15/10/2025 - The film by Tallulah Hazekamp Schwab has been picked as Best European Fantastic Feature Film, while Mats Udd's Don’t Be Afraid triumphed among the short films

For the eighth consecutive year, the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia has hosted the ceremony for the Méliès d’Or Awards, presented annually by the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF) to celebrate the best European fantastic features and short films of the year.

This year’s jury, composed of Daniela Urzola, Josep Maria Bunyol and Antonio Weinrichter, awarded the Méliès d’Or for Best European Fantastic Feature Film to Mr. K [+see also:
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interview: Tallulah H Schwab, Crispin …
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The Award for Best European Fantastic Short Film went to Don’t Be Afraid, directed by Mats Udd. The tale follows a photographer haunted by grief who attempts to restart his life and career by taking new photos at the same location where his son disappeared years ago. With its atmospheric visuals and emotional depth, the short stood out as an intimate and original ghost story.

During the ceremony, the festival also paid tribute to acclaimed French actor Dominique Pinon, who received the Méliès Career Award. His career includes collaborations with directors such as Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie [+see also:
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interview: Álex de la Iglesia
interview: Gerardo Herrero and Mariela…
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The Méliès d’Or Awards are the culmination of a year-long cycle of competitions across the federation’s network of 29 member festivals in 21 countries. Each of these gatherings presents a Méliès d’Argent to outstanding European fantastic films, which then compete for the ultimate accolade at Sitges. The federation, reaching an annual audience of more than 900,000, plays an important role in promoting European genre cinema internationally, enhancing its visibility, cultural influence and distribution potential.

The Méliès d’Or 2025 feature-film nominees included Animale [+see also:
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interview: Emma Benestan
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interview: Mattias J Skoglund
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interview: Julia Kowalski
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