Every October, Sitges is transformed by the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, one of the world’s leading events dedicated to fantasy and horror cinema. For ten days, the festival brings filmmakers, performers and audiences to the town where the Institute of the Arts Barcelona (IAB) is based.
This year, IAB’s contribution extended across the festival’s public events, film premieres and industry programme, with current students, alumni and faculty all Current Students: Bringing Dance to the Sitges Film Festival
Current Students: Bringing Dance to the Sitges Film Festival
IAB’s dance students took their training beyond the studio and theatre and into the heart of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, with Commercial Dance and Contemporary Dance students participating in two events during the festival.
On 10 October, third-year Commercial Dance students from IAB took part in Sitges’ annual Zombie Walk, known locally as the Passeig de Zombis. Hundreds of participants dressed in theatrical make-up and costume transform the town’s streets into a spectacular celebration of horror, performance and community.
The students performed a choreography originally created by Pepo Alert for Momentos 2026, IAB’s end-of-year showcase in May. Adapting a piece originally designed for the theatre to an outdoor procession required the dancers to respond to a very different performance environment while maintaining the energy, precision and formations of the original work.
The following week, on Saturday 17 October, IAB’s final-year Contemporary Dance students took part in the Film Festival Dance Concert, presenting a selection of choreographic works as part of the festival programme. The event provided another opportunity for IAB dancers to share their work with the local community and festival audiences.
Together, these two events showcased the breadth of IAB’s dance training, from the high-energy commercial choreography of the Zombie Walk to the artistic expression of the Contemporary Dance students. Their participation highlighted the creativity and versatility of IAB’s student community and the Institute’s contribution to Sitges’ vibrant performing arts scene and international festival.
Faculty: Oscar Valsecchi’s Work on Apocalipsis Z: Nuevo Mundo
IAB’s presence at the festival also extended to the big screen. On 10 October, Acting lecturer and director Oscar Valsecchi attended the festival premiere of Apocalipsis Z: Nuevo Mundo, the latest instalment in the zombie horror franchise produced by Amazon Prime.
Valsecchi was responsible for designing and coordinating the movement, physical behaviour and staging of the film’s zombie performers and action sequences. The production involved coordinating large groups, with as many as 150–200 zombies on certain days.
Reflecting on the challenges of the production, Valsecchi explained that the key was to establish the aggressive physical character of the infected before bringing the performers together as a cohesive group.
“Once the performers truly feel and embody that collective energy while shouting and running together, it self-sustains them through exhausting, repetitive takes,” he said. “I’m thrilled with the final result; you can really see that powerful zombie-pack energy translated onto the screen.”
Valsecchi teaches across IAB’s Acting programmes, bringing his professional experience in physical performance and screen production into the training environment.
Alumni: IAB Graduates at the Festival
IAB alumni were also represented in the festival’s film and industry programme, highlighting the professional work of graduates beyond their training at the Institute.
Luna Gomes in Blue Oyster
On 11 October, BA (Hons) Acting graduate Luna Gomes was represented at the Sitges Coming Soon showcase, part of the festival’s industry programme. The showcase presents selected projects in development or post-production to international industry professionals, including distributors, sales agents and potential financing partners.
Gomes stars in Blue Oyster, a horror-thriller selected as one of nine projects for this year’s showcase. Directed by Alejandro Hidalgo, whose previous films include La casa del fin de los tiempos (2013) and The Exorcism of God (2021), the film features an international cast including William Baldwin, Will Beinbrink and Izzy Fugatt.
Filmed in Warsaw, Poland, Blue Oyster centres on mysterious events surrounding an obscure cult. Its selection for the showcase placed the project before an international audience of industry representatives as it moves towards its next stage.
IAB’s Connection to the Sitges Film Festival
From the streets of Sitges to international film productions and industry showcases, this year’s festival highlighted the different ways IAB students, alumni and faculty contribute to the performing arts and screen industries.
Their involvement reflects the connection between professional practice and artistic training that sits at the heart of IAB, as well as the opportunities for the Institute’s community to engage with the creative industries locally and internationally.
Article by Armando Rotondi
