Peter Jackson received the Grand Honorary Award at the Sitges Film Festival, marking his return to the Catalan coastal event 34 years after presenting his cult horror-comedy Braindead. Standing before an applauding crowd, the New Zealand filmmaker accepted the trophy from festival director Ángel Sala while holding a small figure of King Kong.
A Grand Return to Sitges After 34 Years
The reception in the Spanish coastal town proved apoteósic for the creator of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Festivities began when Jackson made a surprise appearance alongside veteran special effects artist Rick Baker to launch the Sitges Zombie Walk, which was celebrating its 18th anniversary. Speaking from the terrace of the Centre Cultural Miramar to an army of participants dressed as the walking dead, Jackson shouted the command to kick off the parade.
Before taking the stage at the Melià auditorium to receive the honor, Spanish actress Diana Peñalver reflected on working on the 1992 feature Braindead—which screened at the festival in a newly restored 4K version—describing the experience as feeling like a dream. Festival director Ángel Sala recalled that when Jackson first brought the film to Sitges in 1992, the director was running a 39-degree fever and viewed the Spanish title given to the movie, Tu madre se ha comido a mi perro, as a delirious fever dream.
Upon accepting the award, Jackson addressed the audience with high praise for both the festival and his primary cinematic inspiration. No puedo estar más feliz sujetando un trofeo con King Kong, mi criatura preferida. Y estar en este sitio maravilloso que adoro. Vine aquí por primera vez hace 34 años y espero poder volver dentro de otros tantos,
Jackson stated, adding later, Mi película favorita de todos los tiempos es King Kong, la de 1933, y el mejor festival del mundo es Sitges.
From Splatter Cult Classics to Middle-earth Masterpieces
Jackson began making films as a teenager before achieving international recognition in 1987 with the cult feature Mal gusto. Alongside his creative partner Dame Fran Walsh, he subsequently directed modern genre staples such as Criaturas celestiales (1994), which featured a young Kate Winslet, and Agárrame esos fantasmas (1996), which starred Michael J. Fox.
His career shifted dramatically in the early 2000s with the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings, which accumulated 17 Academy Awards, including wins for best picture and best director. In recent years, Jackson transitioned toward documentary series, directing Ellos no envejecerán in 2018 and The Beatles: Get Back in 2021.
Current Projects in Production
The award comes as Jackson balances several major upcoming motion picture ventures. Fifteen years after the first Tintin film directed by Steven Spielberg, Jackson is preparing a new installment in the franchise.
Concurrently, he is involved as a producer and co-writer for upcoming films set within the world of The Lord of the Rings. The first of these new projects is titled La caza de Golum and is set to be directed by actor Andy Serkis, who will also reprise his role as the character.
