The programme for the fifth edition of the Endimaris Sitges LGTBIQ+ Film Festival was unveiled today at the Casino Prado, the venue for the festival, cementing it as a can\u2019t-miss event for film lovers. The presentation was led by Owen John Holden, the festival director, together with the Sitges city councillor for culture, Albert Oliver-Rod\u00e9s; the president of Casino Prado Suburense, Carme Artigas; and the president of Colors Sitges Link, Prado G. Vel\u00e1zquez.<\/p>\n
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This year\u2019s festival continues to emphasise diversity and dialogue between artistic disciplines, and once again places Sitges at the heart of a unique programme that is committed to the ways differences enrich our society. \u201cSitges City Council will always support the Endimaris Festival, because here in Sitges, we stand for diversity, freedom and culture as a tool for transformation,\u201d said the city councillor for culture, Albert Oliver-Rod\u00e9s, in his welcoming remarks. \u201cWe are proud to host a festival celebrating such a wide range of identities and experiences.\u201d Meanwhile, festival director Owen John Holden outlined the programme for this year\u2019s edition of Endimaris Sitges, noting its \u201cstrong selection of films premiering in Spain and Catalonia that will stir consciences and arouse passions.\u201d<\/p>\n
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One example is the film that will kick off the festival on 30 October, Plainclothes<\/em>, directed by US filmmaker Carmen Emmi (Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha<\/em>) and starring Russell Tovey (Years and Years<\/em>) and Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes<\/em>). Emmi\u2019s second feature film tells the story of an undercover agent assigned to lure and arrest gay men who defies professional orders when he falls in love with a target. Stunningly beautiful, it won the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast at the Sundance Film Festival.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Closing out the festival on 9 November will be Cel meu, infern teu<\/em> [My Heaven, Your Hell<\/em>]. Directed by Valencian filmmaker Alberto Evangelio and starring Tania Fortea and Victor Palmero, it tells the story of an impossible love between Adela and Victoria, conditioned by repression and societal rejection in 1960s and \u201870s Spain. An award-winning director and screenwriter, Evangelio has received over 200 prizes for his short films, including at the Sitges Fantastic Film Festival (Spain), Clermont (France) and BIFAN (South Korea).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Duro<\/em><\/strong> and Azul de ni\u00f1o<\/em>, the Catalan selection <\/strong><\/p>\n The Endimaris CAT+ section of the festival, featuring the Catalan premiere of Catalan films, includes Francesc Cu\u00e9llar\u2019s Duro<\/em> [Tough<\/em>], a film about gender violence structured around various standalone stories starring Omar Ayuso, Ernesto Collado, Carlos Cuevas and Diana G\u00f3mez; and Raul Guardans\u2019s Azul de ni\u00f1o <\/em>[Blue for a Boy<\/em>], starring Eva de Lu\u00eds, Raul Guardans and Tony Corvillo, which explores the limits of desire, betrayal and the need for understanding in an intimate story about the hidden truths behind relationships.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n High-profile international premieres<\/strong><\/p>\n Endimaris Sitges 2025 will also be presenting major international premieres, such as Korean director Joonho Park\u2019s debut feature 3670<\/em>, which tells the moving story of Cheol-jun, a gay man from North Korea seeking love and happiness through his friendship with a South Korean man, Young-jun. Starring Youhyun ChoKim and Hyeon-mok, it\u2019s been a box office hit in South Korea and a gem for Catalan audiences to discover.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Another highlight will be Things Like This<\/em>, directed by activist and director Max Talisman, who also co-stars alongside Joey Pollari (Monster<\/em>). The film follows Zack Anthony, a struggling writer, and Zack Mandel, a talent agent assistant trapped in a failing relationship, who uncover a shared past that feels like fate.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Casino Prado cinema will also host a screening of Liam Calvert\u2019s A Night Like This<\/em>, starring Alexander Lincoln (In From the Side<\/em>), Jack Brett Anderson (The Great<\/em>) and David Bradley (The World\u2019s End<\/em>). An exploration of the relationship between Lukas, a broke actor, and Oliver, a privileged, self-assured businessman, it\u2019s already earned several awards at festivals such as FilmOut San Diego in the United States.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Other films in this section include Terry Loane\u2019s Tomorrow\u2019s Too Late<\/em>, about the transition process of trans singer Dylan Holloway; The Secret of Me<\/em>, directed by Grace Hughes-Hallett; Toutes pour un<\/em>e [All For One<\/em>], French director Houda Benyamina\u2019s unique take on The Three Musketeers<\/em>; and Argentine director Nicol\u00e1s Tet\u00e9\u2019s Lo que escribimos juntos<\/em> [What We Wrote Together<\/em>].\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Awards for Molt lluny<\/em> and the Mostra Cinema Fire LGTBIQ+ <\/strong><\/p>\n Endimaris Sitges 2025 will also be awarding two special prizes. Barcelona\u2019s Mostra Cinema Fire LGTBIQ+ film festival will receive the Special Endimaris Award in recognition of its tireless work over the course of three decades as a cornerstone of LGTBIQ+ visibility through cinema.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Endimaris Cinema Award 2025, meanwhile, will go to Gerard Oms\u2019s Molt lluny <\/em>[Away<\/em>] for its powerful depiction of what it means for a young man surrounded by straight peers to come to terms with his own identity and try to move forward in an environment dominated by toxic masculinity. The award also includes a special recognition of Mario Casas\u2019s memorable and deeply moving performance, which conveys authenticity in every gesture, word and movement.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n