The Sitges Film Festival

Of the many events staged in Sitges, undoubtedly one of the biggest is the annual Sitges Film Festival held every October (SITGES – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia). Celebrating the best in fantasy and horror movies, this ten day festival features exhibitions, special screenings and film premieres of this special genre.  It also attracts some of the biggest names in the movie world with the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Sir Anthony Hopkins, David Lynch and Jodie Foster some of its notable attendees over the years.

Founded in 1967, the festival is now considered the biggest fantasy and horror film festival in the world with more than 140,000 visitors attending in 2009. Since 1971 it has also included an awards ceremony recognising the best films, film makers and actors.  Known as the “Maria” awards, they are judged by a special international jury. Previous winners include actors Vincent Price and Christian Bale, actress Reese Witherspoon and the Japanese film The Ringu (which was later to become the Hollywood remake – The Ring).

More than 300 films are screened at the event, including all those which have been nominated. They are screened at various venues around Sitges with the official hub housed in the Hotel Meliá Sitges, where the press conferences also take place.

One of the festival’s biggest draw cards is the Sitges Zombie Walk which sees hundreds of fans roaming the streets dressed as zombies. The walk also includes a back-to-back zombie film marathon and usually a special guest or two.

The Festival is held in the first two weeks of October each year.

For anyone planning on attending the Film Festival our villas provide an ideal base for your stay being just 10 minutes from the main venue. If you are thinking of renting a villa in Sitges during the festival it is worth booking well in advance as accommodation in the area can be limited at this particular time.

Official Festival Website is http://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/