The 59th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia will take place from 8 to 18 October 2026, in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain. In this edition of the festival, a tribute will be paid to Brian De Palma, the director of 1976 American supernatural horror film Carrie, on its 50th anniversary of release.
The festival will open with American thriller film Found Alive by Carlota Pereda. American filmmaker, Robert Eggers will receive the Time Machine Award, in "recognition of an outstanding career that has made a decisive contribution to the rejuvenation of contemporary fantastic and horror cinema". Spanish actress Bárbara Rey will be honored with the Nosferatu Award.
Festival overview
Poster On 15 May, in the Fantastic Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film, artistic director Ángel Sala and Mònica Garcia Massagué presented the official poster of the Festival. The poster featuring a teenage female figure covered in "glittery red strips", evokes the bloodbath the protagonist of 1976 American supernatural horror film Carrie suffers during the film's climax. With this the festival is highlighting the 50th anniversary of the teen-horror film, one that shaped the 1970s and 1980s by introducing stories about prom nights, bullying, and psychic powers, beginning with Carrie.
FIPRESCI jury In June 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.
2026 Lineup The complete programme of 2026 edition was revealed on 23 September.
MaestrAs The Program Dedicated to Pioneering Women will be attended by following women, the top-tier female creators from the fantastic and horror genre landscape: K. J. Relth-Miller Bárbara Rey, Spanish film and television actress Adrienne Barbeau, American actress and author Julie Corman, American film producer Virginie Bourdin, art and visual developer Anna Biller, American filmmaker
Juries The juries consists of the following members:
Main competition Giona A. Nazzaro, artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival and critic specializing Valeria Vegas, Spanish transgender journalist, essayist, writer, documentary filmmaker and producer Andy Starke, British film and television producer Alex Litvak, screenwriter and producer Merry Colomer, producer at Morena Films
Noves Visions J. D. Fernández Molero, Peruvian filmmaker Jeff Goodwin, veteran makeup artist and special effects expert Gabriela Martí, director of the Rizoma Festival Short films
Fernando de Felipe, professor and film screenwriter , Mihai Chirilov, Romanian film critic, and the artistic director of the Transilvania International Film Festival Nicole McControversy, Beyond Fest programmer Méliès d'Or Fred Neuen, president of the Luxembourg Film Academy Shaun Sutton, executive at Blumhouse Inga Headland, international project consultant
Sitges Documenta / Òrbita Pablo Guisa, producer and CEO of Grupo Mórbido Bob Murawski, American film editor and distributor Natasha Durán, specialist and founder of Hulahoop
Anima't Hugh Welchman, British filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. , Spanish film producer and director specializing in animated films Mary Yanko, Ukrainian director and visual artist
Brigadoon Sabina Pujol, the director of programming for the B-Retina Festival , actress and musician José Luis Salvador Estébenez, journalist and film critic
FIPRESCI Jury Raquel Abad Eirik Bull Emanuele Di Nicola
Carnet Jove Anna Rodellas Gràcia Hug Banqué Majó Naomi Lladó Quer Nerea Itsaso, and Noah Aznar Canorea
SGAE Nova Autoria , director and screenwriter , writer and screenwriter Roque Baños, Spanish composer and director
Official sections The Official Selections have a wide mix of genre films, horror, sci‑fi, fantasy, thrillers, and blends of all these.
Opening film English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies) Found Alive Carlota Pereda Spain, United States
Closing film English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies) Wicker Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson United Kingdom, United States, Australia
Secció Oficial Fantàstic a Competició
The following films will compete in Official Fantastic In-Competition Selection:
English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies) 11 Clàudia and Paula Serra SpainThe Birthday PartyLéa MysiusFrance Blades of the Guardians Yuen Woo-ping China, Hong KongBuddyCasper KellyUnited States Carapace Salitre Norma Vila SpainColonyYeon Sang-hoSouth KoreaCompanyCasey AffleckUnited States, Canada, Romania, Italy, United Arab Emirates Drag Raviv Ullman and Greg Yagolnitzer United States DreamQuil Alex Prager United Kingdom, United StatesEl exterior Víctor Moreno Spain Belgium The End of It Maria Martínez Bayona United Kingdom, Norway, Spain The Face of Horror Anna Biller United Kingdom Found Alive Carlota Pereda United States Frost Pavle Vuckovic Serbia Full PhilQuentin Dupieux France Ghost in the Cell Joko Anwar Indonesia Hot Spot Agnieszka Smoczyńska Poland, Greece, Sweden, NorwayThe IncomerLouis PaxtonUnited Kingdom Las hijas Daniel Romero Spain LeviticusAdrian ChiarellaAustraliaLos Vampires Craig Mitchell United States MUTTER: The Diary of a Mother Alphan Eşeli Turkey Never After Dark Nebâ Afutâ Dâku Dave Boyle Japan Nightborn Yön Lapsi Hanna Bergholm Finland, France, Lithuania, United Kingdom No Rest for the Wicked Kasper Kalle Denmark, Faroe Islands, IcelandThe Ones Who Grieve Alexandre Claudin FranceOnslaught Adam Wingard United States River Joshua Giuliano United StatesSpecies SanguineMarion Le CorollerFranceSheep in the BoxHirokazu Kore-edaJapanThe SpiralL'estraneaPaolo StrippoliItaly, France, BelgiumTitanic Ocean Greece, Germany, Romania, France, Spain Upiro Óscar Martín SpainVictorian PsychoZachary WigonUnited Kingdom, IrelandWe Are Aliens Kohei KadowakiJapan, France Wildwood Travis Knight United States
