The Sitges Film Festival closes its doors with 30% higher attendance

The Sitges Film Festival is over, and its numbers show that people are more into fantasy and horror than ever. A total of 200,000 people attended the festival, for a total of 66,136 tickets sold. This, compared to the 61,010 sold in 2016. In the last three years, sales have indeed increased by 30%, “good news, considering the situation” according to festival director Ángel Sala. The 2017 edition of the film festival marked its 50th anniversary. 

A renowned jury panel

The festival has also announced which productions won its many awards. Five great names from the film and book world of fantasy and horror were on the jury panel: filmmaker Gary Sherman, writer and critic David J. Skal, writer Nick Antosca, screenwriter and film director Alberto Marini, and independent producer Hattie Yu.

The female gaze and an open mind

Festival director Àngel Sala noted how the festival had “opened its doors to the female gaze,” something which had previously been excluded in the genre. Additionally, Sala noted how the Sitges Film Festival tries to be more open than other European festivals, giving films that were rejected or mistreated by other events “a second life or a second chance.”

The jury awarded a special prize to the psychological thriller Thelma, a film that also won Best Screenplay. French female-directed gore dystopia won Best Direction, and emotional tale of love and loss Ghost Story won Best Picture. Additionally, Frank Langella, the actor who played Dracula in the 1979 eponymous horror flick, was presented with the Grand Honorary Award.