The Sitges Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya is Europe’s leading celebration of the genre. Each October, the coastline fills with horror, science fiction and fantasy, with screenings, premieres and events that attract fans and creators from around the world. Beyond the cinema, Sitges becomes a living stage for the imagination, with zombies and UFOs adding to its unmistakable atmosphere. Long established as one of the key festivals in fantasy cinema, this is where film is experienced almost as a collective possession.
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This festival has hosted names such as Quentin Tarantino, Jodie Foster, Guillermo del Toro, John Malkovich and Carmen Maura.
Alongside the screenings, Sitges comes alive with parallel events such as the well-known “Zombie Walk”, which fills the streets with the living dead, as well as exhibitions, book launches and panel talks with leading figures in the genre.
The festival’s reputation is backed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: award-winning short films from Sitges are eligible for the Oscars, opening doors for emerging talent in fantasy cinema.