Fantastic 7, a joint initiative of Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia and the Marché du Film, unveils its 2026 selection, set to be presented in Cannes on 17 May.
Each year, seven leading film festivals from around the world are selected to champion a genre project, presented in Cannes during the Marché du Film. These works-in-progress — in post-production or recently completed — are introduced through a live pitching session by their creative teams, in front of an audience of potential investors, distributors, sales agents, and genre enthusiasts.
Continuing its tradition of inviting a prominent industry figure to serve as its Godfather or Godmother, Fantastic 7 welcomes acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike for its 2026 edition. Renowned for a career as prolific as it is unpredictable, with nearly 150 films to his name, Miike has consistently pushed the boundaries of genre cinema. Effortlessly navigating between horror, yakuza films, comedy, and drama, his work — from the unsettling Audition to the cult phenomenon Ichi the Killer — reflects the very essence of Fantastic 7: daring visions, inventive storytelling, and uncompromising creativity.
Miike will join a diverse audience of industry professionals and genre film enthusiasts at the Fantastic 7 showcase, which will be held on Sunday, 17 May at 12:00 (Palais K, Palais des Festivals).
This year’s selection explores the haunting, the transformative, and the unsettling — from mysterious disappearances and post-apocalyptic survival experiments to cult-driven chaos and uncanny phenomena.
The projects to be presented at this year’s 2026 Fantastic 7 are:
- DEAD GROUND (Spain)
Director: Marta Medine del Valle
Producers: Luis Ferrón, Alejandro Millán | Lazona
Presented by Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia - LAST MANKIND (South Korea)
Director: Huh Gun
Producers: Heo Gyu-beom, Baek Si-won, Kim Dong-min
Presented by Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
- ROCK, PAPER, SEA (Egypt)
Director: Randa Ali
Producer: Cats Films
Presented by Cairo International Film Festival
- METALHEAD VS THE WITNESSES (Mexico)
Directors: Wicho Rivera, Cabe Tejeda
Producer: Hiram Chaparro | Ozados Films S.A
Presented by Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara
- THE VEIL (Brazil)
Director: Gabriel Motta
Producer: Aletéia Selonk, Gabriel Motta | Okna Produções, Fogo Filmes
Presented by Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF)
- THE COWARD AT KETTLE CREEK (USA)
Directors: Noah Stratton-Twine, Jake Kuhn
Producer: Right-Off Films
Presented by SXSW Film & TV Festival
- TING (Italy, UK)
Director: Maximilien Dejoie
Producers: Roberto Cavallini, Wilfried Gufler | Albolina Film, Mattia Puleo | Cinefonie, James Heath | Randan
Presented by Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
Fantastic 7 is co-organized by the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes and Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia.