04/05/2023 - Golem opens the Bilbao-based gathering, which this year pays tribute to key figures in Spanish horror, such as actress Belén Rueda and filmmaker Carlota Pereda

The FANT – Fantastic Film Festival is gearing up for its 29^th edition from 5-13 May in Bilbao. Headed up by Justo Ezenarro, it kicks off with a screening of the feature Golem [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Burnin’ Percebes
film profile], helmed by Burnin’ Percebes (an artistic duo made up of Nando Martínez and Juan González), and starring Brays Efe, Bruna Cusí, Luis Tosar, Anna Castillo and Javier Botet. On Friday 12 May, the closing gala will take place, during which the Estrella FANTástico Award will be handed to Belén Rueda, who has starred in genre films of the calibre of The Orphanage [+see also:
trailer
film profile], The Body [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Julia’s Eyes [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. The movie chosen to be screened during the ceremony is Incredible but True [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Quentin Dupieux
film profile], directed by Quentin Dupieux, a prolific director who is also taking part in the Official Section with Smoking Causes Coughing [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].

Furthermore, FANT will hand out the FANTrobia Award, in recognition of an up-and-coming name in the world of genre: at this edition, the recipient will be Carlota Pereda, the director of Piggy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlota Pereda
film profile], who is working on her second feature, La ermita [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which just so happens to be toplined by Belén Rueda (see the news). An addition to these prizes this year are the Honorary FANT Awards, which will be presented to two big names in Spanish cinema: Zorion Eguileor, a Basque actor, musician and broadcaster whose career includes a standout appearance in the successful The Platform [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
film profile]; and Paco Plaza, the director of the [REC] [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza
interview: Julio Fernández
film profile] saga, Verónica [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paco Plaza
film profile] and The Grandmother [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paco Plaza
film profile].

FANT’s Official Competition Section includes a number of films that will be presented by their directors: Spaniards Raúl Cerezo and Fernando González Gómez will do so with their latest outing, The Elderly [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Raúl Cerezo, Fernando Gonzá…
film profile]; the Luxembourgish flick Wolfkin [+see also:
trailer
film profile] will be introduced by Jacques Molitor; and Austria’s Rubikon [+see also:
film review
interview: Leni Lauritsch
film profile] will be presented by Magdalena Lauritsch.

The remaining titles that will get an airing in this strand are the animated movie No Dogs or Italians Allowed [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alain Ughetto
film profile] (France/Italy/Belgium/Portugal/Switzerland) by Alain Ughetto, The Visitor from the Future [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by France’s François Descraques, Vesper [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kristina Buožytė and Bruno …
film profile] (France/Lithuania/Belgium) by Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper, Year of the Shark [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma
film profile] (France) by Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma, Melchior The Apothecary by Estonia’s Elmo Nüganen, Feed Me (UK) by Adam Leader and Richard Oakes, Huesera: The Bone Woman (Mexico) by Michelle Garza, the South Korean productions Mount Chiak by Kim Sun-ung, Emergency Declaration by Jae-rim Han and The Roundup by Lee Sang-yong, Shin Ultraman (Japan) by Shinji Higuchi, The Lake (Australia) by Lee Thongkham and Aqing Xu, Eradication (USA) by Daniel Byers and, out of competition, Terrifier 2 (USA) by Damien Leone.

Furthermore, FANT, which is also screening a selection of short films that are taking part in the Official International Section, will fondly remember two Spanish filmmakers who passed away recently: screenwriter and film director Eugenio Martín, with his wonderful classics Horror Express and A Candle for the Devil; and Agustí Villaronga, with his brutal feature debut, In a Glass Cage.

(Translated from Spanish)