Uncompromising pure terror defined Sitges Festival 2023, embodied by the Argentinian film When Evil Stalks. The competition crowned it as the top pick for the jury, which included producers Jérôme Paillard and David C. Fein, actress Ana Torrent, and critics Kim Newman and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. We love horror movies, Newman remarked, and sometimes they don’t get the recognition they deserve. When Evil Stalks became the first Latin American feature to win Sitges, also receiving the Blood Window award for best Ibero-American film.
Impassioned words from Rugna echoed across the festival circuit when he spoke about his process: I’m tired of horror movies designed to sell. When I write a movie, anything can happen, and it can happen to any character. Rugna pushed boundaries with a grim tale about a demonic plague invading rural Argentina, sparing no one, not women, children, or dogs. The jury’s other two favorites were Weston Razooli’s The Riddle of Fire and Aritz Moreno’s Moscas, both earning special mentions for their distinctive visions.
The rebirth of French genre cinema
The official fantasy jury conferred a joint special award on Stop motion by Robert Morgan and Vermin: plague by Sébastien Vaniček, praised for their exploration of creativity’s darker corners and the political punch of a monster movie. Vermin: plague was highlighted for its sharp impact, underscoring a modern wave of genre storytelling. In a notable moment from the festival, animal kingdom claimed the best special effects award, underscoring the craft behind immersive fantasy sequences. Kate Lyn Sheil received recognition as best actress for The Seeding, while Tiger Stripes highlighted Zafreen Zairizalis as a breakout young performer. These recognitions reflected the festival’s embrace of diverse voices shaping contemporary horror and fantasy cinema.
Alongside When Evil Stalks, another film with multiple honors stood out: Mursur, a delicate origin tale about a vampire, which swept several awards including the Méliès d’Argent for best film, the Carnet Jove jury prize, and best photography. Vincent must die, a French-Belgian collaboration directed by Stéphan Castang, earned two awards: the Citizen Kane prize for best actor (Karim Leklou) and an accolade for the new director category. José Luis Guarner Critics Award recognized Universal theory for best feature in the official section, and Timm Kröger’s Quantum thriller received the Critics Award for best feature. The festival also celebrated crowd favorites with Robot dreams earning the Big Audience Award.
New titles in parallel sections showcased a broad spectrum of genre storytelling: moon garden won Novi Visions’ best feature, Tony, Shelly and the Magic Lantern claimed Best Animated Film, Last stop in Yuma County earned Best Òrbita film, and Kim’s Video was honored as Best Sitges Documenta film. The lines between horror, fantasy, and experimental cinema continued to blur as Sitges reinforced its role as a global showcase for boundary-pushing genre work.