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Sitges Film Festival Celebrates Latin American Genre Talent

Summary

  • Rose Byrne wins Best Actress award for psychological thriller
  • "The Ugly Stepsister" wins Best Feature Film prize
  • "Obsession" horror film lands $14 million distribution deal
Sitges Film Festival Celebrates Latin American Genre Talent

The 58th edition of the Sitges - International Fantastic Film Festival, Europe's preeminent genre film festival, concluded on October 19, 2025, with a strong focus on Latin American genre talent.

The festival's top honors included the Best Actress award for Rose Byrne's performance in the A24 release "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You." Variety critic Peter Debruge praised Byrne's "feverish, raw-nerve performance" in the "virtuosic portrait of mental unraveling."

The Best Feature Film prize went to Norway's "The Ugly Stepsister" by Emilie Blichfeldt, which Variety described as a "deliciously extreme take on the beloved 'Cinderella' legend, complete with broken noses, severed toes and other gory details."

Meanwhile, the low-budget twisted love horror film "Obsession" from first-time director Curry Barker caught the attention of Focus Features, which acquired the title for $14 million. "Obsession" also won the festival's coveted People's Choice Award.

The Sitges Film Festival's industry star continues to rise, as sales agents in Europe identify upscale genre as one of the most market-worthy film types on the international distribution scene.

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The Sitges Film Festival awarded the Best Actress prize to Rose Byrne for her performance in "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You," the Best Feature Film prize to Norway's "The Ugly Stepsister," and the People's Choice Award to the horror film "Obsession."
The Blood Window prize, from the most important platform for genre cinema in Latin America, went to Mexican director Emilio Portes for his film "Don't Leave the Kids Alone."
The low-budget twisted love horror film "Obsession" from first-time director Curry Barker was acquired by Focus Features for $14 million.

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