The opening session of the 44th edition of the Molins de Rei Horror Film Festival hosts the premiere of the debut of Spanish director Christopher Cartagena, 'Dysforia', with the presence of the film crew, and was accompanied by the short film by the British Matty Crawford, 'Stomach Bug'.
The first weekend of the festival will begin with the Family Session, presented by the director of the short film 'Súper Z', Marc Dalmau. In the afternoon, short films will once again be the protagonists with the Ç-Trencada Section —dedicated to Catalan works— and two sessions of the Official Section.
Sunday morning will be the turn of the little ones with the TerrorKids section. The day will also include the retrospective section with the screening of the Japanese classic 'Ringu (The Ring)', and two of the festival's most media-worthy titles, out of competition: 'Together' and 'The Long (La larga marcha)'.
Alava filmmaker Paul Urkijo ('Irati', 'Errementari') will come to present his new film 'Gaua', an Iberian folk horror fable about witchcraft and creatures of the night.
Molins de Rei, November 7, 2025 — The Molins de Rei Horror Film Festival opened its 44th edition this evening, which this year focuses on the Japanese horror under the slogan “J-Horror, beyond scares”, coinciding with the 25th anniversary by Ju-On, one of the most iconic titles in the genre. The La Peni Theatre has welcomed the’Spanish premiere from Dysphoria, debut work of Christopher Cartagena, after its world premiere at the Fantastic Fest in Texas. The film tells the story of a young couple who, fleeing the insecurity of the city, move with their young daughter to the family country house with the intention of selling it. The disappearance of the father and the appearance of a mysterious visitor trigger a spiral of tension that turns the family environment into a nightmare.
The session was attended by the director Christopher Cartagena, the actresses Claudia Salas, Fariba Sheikhan, Noah Casas, the’actor Eloy Azorin and other members of the film team, who presented the film before the screening. The director dedicated a few words of gratitude to the audience for having “chosen as a plan for Friday to attend a gender festival”. He explained that the film is about motherhood, mental health, the fear of disappearing, as a society and as an individual, and he wanted to dedicate the film to his mother. The short film was shown on Stomach Bug from the British Matty Crawford, one of the most celebrated pieces of the season.
It has also been presented to the public the official spot of the 44th edition, produced by Arriate Studio, with creative direction by Maria Luquero, animation of Nacho Rodriguez i Raul Madplane, and music from Joan Vila. They explained that, with the concept of kintsugi (the practice of repairing ceramics using gold), which is central to the spot, this year's leitmotif is visually synthesized and pays homage to Japanese terror and its disturbing atmosphere.
Short films and animation at the center of terror. On Saturday, November 8, the festival will kick off with the Family Session, where the film will be screened. Sketch. Be careful what you draw and the short film Super Z, presented by its director Marc Dalmau.
In the afternoon, the sessions will be dedicated to short films with C-Broken, the section dedicated to works in Catalan or of Catalan production, and two sessions of the Official Section, which will have the presence of teams from various short films to present their works. Among the most prominent titles are Corps étranger (Foreign Body), Spanish premiere of an atmospheric thriller awarded at the Fantastic Film Fest in Brussels; Dream Creep, Catalan premiere of the acclaimed short at Sundance and Palm Springs; or The ghost of the Fifth, an animated piece about the last days of Goya. The commitment to animation as a language of horror continues with works such as Judy1964, Me game o Underground Invaders. From the local perspective, Smoke bomb and other proposals such as Good Luck (European premiere) or Kukeri (international premiere) demonstrate the variety and creative strength of this edition.
From childhood terror to Japanese nightmare. Sunday, November 9th will begin with TerrorKids, the traditional solidarity session in collaboration with the AFANOC, with competitive short films adapted for ages and an inclusive atmosphere designed for the whole family. At the Pista de La Peni, different craft workshops and reading spaces will welcome the youngest among the film buffs, who will be able to give free rein to their creativity and imagination.
In the afternoon, the retrospective session will bring back the Japanese classic The Ring, and the sessions out of competition will include Together, the shocking body horror Australian with Alison Brie i Dave Franco, and The Long Walk (La larga marcha), adaptation of Stephen King directed by Francis Lawrence, two outstanding international horror titles of the last year.
The weekend will culminate with the presentation of Gaua, the new film by the Alava filmmaker Paul Urkijo Alijo (Errementari, Irati), who will visit Molins de Rei to present this dark folk horror fable about witchcraft and creatures of the night.
The J-Horror attack on Ca n'Ametller. Inaugurated on November 6, the exhibition THE ATTACK OF THE J- HORROR! can be visited at Ca n'Ametller until November 16. The exhibition brings together illustrations from third-year Illustration students at the’Joso School, led by Miki Edge, which pays homage to classic horror movie posters. A mysterious J-Horror force seems to have possessed his works, tormenting them with spirits, monsters, and a disturbing Japanese essence.