GHOST NOVEMBER RETURNS WITH A PROMISING FIFTH SEASON

San Cristóbal de La Laguna, October 26th - One more year, autumn brings with it a new edition of Noviembre Fantasma, the collaborative initiative between four of the most important fantastic and horror film festivals in Spain: the San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Week, Fancine - Malaga Fantasy Film Festival, TerrorMolins - Molins de Rei Horror Film Festival and Isla Calavera - Canary Islands Fantasy Film Festival Ciudad de La Laguna. In its fifth season, this project continues to consolidate with more than twenty unpublished audiovisual proposals that will be published progressively from this month. All contents will be available for free on the Noviembre Fantasma website, allowing fans of the genre to enjoy interviews, talks, concerts and other exclusive events from their homes.

San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival

The Donostia Week will offer a varied program with outstanding names in international horror and fantastic cinema. Among the most awaited proposals, the meeting with Morito Inoue stands out, who will share the surprising story behind his film Onsen Sharka project that took off thanks to an ingenious crowdfunding that added sharks to the film for each donation received. There will also be an interview with Koji Shiraishi, a veteran Japanese filmmaker known for mixing horror and humor, who will present his latest work, House of Sayuriand will reflect on how his personal experiences have influenced his career.

In addition, anime fans will be able to enjoy a talk with the popular youtuber The Fifth Emperor, who will analyze the worldwide success of the series One Piece. There will also be the participation of horror film expert Heidi Honeycutt, who will talk about the role of women in this genre through her book I Spit on Your Celluloid.

And, for lovers of critical film theory, there will be two unmissable encounters: the first will be the presentation of the book Kafka, the Kafkaesque and the Fantastic Cinemaedited by Isla Calavera and the Semana, by its authors, Jonathan Allen and Jesús Palacios, who will address the influence of the Czech writer on fantastic cinema. Finally, there will be a conversation on Spanish fantaterror between Ángel Sala and Alberto Sedano (director of the documentary Exorcismo).

TerrorMolins - Molins de Rei Horror Film Festival

The Molins de Rei Horror Film Festival will explore the new trends and horizons of independent horror cinema through different talks. Thus, we will be able to see the colloquium with filmmakers Caye Casas and Víctor Catalá, moderated by the youtuber Héctor García, who will delve into the challenges of making horror films outside the commercial circuit, with the iconic example of The Dining Room Table.

Another event of interest will be a talk by journalist Manuel Mañero, author of the book Horror Movies Told to ChildrenHe will talk about how horror films can be adapted to children, addressing the educational possibilities of the genre and its influence on children's development. This program is completed with a talk on the art of illustration in horror films, by Jordi Pastor and Dani Noblon, who will reveal the creative processes behind their works.

To close, Rocío Alés, author of Deep AmericaAmerican rural horror cinema, will give a talk on how films set in America's most desolate landscapes have shaped a subculture within horror cinema, through classic titles such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre y The Hills Have Eyes.

Isla Calavera - Festival de Cine Fantástico de Canarias Ciudad de La Laguna (Canary Islands Fantastic Film Festival)

Isla Calavera pays tribute to some of the great names of fantastic cinema. This year, Javier Botetactor who has embodied some of the most terrifying creatures of recent cinema, from [REC] to Alien: Covenantwill receive the Isla Calavera Leyenda del Fantástico 2024 Award, in recognition of his chameleon-like career and contributions to the genre. It won't be the only tribute we will witness: we will also be able to enjoy the meeting with Tami Stronachthe unforgettable Childlike Empress of The Neverending Story, who will also receive the Isla Calavera Legend of the Fantastic 2024 Award.

Also, webseries pioneer Borja Pérez, known for his work in Qué vida más triste, will tell us about his passion for fantastic cinema and its importance in his career. The festival will also feature a talk with Marcus Nispelwho will offer his vision of the Leatherface myth and its impact on modern horror cinema. To close, the Canary Islands Fantastic Film Festival will be commemorating 70 years of Godzilla, with a round table discussion featuring the participation of documentary filmmaker Jonathan Bellés and Sitges Festival director, Ángel Sala, who will be analyzing the enduring influence of the king of monsters on world cinema.

The Isla Calavera Festival is sponsored by the City Council of La Laguna, through the Department of Culture, the Cabildo of Tenerife, Promotur, Canary Islands Tourism, Canary Islands Latitud de Vida, Canarias avanza con Europa; the Canary Islands Institute of Cultural Development, Canary Islands Film and Tenerife Film Commission.

Fancine - Festival de Cine Fantástico de la Universidad de Málaga (University of Malaga Fantastic Film Festival)

True to its alternative approach, Fancine will delve into the intersections between technology, music and visual narrative. This year, the festival will feature a fascinating analysis of the influence of artificial intelligence on comics by professor and cartoonist Pepo Pérez, who will compare this new creative era to Marvel's famous "Infinity Gauntlet".

Also in the field of graphic narrative, award-winning author Antonio Altarriba will share in a talk with students his experience on the process of adapting comic scripts to images, while professor Mikel Lagar will explore the impact of AI in the creative industries, focusing on its use within film production.

It will also make room for the experimental with the concert by CRAVAT and PRRMB, which will fuse electronic sounds, shoegaze and visual art to create an immersive and multisensory experience. And the most fantastic melody will continue with the traditional soundtrack recital by the Malaga Symphony Orchestra, which this year will be dedicated to the Ghibli studio with a program that will include themes from films such as My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away. Finally, we will have the opportunity to learn more about the actor and comedian David Pareja, known for his participation in films such as Amigo and La Mesita del Comedor, who will give an interview to talk about his career and his particular approach to humor within horror.

All of these videos will be available for free on the www.noviembrefantasma.com platform .

With these twenty additions, the Ghost November catalog now exceeds 70 pieces, since this initiative was launched in 2020 as a response to the pandemic restrictions. Throughout these five years, the project has proven to be a successful alliance within the network of fantastic and horror film festivals in Spain, allowing genre followers to access exclusive content and connecting them through a common platform.

This union complements the lineups of the participating festivals and reaffirms their commitment to the dissemination of genre cinema, as well as the promotion of the taste for the fantastic in all its forms and without borders. This synergy not only fosters a sense of community among fans, but also promotes a broader and more diverse film culture, where each festival brings its own particularity, allowing viewers to enjoy a richer and more complete experience of genre cinema.

• 35th San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, from October 25 to November 1.
• 43rd TerrorMolins - Molins de Rei Horror Film Festival, from November 8 to 17.
• 8th Isla Calavera - Festival de Cine Fantástico de Canarias Ciudad de La Laguna, from November 8 to 17.
• 34th Fancine - Malaga Fantastic Film Festival, from November 13 to 21.