LOLA is the first Irish film to be awarded the Méliès d’or at the Sitges International Film Festival
Posted: 10th October 2023
For the sixth consecutive year, the International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia in Sitges hosted the Méliès d’or award ceremony. Our sincere congratulations to Andrew Legge, Cowtown Pictures and the team behind Irish film LOLA, as the film has become the first Irish film to receive the award. It previously won the Méliès d'argent at the Trieste Science + Fiction Festival 2022.
Established in 1968, the Sitges Film Festival is one of the world's foremost international festival specialising in fantasy and horror films. This year's programme included the Screen Ireland supported Focus short Callus as part of its Official Selection. Rioghnach Ní Ghrioghair won the Frontières Award at this year's Sitges Fanpitch for the Screen Ireland supported project The Hive.
The Méliès is a cycle of competitions that takes place throughout the year, culminating when a jury chooses a Méliès d’or, for the best European fantastic film of the year. Previous winners include Veronika Kranz and Severin Fiala's Goodnight Mommy, Julie Ducourneau's Raw and Tomas Alfredson's Let The Right One In.
Speaking on the award, writer/director Andrew Legge said:
It’s an amazing honour to win this year’s Méliès d’or and to be recognised alongside the best genre movies of the past number of years, including Raw, one of my favourite films of the past decade.”
An Irish-UK co-production, LOLA tells the story of sisters Thom and Mars who have built a machine that can intercept radio and TV broadcasts from the future. With the Second World War escalating, the sisters decide to use the machine to intercept information from the future that could help with military intelligence. While Thom becomes intoxicated by LOLA, Mars realizes the terrible consequences of its power.
Since its release in Irish cinemas this April, LOLA has received overwhelming critical acclaim, becoming one of Mark Kermode's BFI Player Film of the Week and named one of the best films of 2023 by the Sunday Times. Throughout its festival journey, the film has received positive reviews from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Screen International and more.
LOLA is produced by Alan Maher and John Wallace of Cowtown Pictures (Rialto) in association with Alice Lusher and Catryn Ramasut of ie ie productions (Queerama), with funding from Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Head Gear Films, Ffilm Cymru Wales and ROADS Entertainment. Executive producers are Phil Hunt, Compton Ross, Stephen Kelliher, Sophie Green, Dearbhla Regan, Bizzy Day, Andrew Legge and Danielle Ryan.