Romancero Confirms Sitges 2023's Romance with Series

The SITGES - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia has been a nest for fantastic genre films for 56 years now, and more recently it's also becoming a home for genre series. 'ROMANCERO' was the first series to land in Sitges during this edition, but there are still three more to come. In the feature film category, 'HEAVIES TENDRES' and 'LA ÚLTIMA NOCHE DE SANDRA M.' demonstrate that the quality of Spanish moviemaking can also be found in smaller productions. In addition, one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year, 'THE BOY AND THE HERON' by Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki, was also presented. 

The Sitges Film Festival is gradually becoming a meeting place for those series lovers who are also fantastic genre fans. Today was the presentation of the first of the four top-tier series we will be screening at Sitges2023: 'ROMANCERO', a series produced by Prime Video and directed by Tomás Peña. The series' crew paraded down the red carpet shortly before 20:00 and immediately afterwards they were the stars of a presentation at the Auditori, prior to the screening of 'CLUB ZERO', where we were able to see a small preview of the first episode. Shortly afterwards was the screening of the first three episodes of this supernatural horror series set in a deserted and cruel Andalusia, full of fantastic creatures and terrifying characters, in the Tramuntana Room. 

In the morning, director Tomás Peña, screenwriter Fernando Navarro and a large part of the crew appeared at a press conference to talk about the 'ROMANCERO' project, which draws from the Spanish literary tradition, and more specifically from Lorca, to construct a fantastic horror story, but with terrifyingly real elements. Regarding this connection, Fernando Navarro commented that it's not all that unusual, since "Lorca already had an esoteric component." Meanwhile, Tomás Peña has defined his work on the film as a "stylization of Fernando's script". In this regard, the director, known until now for his work in the world of music videos, highlights the three basic pillars he used as an aesthetic reference: "Spanish Costumbrismo, Hollywood thrillers and anime." 

Another of the major events of the day was the screening of one of the most eagerly awaited animated films in recent years: 'THE BOY AND THE HERON', the latest film by Hayao Miyazaki ("the animation genius" behind films that include 'Spirited Away' and 'Princess Mononoke') could be seen tonight at the Auditori. Miyazaki returns with a touching story full of autobiographical overtones set during the Second World War and adapting the novel 'How Do You Live' by Genzaburô Yoshino.  'THE BOY AND THE HERON' was a hit in Japan despite the director's express request for no trailers, no stills from the film and not even a synopsis. 

Returning to the Spanish national scene, the second day of the Festival was proof that good Spanish filmmaking goes far beyond mainstream productions and best-known names. At the Prado theater, the animated film 'HEAVIES TENDRES', a film adaptation of the series of the same name created by Juanjo Sáez, was screened this afternoon. It is a story set in 1990s Barcelona, where young teenagers find an escape from their depressing lives through heavy metal. The film is competing in the Anima't section and promises to be one of the Festival's biggest sensations. 

Another Spanish film that was screened at the Prado is 'LA ÚLTIMA NOCHE DE SANDRA M.', Borja de la Vega's second feature film. Yesterday, its director and crew walked the red carpet at the Meliá and this morning its director, as well as Claudia Traisiac, lead actress, Nicolás Illoro, actor, and producers Toni Espinosa and Maria Angels Amorós, participated in the press conference. The film is inspired by the true story of Sandra Mozarowsky and her untimely death. Although the film is not your typical horror movie, it clearly plays in the realm of mystery and suspense, creating a claustrophobic and sordid atmosphere revolving around Sandra's death. The director explained why he was attracted to the story: "I was drawn to it for its more gruesome aspects, but as I began to do more research, I became more and more interested in Sandra's character, a young woman who had been an actress since she was a teenager and was forced to become an actress in full frontal movies". Additionally, at first he didn't even plan to make a film: "I didn't say I'm going to make a film, I simply started to write." 

Regarding the Official In Competition Selection, today was a day where the real stars were debut feature films. British director Barnaby Clay was the first to present his in the Auditori. THE SEEDING' is the debut feature film by a director who already has a long track record in the fields of documentaries, music videos and short films. This atmospheric thriller set in the desert made the Auditori vibrate during its first screening. Meanwhile, 'IT LIVES INSIDE' is an American production with a distinctly Hindu flavor because its director, the very young Bishal Dutta, is American, but of Indian origin and in this terrifying debut he uses the cosmology of his roots to create a monstrous universe that serves as a backdrop for a coming-of-age movie. The third SOFC-Official Fantàstic In-Competition Selection debut feature screened today was the highly anticipated 'SLEEP', from Korean director Jason Yu. This film was one of the big surprises of the Cannes Critics' Week and had spectacular results (especially for a horror film) in its premiere in South Korea just a month ago. A story with insomnia as the main character and the supernatural as a backdrop. So be prepared, tonight you're going to have a hard time getting to sleep. 

Finishing with the Official Selection, 'CLUB ZERO' was also screened, in this case directed by the well-known filmmaker Jessica Hausner. It is a psychological thriller (and even nauseating... as we love them here in Sitges) starring Mia Wasikowska, who is brilliant in the role of a teacher who establishes an intimate bond (with dangerous consequences) with a group of five students. Another of the films that could be seen in the Auditori was one of the most eagerly awaited films in the Òrbita section. This afternoon Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire presented 'BLACK FLIES', a powerful thriller with one of the most highly acclaimed casts at this year's Festival, including names such as Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan and Katherine Waterston. 

Leaving behind our screenings, today was a very intense day for Sitges Industry, which got its engines revving and is getting ready for an edition loaded with activities geared towards industry professionals. First of all, we must highlight the start of the 1st Meeting of European Women Filmmakers Specializing in the Fantastic Genre, also called "Fantastic Geogenre", an initiative organized under the WomanInFan label. Today four of the six round table discussions took place, where interesting topics were addressed, such as the history of fantastic film from a gender perspective in "Cultural and Social References in the History of Cinema"; the role of the social and educational environment in the construction of prejudices and expectations in the role of women in fantastic film in "Education: the Gaze Bias"; the role of women in the creation of new fantastic narratives and monsters in "Leadership and References in the Fantastic Genre: The Creation of a Storytelling by Women Filmmakers"; and the importance of asserting the historical legacy of cult films in "Exploring the Fantasy Legacy". The lineup of participants in the round tables was world-class, with names including Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Céline Rouzet, Agnieszka Smoczynska, Milena Cocozza and Katharina Kubrick. Paco Plaza was also the protagonist of a round table discussion alongside Guillermo de la Cal and Martí Roca, editors of 'SISTER DEATH', where they discussed the editing process of their opening film.  

The parallel activities began to fire up their engines yesterday, but the real kick-off came today. Sitges Family, an initiative that continues to grow year after year and that today opened with the screening of 'SCARYGIRL' at the MERCAT VELL, an animated film that has nothing to envy the big Pixar productions. In addition, MEETING, an area for getting together and resting for all the Festival's fans, which is also the place where a good number of the activities will take place, has already been opened.