Major feature films and cult classics: What not to miss at Sitges Film Festival

The 59th edition of the Sitges Film Festival kicks off this week, showcasing the best in contemporary fantasy and horror and looking back at some classics that have shaped the history of these cinema genres. 

In total, 288 feature films and 127 shorts will be presented across Sitges between October 8-18. The festival received nearly 3,800 films in total, a new record, sent by platforms, distributors and producers from all over the world. 

Filmmaker Carlota Pereda will kick off the event Thursday with the Catalan co-production 'Found Alive,' a psychological thriller shot entirely in the United States and starring Chloë Grace Moretz.

What not to miss

Unmissable titles this year include 'Leviticus,' by Adrian Chiarella, which arrives directly from the Cannes Film Festival, 'Her Private Hell' by acclaimed Danish director Nicolas Winding and 'The Birthday Party,' by Léa Mysius, which was also presented at Cannes.

Lotfy Nathan will present 'The Carpenter's Son,' a disturbing reinterpretation of biblical stories starring Nicolas Cage, while Catalan director Carles Torrens returns for 'Apocalypse Z: Part II,' a sequel that expands its post-apocalyptic universe with more action and a more complex story that resumes the fight for survival in a world devastated by a lethal virus. 

Other highlights include 'Kill Me' by Peter Warren, who makes his feature film debut with a black comedy that combines seduction, mystery and survival, 'Sanguine,' the debut from filmmaker Marion Le Coroller and 'Hungry' by James Nunn.

The Asian continent continues to provide films for the festival, with yet another year of strong films. 'Colony,' the new film by South Korean Yeon Sang-ho, Joko Anwar's 'Ghost in the Cell,' and Lee Sang-min's 'Salmokji: Whispering Water.'

As always, Sitges will delight film buffs with screenings of vintage classics, and this year will focus on the 50th anniversaries of the films 'Carrie' and 'Who Can Kill a Child?' Both films will be presented in 4K.

In fact,''Carrie' will be presented twice at the festival, as it has been adapted as a television series with Mike Flanagan at the helm. The Sitges audience will have the opportunity to watch the first episode alongside the original movie.

'Scanners' by David Cronenberd, 'The Devils' by Ken Russell, 'Thesis' by Alejandro Aménabar, 'Cannibal Holocaust' by Ruggero Deodato and 'King Kong' by John Guillermin and Dino De Laurentiis, are other classics that will arrive remastered in 4K on the festival screens. 

Sitges will also welcome A-Listers from around the world including Peter Jackson, director of the 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' sagas, actors Danny DeVito and Amy Irving as well as Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, who will be presenting their new film 'Family Movie.' All of these stars will receive the festival's Grand Honorary Prize.

'Wicker,' by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård, will be the closing film.

One unusual highlight of the festival is the famous Zombie Walk, where participants dress in terrifying makeup and zombie costumes to fill the streets of Sitges. The march starts at 7:30 pm on October 10 at Miramar - Centre Cultural.

Catalan stamp

Films with a Catalan connection in this year's lineup include '11' by Clàudia and Paula Serra, as well as the Catalan co-productions 'Las hijas' by Daniel Romero and 'Upiro' by Óscar Martín, all of which will compete in the festival's Official Fantastic section. 

'La muerte de Drácula' by Burnin' Percebes, shot in Barcelona, is part of the Noves Visions section, while the Catalan co-production 'Dreadful Mother' by Alicia Albares features in Panorama. 

Javier Ruiz Caldera will present '5 minutos más' in the Sitges Collection section.

How to get there

By bus, you can take the Bus Garraf line to get to the festival, connecting Sitges with Barcelona, ​​Vilanova i la Geltrú and Les Roquetes. For more information about the line head here.

Another option is through Renfe, which has trains scheduled all day via the R2 Sud line to get to the festival. In addition, Renfe announced a return train every day of the festival that will depart from Sitges at 1:30 am and run directly to the Sants station. 

Tickets, the full program and more information can be found on the Sitges Fantasy and Horror Film Festival website