Croatia The Vourdalak Le Vourdalak Adrien Beau France Where the Devil Roams Zelda Adams, John Adams, Toby Poser United States Petit Format A Kind of Girl Who Knows Blanche Seyoung Lee South Korea Collection of Extremely Short Stories Pedro Villaça Brazil Cultes David Padilla France Days of Spring Arianne Hinz Netherlands Gable Theo Taplitz United States Half-Dream Jan Grabowski Poland Mothers and Monsters Édith Jorisch Canada Pruning Lola Blanc United States Retrodreaming Alisa Berger Germany, Japan Spoor Statten Roeg, Sunita Soliar United Kingdom, Mexico The Old Young Crow Liam Lopinto Japan, United States Zero at the Bone Erin Grant United States Petit Format - Special Sessions Mamántula Ion de Sosa Germany, Spain Print the Legend Victor Matellano Spain We Are Animals Thijs Bouman Netherlands Highlighted title indicates Noves Visions winner.
Series English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 30 Coins 30 monedas Álex de la Iglesia Spain The Other Side El otro lado Javier Ruiz Caldera, Alberto de Toro Spain Luz en la oscuridad: Daniela, dulce y bella Spain Romancero Tomás Peña Spain, United States
Nova Autoria