Fantastic 7

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Discover the best of the upcoming fantastic genre!

Program details

Key Dates: 18 May 2025

Access: Marché du Film badge holders

Main Venue: Palais K (Palais des Festivals)

Target Audience: Distributors, Sales Agents, Festival Programmers, Financiers, Genre Film Enthusiasts

Contact:  Industry Programs

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fantastic 7 Booklet

Fantastic 7 — a common initiative of the Marché du Film and Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia — is dedicated to promoting and supporting the most fantastic projects in the global genre film industry.

Each year, 7 top-notch film festivals from around the world are selected to endorse a fantastic film project to be showcased in Cannes during the Marché du Film. These exciting works-in-progress — in post-production or recently completed — are presented by their creative teams during a live pitching session. This event draws a diverse audience of investors, distributors, sales agents, and genre film enthusiasts.

The aim of the Fantastic 7 program is to nurture and promote these rising talents, connecting them with potential business partners who could provide crucial funding and help extend their reach to broader audiences.

Get ready to meet the new voices and talents of our fantastic community, and come explore 7 exceptional works from this year’s 7 participating film festivals!

Fantastic 7 Today

Established in 2019, Fantastic 7 has rapidly emerged as a pivotal showcase in Cannes, propelling filmmakers and talents who are breaking boundaries and leading the way in the production of fantastic and genre films. This event does not only provide a platform for these filmmakers to pitch their ideas, but also creates a space for meaningful interaction and networking.

In addition to the highly anticipated pitching session, Fantastic 7 co-hosts the Fantastic Fanatics Mixer — a vibrant and engaging gathering that brings together the global community of fantasy and genre film enthusiasts, creators, and industry professionals. This networking event provides an opportunity for these individuals to connect, exchange ideas, and build potential partnerships.

The Godfathers & Godmothers of Fantastic 7

Each year, Fantastic 7 elects one prominent industry figure to be the Fantastic Godfather/Godmother of the event — a role given to genre masters and genre lovers who have made a significant mark in the genre film industry.

Past Godfathers and Godmothers include: Álex De La Iglesia (Producer, Writer & Director), Ana Lily Amirpour (Producer, Writer, Director & Actress) and Mary Harron (Producer & Director).

For the 2025 edition, we’re thrilled to welcome Pablo Berger — the Spanish visionary behind Blancanieves and the Oscar-nominated Robot Dreams — as our Fantastic Godfather. “I always start a new project from chaos,” he says. “For me, the keyboard is like a Ouija board, and I let myself be carried away by my demons and my obsessions.”

With a film career blending black comedy, magical realism, and genre-bending brilliance, Pablo perfectly embodies the spirit of Fantastic 7: bold stories, imaginative worlds, and unforgettable heroes.

To fellow genre filmmakers, he offers this reminder: “Fight to the death for that project you’re obsessed with. Look for control and freedom when it comes to making your films. Never try to follow trends or fashions — there’s no point. And above all, approach each film as if it’s the last one you’re ever going to make.”

The 7 Fantastic Film Festivals

Please welcome the 7 international film festivals participating in this year’s Fantastic 7 edition:

Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
Cairo International Film Festival
Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara
Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF)
SXSW Film & TV Festival
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

About Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia

Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia is a world-leading fantasy film festival, recognized for its significant global impact in the fantastic genre industry. The festival — based in Sitges, just southwest of Barcelona, Spain — showcases a diverse range of fantasy films and provides a unique platform for encounters, exhibitions and presentations.

This year’s 58th festival edition will take place from 9-19 October 2025.

visit their website

Festivals

Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia

Established in 1968 as the 1st International Week of Fantasy and Horror Movies, the Festival has now become an essential rendez-vous for movie enthusiasts and audiences who are keen to explore new trends and technologies in horror and fantasy cinema. It is recognized as the leading fantasy film festival worldwide, due to its longevity and significant media and industrial impact.

Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival

Held annually Korea, BIFAN is Asia’s largest fantastic film festival and showcases the best genre films while offering innovative programs. The festival attracts film masters, emerging talents, and genre fans from around the world. Its B.I.G and Goedam Campus initiatives discover new genre projects and talents, while Beyond Reality explores the future of genre content through XR and VR.

Cairo International Film Festival

This festival is one of the oldest and most regular in the Arab world and Africa, and it stands out as the only one in the region registered under Category A at the FIAPF. It showcases genre films across various sections and has a special section, called the CIFF midnight screening, specifically designed to program genre films, particularly sci-fi, horror, and thrillers.

Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara

Guillermo del Toro founded the Guadalajara International Film Festival 38 years ago with the goal of showcasing Mexican cinema to the world. With del Toro’s influence, the festival unmistakably gravitates towards genre cinema. Today, the festival features a program dedicated to this genre that successfully merges some of the most audacious developing films with some of Ibero-America’s most influential creators in the genre.

SXSW Film & TV Festival

The SXSW Film & TV Festival celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, from both behind and in front of the camera. The festival is renowned for the high caliber and diversity of films it presents, as well as for its intelligent and enthusiastic audiences. In terms of genre, SXSW has hosted the world premieres of films such as Evil Dead Rise, A Quiet Place, Us, Deadstream, X, and Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF)

HKIFF Industry provides filmmakers with comprehensive services and global opportunities. From refining projects (Film Lab) and securing production and post-production support (HAF) to showcasing works-in-progress on international platforms (HAF Goes to Cannes) and strategizing the distribution of completed films (HKIFF Collection), we support filmmakers at every stage. HKIFF Industry also collaborates with third parties on film co-productions.

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

The region’s largest and only A-class film festival includes genre films at PÖFF’s main competition programs. It also features a special program, Midnight Shivers, and HÕFF, the Haapsalu Horror & Fantasy Film Festival. The European Genre Forum, a training program for debut genre filmmakers, is another key component. This is done in collaboration with Amsterdam Imagine and Fantastic Zagreb, along with all sections of the Industry.