John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush and Kristine Froseth Win Acting Awards at Spain’s 57th Sitges Film Festival
John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush and Kristine Froseth won top acting awards at Spain’s prominent Sitges Fantasy Film Festival, which wrapped its 57th edition on Oct. 13.
Making a sweep of the fest with three awards was Austrian Best International Feature Oscar entry “The Devil’s Bath” by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. Drawn from historical facts, the Austrian-German co-production is described by Variety critic Jessica Kiang as a “story so pitilessly bleak you may want to look away; the filmmaking craft is so compelling that you can’t.” The historical horror drama, which vied for the Berlinale Golden Bear in February, follows Agnes, a depressed newlywed, who instead of committing suicide, considered taboo by her Christian community, commits a crime that would lead to her execution. The “suicide by proxy” practice was said to be common in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in German-speaking Central Europe and Scandinavia.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Soi Cheang took home the Best Director award for “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,” a martial arts crime drama based on the novel “City of Darkness.” It was selected for Cannes’ Midnight Screening, where it received critical acclaim.
Lithgow and Rush shared the Best Actor award for their roles in “The Rule of Jenny Penn,” where they portray two men in a nursing home who engage in an increasingly violent rivalry.
Kristine Froseth snagged the Best Actress award for her performance in the time travel thriller, “Desert Road,” the directorial debut of Shannon Triplett. Froseth plays Claire Devoir, a 20-ish photographer whose trip through the desert grows ever more sinister and disorienting.
The 57th Sitges Fantasy Film Festival ran Oct. 3 -13.
Feature Film
“The Devil’s Bath,” Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
Special Jury Award
“Exhuma,” Jang Jae-hyun
Direction
Soi Cheang, “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In”
Actress
Kristine Froseth, “Desert Road”
Actor (ex-aequo)
John Lithgow, “The Rule of Jenny Penn”
Geoffrey Rush. “The Rule of Jenny Penn”
Screenplay
Aaron Schimberg, “A Different Man”
Special, Visual or Makeup Effects
Equips de Digital District, Machina Infinitum, “Else”
Music
“Die Hexen,” Fréwaka
Cinematography
Giovanni Ribisi, “Strange Darling”
Film
“A Desert,” Joshua Erkman
Direction
Grazia Tricarico, “Body Odyssey”
Short Film
“Say Wuff!,” Fabian Podeszwa
Fantastic Genre Feature Film
“Animale,” Emma Benestan
European Fantasy Genre Short Film
“Meat Puppet,” Eros V
“Memoir of a Snail,” Adam Elliot
Animated Short Film
“Free the Chickens,” Matúš Vizár
Feature Film
“Zero,” Jean Luc Herbulot
Feature Film
“Mi bestia,” Camila Beltrán
Film
“The Devil’s Bath,” Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala
Citizen Kane Award for Best New Director
“Thibault Emin,” Else
Short Film
“Chew,” Félix Dobaire
Brigadoon Paul Naschy Award for the Best Short Film
“Céntrico,” Luso Martinez
Direction-Production (ex-aequo)
“Blava Terra,” Marine Auclair
“Daru/n,” Benjamin Hindrichs
Screenplay
Benjamin Hindrichs, “Daru/n”
Original Music
Yuliya Protasova, “De-sastre”
Feature Film
“The Devil’s Bath,” Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala
Sitges Documentary Film
“Grand Theft Hamlet,” Pinny Grylls & Sam Crane
Feature Film
“Strange Darling,” JT Mollner
Panorama Fantàstic People’s Choice Award
“Handsome Guys,” Dong-Hyub Nam
Sitges Collection People’s Choice Award
“Dead Talents Society,” John Hanchiang Hsu
Focus Asia People’s Choice Award
“Dead Talents Society,” John Hanchiang Hsu
Midnight X-treme People’s Choice Award
“Die Alone,” Lowell Dean
Making a sweep of the fest with three awards was Austrian Best International Feature Oscar entry “The Devil’s Bath” by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. Drawn from historical facts, the Austrian-German co-production is described by Variety critic Jessica Kiang as a “story so pitilessly bleak you may want to look away; the filmmaking craft is so compelling that you can’t.” The historical horror drama, which vied for the Berlinale Golden Bear in February, follows Agnes, a depressed newlywed, who instead of committing suicide, considered taboo by her Christian community, commits a crime that would lead to her execution. The “suicide by proxy” practice was said to be common in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in German-speaking Central Europe and Scandinavia.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Soi Cheang took home the Best Director award for “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,” a martial arts crime drama based on the novel “City of Darkness.” It was selected for Cannes’ Midnight Screening, where it received critical acclaim.
Lithgow and Rush shared the Best Actor award for their roles in “The Rule of Jenny Penn,” where they portray two men in a nursing home who engage in an increasingly violent rivalry.
Kristine Froseth snagged the Best Actress award for her performance in the time travel thriller, “Desert Road,” the directorial debut of Shannon Triplett. Froseth plays Claire Devoir, a 20-ish photographer whose trip through the desert grows ever more sinister and disorienting.
The 57th Sitges Fantasy Film Festival ran Oct. 3 -13.
Feature Film
“The Devil’s Bath,” Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
Special Jury Award
“Exhuma,” Jang Jae-hyun
Direction
Soi Cheang, “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In”
Actress
Kristine Froseth, “Desert Road”
Actor (ex-aequo)
John Lithgow, “The Rule of Jenny Penn”
Geoffrey Rush. “The Rule of Jenny Penn”
Screenplay
Aaron Schimberg, “A Different Man”
Special, Visual or Makeup Effects
Equips de Digital District, Machina Infinitum, “Else”
Music
“Die Hexen,” Fréwaka
Cinematography
Giovanni Ribisi, “Strange Darling”
Film
“A Desert,” Joshua Erkman
Direction
Grazia Tricarico, “Body Odyssey”
Short Film
“Say Wuff!,” Fabian Podeszwa
Fantastic Genre Feature Film
“Animale,” Emma Benestan
European Fantasy Genre Short Film
“Meat Puppet,” Eros V
“Memoir of a Snail,” Adam Elliot
Animated Short Film
“Free the Chickens,” Matúš Vizár
Feature Film
“Zero,” Jean Luc Herbulot
Feature Film
“Mi bestia,” Camila Beltrán
Film
“The Devil’s Bath,” Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala
Citizen Kane Award for Best New Director
“Thibault Emin,” Else
Short Film
“Chew,” Félix Dobaire
Brigadoon Paul Naschy Award for the Best Short Film
“Céntrico,” Luso Martinez
Direction-Production (ex-aequo)
“Blava Terra,” Marine Auclair
“Daru/n,” Benjamin Hindrichs
Screenplay
Benjamin Hindrichs, “Daru/n”
Original Music
Yuliya Protasova, “De-sastre”
Feature Film
“The Devil’s Bath,” Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala
Sitges Documentary Film
“Grand Theft Hamlet,” Pinny Grylls & Sam Crane
Feature Film
“Strange Darling,” JT Mollner
Panorama Fantàstic People’s Choice Award
“Handsome Guys,” Dong-Hyub Nam
Sitges Collection People’s Choice Award
“Dead Talents Society,” John Hanchiang Hsu
Focus Asia People’s Choice Award
“Dead Talents Society,” John Hanchiang Hsu
Midnight X-treme People’s Choice Award
“Die Alone,” Lowell Dean