EVA to open Sitges 2011 (and also the Festivals First Wave of Programming)

With the theme for this year being the questions brought about by the emotional intelligence of machines and communication between synthetic intelligences, notably the inspiration behind Spielberg/Kubrick's A.I., a film that is now 10 years old by the way, the leading Fantasy/Horror/Science-fiction festival in the world, The International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia better known simply as Sitges has announced it's opening night title, a film that has received a number of coverage bits in these parts since 2009, EVA, the robotics drama featuring ScreenAnarchy favourite, Daniel Brühl. 

This years edition of the festival from October 6-16th.

It is 2041 and Alex, a renowned cybernetic engineer returns to Santa Irene to carry out a very specific mission for the Robotic Faculty: the creation of a child robot. During the ten years he has been away from there, life has moved on for his brother David and for Lana, who after his departure, got her life back together. By coincidence Alex's routine is altered in an unexpected way by Eva, who is Lana and David's amazing daughter. She is a very special, charismatic little girl. She and Alex have a special connection from the first time they meet. They set out on a journey together, which will bring to them an revealing end.

Further Programming notes from the Sitges 2011 press release:

In addition, there will be other long-awaited Catalan and Spanish film productions like:
Mientras duermes (Sleep Tight), by Jaume Balagueró, a filmmaker who will be receiving one of the Festival's tribute awards, The Time Machine.
La Mujer del Eternauta, by Adán Aliaga, a documentary revolving around the comic, an allegory of Argentinean society in the times of Videla.
The Spanish Cuban co-production Juan de los Muertos, an ironic vision of Cuban reality, that will be the main attraction on Zombie Walk day, 14th October.
Emergo, by Carles Torrens and produced by Rodrigo Cortés for Versus Entertainment.

Some of the outstanding international films that will be participating include:  
The Turin Horse, by Béla Tarr.
The Yellow Sea, by Na Hong-jin, director of The Chaser (Korea).
Les Contes de la Nuit, 3D  animation, by Michel Ocelot.
Grave Encounters, directed by The Vicious Brothers, a recent blockbuster in Italy.
Burke and Hare, by John Landis.
Continuing with our commitment to Latin American genre film, we will be including productions like Trabalhar cansa, from Brazil.

Once again the Festival will focusing on 3D Cinema in different sections, with movies like Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy, in Midnight X- Treme, one of the big box office hits in Hong Kong or The Mortician, by Gareth Maxwell Roberts, in the in Competition Official Section, an innovative stereoscopic technology proposal.