Finding Sitges.

Here we are again, folks. Sitges strikes back and we're happy to be hurt. Surprised. Thrilled. Even disappointed. This must be one of the few festivals in the world where even bad movies are good - they pack just enough cheap thrills to keep our inner geek awake, to entertain us in all their badness. But this year's edition of the fantastic film festival, running from December 2 through 11, looks stunning, leaning less on the so-bad-they're-good films and more on the so-good-they're-heavenly ones. The event will feature the cream of the crop of recent fantastic motion pictures in its Official Section, as well as a showing of all-time great European titles in a new space: Imaginary Europe. Tributes, retrospectives and special sessions complete a program that should make any film-lover swoon.

In addition, the festival welcomes the Star Wars Conference, the greatest event related to George Lucas's creation ever organized in Europe. No fewer than 5000 fans of the mythic series are expected to take in exhibitions, conferences and a special marathon screening. Steve Sansweet, LucasFilm's main PR man, will accept the honorary award, The General, granted by the direction of the festival, in the name of workaholic Lucas.

Yesterday, opening day, the festival offered excellent viewing, though the best is yet to come. The honor of inaugurating the festival was given to the dramatically flawed but visually fascinating Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, while Hayao Miyazaki's animated fantasy, Howl's Moving Castle opened the competitive section with a stunning array of poetic inventions. Special sessions hosted the entire Infernal Affairs trilogy, the posh Spanish spoof El asombroso mundo de Borjamari y Pocholo, a kind of Zoolander with Spanish points of reference, and the unclassifiable Chilean film Promedio rojo. More to come.

Posted by dwhudson at December 3, 2004 2:33 PM