‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ Lead Rose Byrne Wins Best Actress at the 58th Sitges Film Festival

Rose Byrne (“Spy,” “Bridesmaids”) took home the Best Actress award for her role in Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” at Europe’s preeminent genre film fest, the Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, which wrapped its 58th edition on Oct. 19.

The A24 release is described by Variety critic Peter Debrugeas“a virtuosic portrait of mental unraveling that uses every tool in the director’s arsenal to re-create an end-of-the-world feeling on the most intimate scale,” where Byrne delivers “a feverish, raw-nerve performance sure to go down as one of the year’s greats.”

The festival crowned “The Ugly Stepsister” (“Den stygge stesøsteren”) by Norway’s Emilie Blichfeldt with the Best Feature Film prize while South Korea’s Park Chan-wook snagged the Best Director Award for his dark comedy thriller, “No Other Choice,” based on Donald E. Westlake’s crime novel, “The Ax.”

Hailed by Varietyas a “deliciously extreme take on the beloved ‘Cinderella’ legend, complete with broken noses, severed toes and other gory details befitting the Grimm Bros.” “The Ugly Stepsister” delivers a body horror twist on the fairy tale, which centers on stepsister Elvira, who goes to painfully extraordinary lengths to fit the kingdom’s standards of beauty.

Meanwhile, the entire cast of “The Plague,” by newcomer Charlie Polinger, comprising Joel Edgerton, Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Lucas Adler and Kenny Rasmussen, shared Best Actor. The psychological drama follows a socially awkward 12-year-old who is relentlessly bullied in an all-boy water polo camp.

Backed by “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” producer Bill Kong and bringing together what Variety described as “maybe the most formidable collection of Asian action talent since Hong Kong’s golden age,” “The Furious,” from action choreographer-turned-director Tanigaki Kenji, scooped Sitges’ Special Jury Award, Sitges’ effective runner-up prize.

It shared that plaudit with “Obsession,” a low-budget twisted love horror film from YouTube breakout and first-time director Curry Barker that has just caught attention by being picked up by Focus Features for $14 million. “Obsession” also won Sitges’ coveted People’s Choice Award.

“The Ugly Stepsister” bowed at Sundance’s Midnight Strand; “The Furious” and “Obsession” world premiered at Toronto’s Midnight Madness, a sign of how some of the best and most market-attractive movies at both festivals are now screening in their genre sections.

Equally, the Sitges Film Festival’s industry star is rising as sales agents in Europe identify upscale genre as one of the most market-worthy of film types on a highly difficult international distribution scene.

The festival had its share of stars that included Benedict Cumberbatch, Luc Besson, Carmen Maura and producer Gale Ann Hurd who received Sitges’ Woman in Fan Grand Honorary Award.

The coveted Blood Window prize, from the most important platform for genre cinema in Latin America, went to Mexico’s Emilio Portes (“Belzebuth,” “Pastorela”) for his nightmarish suspense drama (especially for parents), “Don’t Leave the Kids Alone.”

“After screening our previous film, ‘Belzebuth,’ at Sitges 2017, returning to the 58th Edition was a wonderful déjà vu, spiced with old friends, new flabbergasting films, great parties and sight-seeing movie legends in such a magic town. But winning the Blood Window Award with ‘Don’t Leave the Kids Alone,’ is a sweet nightmare come true. We are beyond happy,” Portes told Variety.

“Once again, the Sitges Film Festival—the most important genre festival in the world—has partnered with Blood Window to recognize Latin American talent,” said Morbido Group founder/CEO Pablo Guisa, “A key point for me is that this film had its world premiere at Rotterdam, a major non-genre festival, and then won at Sitges. This shows that Latin American genre film is being recognized by both genre-specific and mainstream festivals, which is a win for all of Latin horror.”

“Emilio Portes has been committed to genre filmmaking for a long time. His films “Conozca la cabeza de Juan Pérez,” “Pastorela,” “Belzebuth,” and now this one—are proof of his dedication, and I’m happy to see his work gaining this recognition,” he told Variety, adding: “Blood Window is now more alive than ever. With a presence at Cannes and Sitges, and activities in Mexico with Morbido, it reflects the incredible moment Latin American horror is currently experiencing. This success is due, in part, to Blood Window’s steadfast support over the last decade.”

“Don’t Leave the Kids Alone” was indeed not the only prize for Latin American genre filmmaking with “The Virgin of the Quarry Lake,” an Argentina-Spain-Mexico produduction directed by Laura Casabé, taking Best Cinematography for Diego Tenorio.

The 58th Sitges Film Festival ran Oct. 9 – 19.

OFFICIAL COMPETITION WINNERS

Best Feature Film

“The Ugly Stepsister,” Emilie Blichfeldt

Special Jury Award

(ex aequo)

“The Furious,” Kenji Tanigaki

“Obsession,” Curry Barker

Best Director

Park Chan-wook, “No Other Choice”

Best Actress

Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”

Best Actor

The entire cast of “The Plague”

Best Screenplay

“A Useful Ghost,” de Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke

Best Cinematography

Diego Tenorio, “La virgen de la tosquera”

Best Music

Yasutaka Nakata & Shouhei Amimori, “Exit 8”

Best Special, Visual or Makeup Effects

Tenille Shockey & François Dagenais, “Honey Bunch”

NEW VISIONS

Best Film

(ex aequo)

“Lesbian Space Princess,” Emma Hough Hobbs & Leela Varghese

“The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick,” Pete Ohs

Best Director

(ex aequo)

Adam C. Briggs & Sam Dixon, “A Grand Mockery”

Toshiaki Toyoda, “Transcending Dimensions”

Best Short film

“Monstruo Obscura,” Hong Seung-gi

BLOOD WINDOW

Best Feature Film

“Don’t Leave the Kids Alone,” (“No dejes a los niños solos,” Emilio Portes)

ORBIT

Best Feature Film

“The Forbidden City,” (“La città proibita,” Gabriele Mainetti)

GOLDEN MÉLIÈS AWARD

Best Fantastic Genre Feature Film

“Mr. K,” Tallulah Hazekamp Schwab

Best Short Film Genre Feature Film

“Don’t Be Afraid,” Mats Udd

SILVER MÉLIÈS AWARD

Best Fantastic Genre Feature Film

“Feels Like Home,” Gábor Holtai

Best European Fantasy Genre Short Film

“El fantasma de la Quinta,” James A. Castillo

ANIMATION

Best Animated Feature Film

“Lesbian Space Princess,” Emma Hough Hobbs & Leela Varghese

Best Animated Short Film

BRIGADOON PAUL NASCHY AWARD

Best Short Film

“Floor,” Jo Bareun

CRITIC’S JURY

Best Film

(ex aequo)

“The Life of Chuck,” Mike Flanagan

“Reflection in a Dead Diamond,” Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani

CITIZEN KANE AWARD

Best New Director

Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, “A Useful Ghost”

Best Short Film

“The Man That I Wave At,” Ben S. Hyland

CARNET JOVE JURY

Best Feature Film

“Obsession,” Curry Barker

Best Documentary

“Endless Cookie,” Peter Scriver & Seth Scriver

SGAE NOVA AUTORIA

Best Direction-Production

Fran Moreno & Santiago Pujol, “Furia”

Best Screenplay

Fran Moreno & Santiago Pujol, “Furia”

Best Original Music

Sergio Rojas, “Matcha”

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

“Obsession,” Curry Barker

John Hopewell contributed to this article.