15/10/2007

Spanish directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza won the Best Director award at the 40th Sitges International Film Festival of Catalonia for their co-directed film REC [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza
interview: Julio Fernández
film profile].

In an edition marked by the presence of several emergent local filmmakers particularly fond of genre films (see news), REC was the only Spanish production to seduce the jury, with the other awarded films coming from the US and Asian countries.

Previously shown at the Venice Film Festival (news), the film also won newcomer Manuela Velasco the Best Actress award.

According to festival director Ángel Sala, this year's edition sold over 50,000 tickets – an increase of 20% over 2006. Emphasising the distribution problems the market is currently facing, Sala said that a great number of films screening in Sitges had not yet found a local distributor.

This is not the case with REC, whose theatrical release is scheduled for November 23 by Filmax. A US remake is also being prepared by Screen Gems, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and will be written and directed by another directing duo, John E. and Drew Dowdle.