Today is the first day of the 58th International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, one of the most important events in the country and an economic and tourism driver of the highest order for the municipality. During the main days of the festival, the town is expecting hotel occupancy of nearly 100% and a large volume of visitors, after last year’s festival notched up  over 158,000 attendees and an economic impact of more than 8 million euros.

The Mayor of Sitges highlighted “the enormous international and media projection of the festival, which not only strengthens our cultural identity but also drives the local economic fabric and the external promotion of the municipality”. According to recent data, the festival has generated nearly 19,400 media impacts with an estimated economic value of over 55 million euros and an accumulated audience of more than 32,000 million readers.

The opening day of this 58th edition started with a special session devoted to the schools of Sitges and the county, and brought together over a thousand children for a film experience conceived to bring the fantastic genre closer to new generations. The morning continued with the inauguration of the Kong sculpture, a piece measuring three metres tall, created by the artist Antoni Parera Buxeres and installed between the Hotel Meliá and the Sant Sebastià beach. Inspired by the legendary King Kong, the figure is a new symbol for the festival and the link between Sitges and fantastic film, as well as a meeting place and memory for local people, visitors and lovers of the seventh art. The morning rounded off with the inauguration of Jaws. 50 Years of Terror Underwater, at the Miramar Centre Cultural, looking at the depths of the sea in horror films and paying homage to the film Jaws, fifty years on.

In the afternoon, inauguration of the festival will be attended by the Mayor of Sitges, Aurora Carbonell; the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture at the Government of Catalonia, Josep M. Carreté.

Shared sustainable impact

The festival activates dozens of hotels and hundreds of shops and restaurants which adapt their range of products and services to cater for visitors. The Town Council and the festival organisers work together to distribute the economic benefits beyond the historical centre and the seafront, promoting activities in the town centre and incentivising the participation of local commerce.

The Mayor also recognised the involvement of “sponsors, collaborators and local establishments, particularly those that back sustainability and responsible mobility, cornerstones for the festival model that we want to keep promoting”.

Mobility and security: coordinated operation

To ensure safe and flowing mobility during the festival, the Town Council has activated a special plan for signage and temporary circulation, as well as reserved zones in the area between the Hotel Meliá and the Sant Sebastià beach.

Additional public transport has also been laid on to reduce the use of private vehicles. A new feature at the festival is a park and ride service at the Llevantina, with quick connections to the central area.

The Town Council and the festival have also worked together to coordinate times, signage and information points, to facilitate the flow between screens, exhibition areas and recreational zones such as the King Kong Area. The operation is complemented with volunteers and support staff to assist people in real time.

Security and managing emergencies

The festival has a specific Security Plan, which includes emergency protocols, meeting points and reception points for external assistance. The Sitges Alert app includes an alert button with the festival logo, available during the festival to communicate emergency situations or incidents.