Shorts The following films were selected to be screened as a part of the Shorts section:
Official Fantastic Competition (Oficial Fantàstic Competició - Curts)
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Curts Fantàstics a Competició I (121 minutes) La ley de las acciones Carlos Hernández ColombiaBad Tooth M. Dara Alavi United States CARNE Laura Plebani Alavi Italy, United Kingdom, Northern Ireland Sleep Tight Grace Presse United States The Man Who Controls The Traffic Lights Ahmad Johardien South Africa
Sitges Collection English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies) 5 More Minutes 5 minutos más Javier Ruiz Caldera SpainBeware Boiúna Mike P. Nelson United States, GermanyCrawlers Ángel Hernández Gómez United States The Cycle Jordan Downey United Kingdom Half Samjad India Hope 호프 Na Hong-jin South Korea The House on the Moon 明月共此時 Nelson YeoSingapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Germany Inherit Banjong PisanthanakunThailand The Mage Danny Pang Phat, Oxide Pang Hong KongRain Catcher Michele Fiascaris United Kingdom Red Snow Punaista lunta Ilja Rautsi Finland, Estonia, Sweden Rogue Trooper Duncan Jones United Kingdom, United StatesSacrifice Romain Gavras United Kingdom Greece, United States, BulgariaShaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom Steve Cox, Matthew Walker United Kingdom, France, United StatesThe Swallow Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer United StatesTeenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma Jane Schoenbrun United StatesWhalefall Brian Duffield United States
Noves Visions
English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies) The Death of Dracula La muerte de Drácula Burnin' Percebes Spain SICK Agata Trzebuchowska PolandA Prayer for the Dying Dara Van Dusen Norway, Greece, United Kingdom, SwedenThe Arrow at Rest at Every Instant of its Flight Theodore Schaefer United StatesSender Russell Goldman United StatesPhillip Philadelphia Adam C. Briggs Australia You're It La mancha Adrián García Bogliano, Ramiro García Bogliano Argentina, Mexico City of the Dead Ciudad de Muertos J. M. Cravioto MexicoCorpus Corrin Evans United States Demons Демони Natalka Vorozhbyt Ukraine, Poland Family Fears Another Night of Terror Familia teme enfrentar una nueva noche de terror Cristian Ponce Argentina
Panorama The following films were selected to be screened as a part of the Panorama section, for films previously screened at non-Spanish film festivals:
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) American Dollhouse John Valley United StatesBreeder Alex Goyette United States Dreadful Mother La mala madre Alicia Albares Spain The Eyes 눈동자 Yeom Ji-ho South Korea Forbidden Fruits Meredith Alloway United StatesThe Fox Dario Russo AustraliaHungry James Nunn United Kingdom Ithaqua Casey Walker CanadaPosthumous Josh Tanner Australia Salmokji: Whispering Water 살목지 Lee Sang-min South Korea The Saviors Kevin Hamedani United States Sleep No More Monster Pabrik Rambut Edwin Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Germany, France
Brigadoon English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Francesco Barilli – Il cinema e la follia Luca Magri ItalyGli anni d'oro di Dario Argento Luigi Cozzi ItalyForqué, el oficio de hacer cine Rafael Maluenda and Gaizka Urresti Spain Mockbuster Anthony Frith Australia, United StatesScum of the Earth: Creating America's Rural Communities of Horror Xavier Mendik United Kingdom Gli ultimi di noi Giorgio Bruno ItalyThe Barn Part III Justin M. Seaman United States The Rider: Burning Chrome Justin Stillmaker United States Blood Barn Gabriel Bernini United States Sexy Cat Julio Pérez Tabernero Spain Operación Mantis (El exterminio del macho) Jacinto Molina Spain
Anima't
The following films were selected to be screened as a part of the Anima't section, for animated films: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Chimney Town: Frozen in Time 映画 えんとつ町のプペル 〜約束の時計台〜 Yusuke Hirota Japan ghost – end of night Shingo Natsume Japan Gregor Manu Gómez Belgium, France Long Long Night 긴긴밤 Youm Kyu-bock South Korea Lucy Lost Lucy perdue Olivier Clert France Monster Mia Verena Fels Austria, Spain, Germany Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise ペリリュー -楽園のゲルニカ- Gorō Kuji Soul Shift Christian Franz Schmidt Germany Spacetime Chronicles Stefano Bertelli Italy Welcome to Dolly's House Seven Ych, Rady Fu, Tree Muta TaiwanWildwood Travis Knight United States
Seven Chances
English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies) Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel (1979) Hukkunud Alpinisti hotell Grigori Kromanov Estonia, Soviet Union Love Massacre (1981)愛殺 Patrick Tam Hong Kong Misterio (1980) Marcela Fernández Violante Mexico The Bullet Train (1975) 新幹線大爆破 Junya Sato Estonia, JapanOffice Killer (1980) Cindy Sherman United States Battered Flesh (1978)Carne apaleada Javier Aguirre SpainThe Quiet Earth (1985) Geoff Murphy New Zealand
Sitges Clàssics This section includes the Festival's retrospective, specific tributes on the occasion of anniversaries and collaborations:
Year English title Original title Director(s) Production country 2024Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End Carles Torrens Spain 1976Carrie Brian De Palma United States 1971The Devils Ken Russell United States, United Kingdom 1981Scanners David Cronenberg Canada 1976 Who Can Kill a Child? ¿Quién puede matar a un niño? Narciso Ibáñez Serrador Spain
Midnight X-Treme The following films were selected to be screened as a part of the Midnight X-Treme section, for indie and extreme horror films. Focused on the most extreme horror films, with monstrous creatures as special protagonists: