PROGRAM 2025 (13-22 NOVEMBER)
The poster for the thirteenth edition of the Festival, created by artist Mario-Paul Martínez using a combination of pencil and digital color, pays double tribute to Japanese culture.
On one hand, there is the animation film “Ghost in the Shell” (1995), which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, showing its protagonist being repaired with the excess of futuristic machinery so characteristic of cyberpunk. This image uses chiaroscuro inking typical of Japanese manga or comics, based on screens and dots. On the other hand, superimposed on it, we find a bright and multicolored explosion of characters from Japanese culture in the Kawaii style. Underneath this more adorable aesthetic appear such iconic figures as Godzilla, Ultraman, Mazinger Z, Pikachu, Pochita, etc.
The thirteenth edition of the Festival will be held from November 13 to 22, 2025. The program will include the screening of the aforementioned film “Ghost in the Shell” (1995) as its opening event. Mamoru Oshii’s masterpiece revolutionized anime and, along with other titles, left an indelible mark on the world of Japanese cyberpunk.
* All festival activities are free of charge until full capacity is reached.
* Screenings are not recommended for people under 18 years of age.
OPENING
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THURSDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 2025 – AFTERNOON – ODEON CINEMAS (THEATRE B).
C/ Juan Ramón Jiménez, 18. Elche (See map).
20:00h-21:30h: OPENING + SCREENING OF THE FILM “GHOST IN THE SHELL” (1995), BY MAMORU OSHII.
Special Opening Session.
Free admission until full capacity is reached, no reservations required.
Country: Japan.
Running time: 83 min.
Language: Spanish.
Synopsis: Year 2029. In a huge Asian city, a female cyborg police officer investigates the sinister activities of a mysterious hacker, a supercriminal who is invading the information superhighways. This year, the festival pays tribute to the 30th anniversary of Mamoru Oshii’s legendary anime which, along with other titles, marked a turning point in the Japanese cyberpunk universe. The film will be screened in its original version released in cinemas in 1995, without subsequent digital retouching.
FEATURE FILMS
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FRIDAY, 14 NOVEMBER 2025 – AFTERNOON – ABC CINEMAS AT THE L’ALJUB SHOPPING CENTRE (ROOM 10 VIP).
C/ Jacarilla, 7. Elche (See map).
19:00h-21:00h: SCREENING OF THE FILM “GAUA” (2025), BY PAUL URKIJO ALIJO.
Official Competition Section.
Popcorn will be given out to attendees.
To attend this event, you must register in advance using the following form:
https://cclaljub.com/inscripcion-a-las-proyecciones-fantaelx-2025-en-laljub/
Country: Spain. Running time: 87 min. Language: Basque with Spanish subtitles. Local premiere.
Synopsis: Basque mountains, 17th century. In the midst of a witch hunt, Kattalin flees from her husband, abandoning the farmhouse in the middle of the night. Lost in the darkness of the forest, she senses a presence following her. On her way, she encounters three women who, while washing clothes by the river, share scary stories and village gossip. To her amazement, Kattalin will end up becoming part of those very stories.
SATURDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 2025 – AFTERNOON – ABC CINEMAS AT THE L’ALJUB SHOPPING CENTRE (ROOM 10 VIP).
C/ Jacarilla, 7. Elche (See map).
19:00h-21:00h: SCREENING OF THE FILM “DECORADO” (2025), BY ALBERTO VÁZQUEZ.
With the assistance of Alberto Vázquez for the presentation and subsequent colloquium.
Popcorn will be provided to attendees.
To attend this activity, prior registration is required using the following form:
https://cclaljub.com/inscripcion-a-las-proyecciones-fantaelx-2025-en-laljub/
Country: Spain. Running time: 96 min. Language: Spanish.
Synopsis: Arnold is a middle-aged mouse caught in an existential crisis. His marriage is falling apart, his life seems absurd, and he begins to suspect that everything around him is a big sham. When his best friend dies in suspicious circumstances, Arnold becomes convinced that something is not right. What begins as everyday paranoia turns into a desperate escape towards something that resembles, even if only slightly, freedom. Feature film based on the acclaimed short film of the same name by Alberto Vázquez himself, which won an award at FANTAELX in 2016.
SUNDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 2025 – AFTERNOON – ABC CINEMAS AT THE L’ALJUB SHOPPING CENTRE (ROOM 10 VIP).
C/ Jacarilla, 7. Elche (See map).
19:00h-21:00h: SCREENING OF THE FILM “LUGER” (2025), BY BRUNO MARTÍN.
Official Competition Section.
With the assistance of Bruno Martín along with part of the technical and artistic team (Mario Mayo, Ángel Acero, José Luis Rancaño and Irene Guerrero) for the presentation and subsequent colloquium.
Popcorn will be provided to attendees.
To attend this activity, prior registration is required using the following form:
https://cclaljub.com/inscripcion-a-las-proyecciones-fantaelx-2025-en-laljub/
Country: Spain. Running time: 90 min. Language: Spanish. Local premiere.
Synopsis: Rafa and Toni are two hustlers who work for Angela, a lawyer with flexible morals who offers her clients quick solutions outside the law. The story unfolds over the course of a frantic day in a labyrinthine industrial estate, when they are tasked with recovering a stolen car belonging to one of these clients. In the boot, they find a mysterious safe containing a relic from the Second World War: a Luger P08 pistol, highly coveted by dangerous figures in the underworld.
Coming soon.
TUESDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2025 – AFTERNOON – LA VALONA UMH BUILDING (CINEMATECA, 3RD FLOOR).
Zone 6.4 of the Miguel Hernández University Campus in Elche (See map).
17:30h-20:30h: SCREENING OF THE FILM “ISHIRO HONDA: MEMOIRS OF A FILM DIRECTOR” (2024), BY JONATHAN BELLÉS.
Official Competition Section.
With the assistance of Jonathan Bellés for the presentation and subsequent colloquium.
Free admission until full capacity is reached, no prior booking required.
Country: Spain. Running time: 73 min. Language: Japanese, Spanish and English (subtitled). Provincial premiere. Fourth national screening.
Synopsis: This documentary film explores the life and film career of Ishiro Honda, father of kaiju eiga and one of the great Japanese directors of his generation. This portrait is articulated through an analysis of his filmography from a historical and personal perspective, including his experiences in the war and his obsession with the atomic bomb, recurring themes in his films, and his friendship with Akira Kurosawa.
THURSDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2025 – AFTERNOON – AUDITORIUM OF CONGRESS CENTRE “CIUTAT D’ELX”.
C/ Filet de Fora, 1. Elche (See map).
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17:00h-19:00h: SCREENING OF THE FILM “THE VIRGIN OF THE QUARRY LAKE” (2025), BY LAURA CASABÉ.
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Official Competition Section.
Free admission until full capacity is reached, no prior reservation required.
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Country: Argentina. Running time: 96 min. Language: Argentine Spanish. Provincial premiere.
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Synopsis: Film based on two stories by the famous Argentine writer Mariana Enríquez. Natalia, Mariela and Josefina are three inseparable friends who live on the outskirts of Buenos Aires and are madly in love with Diego, their childhood friend. In a hot summer of 2001, after the outbreak of violence that ended in a deep economic and social crisis, Silvia appears, older and more worldly, who captivates Diego. Natalia, determined to win Diego back, asks for help from her grandmother, Rita, who introduces her to the realm of spells and black magic.
SHORT FILMS
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FRIDAY, 14 NOVEMBER 2025 – EVENING – CATRAL.
C/ La Virgen, 11. Catral (See map).
21:30h-23:30h: SCREENING OF COMPETITION SHORT FILMS.
Free admission until full capacity is reached, no prior reservation required.
– Escena Final, by Diego Kompel. Dur: 20 min. Winning short film at the 1000 Gritos Festival 2025. Out of competition.
– Tinieblas, by Raúl Cerezo and Carlos Moriana (Spain). Dur: 15 min.
– In London, by Jordi Romero Oya (Spain). Fake trailer. Dur: 1:00 min.
– Lo que te falta, by Sara Bermejo (Spain). Dur: 15:00 min.
– Te debo una, by Santi Capuz and Diego Jiménez (Spain). Dur: 11:00 min.
– Ucún, by Joan Martín Giménez (Spain). Dur: 13:23 min. Out of competition.
– El revisor, by Jandro (Spain). Dur: 12:08 min.
– Que el cielo nos perdone, by Andrés Buitrago (Colombia). Dur: 16:48 min.
– El aspirante, by Sam Orti (Spain). Dur: 15:00 min.
FROM MONDAY 17 TO THURSDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2025 – AFTERNOON – MEGASCREEN AT THE L’ALJUB SHOPPING CENTRE.
C/ Jacarilla, 7. Elche (See map).
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20:00h: ALJUB SESSIONS IN MEGASCREEN.
Screening of four short films from this year’s festival on the megascreen at L’Aljub shopping centre, the largest interactive LED screen installed in a Spanish shopping centre.
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– Monday 17: Tristan, by Mallory Grolleau (France). Dur: 14:05 min.
– Tuesday 18: Abril, by Alexandra Iglesias (Spain). Dur: 18:00 min.
– Wednesday 19: Ginoide, by Celia Galán (Spain). Dur: 20:00 min.
– Thursday 20: Padre, by Michele Gallone (Italy). Dur: 19:03 min.
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FRIDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2025 – AFTERNOON – AUDITORIUM OF CONGRESS CENTRE “CIUTAT D’ELX”.
C/ Filet de Fora, 1. Elche (See map).
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16:30h-19:00h: SCREENING OF COMPETITION SHORT FILMS.
Free admission until full capacity is reached, no prior reservation required.
With presentations by the authors.
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IMPORTANT: ALL WORKS SCREENED DURING THIS SPECIFIC SESSION WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AUDIENCE AWARD (TO BE ANNOUNCED DURING THE CLOSING CEREMONY).
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– Dancing in the Rain, by Chao-chun Yeh (Japan). Dur: 6:26 min.
– Ángulo muerto, by Cristian Beteta (Spain). Dur: 15:00 min.
– Perromaquia, by Borja López Ferrer (Alicante). Dur: 7:00 min.
– El Fantasma de la Quinta, by James A. Castillo (Spain). Dur: 17:13 min.
– Aitana, by Daniel Muñoz Sánchez (Alicante). Dur: 20:00 min.
– Holy Heavêness, by Negah Khezre Fardyardad and Farnoosh Abedi (Iran). Dur: 8:57 min.
– Ten Candles, by Coral Maciá, Jaime Pastor, Pablo Tenza, Sandra Cantó and Lucía Candela (Alicante). Fake trailer. Dur: 2:03 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– The Call, by Kiko Prada (Spain). Dur: 9:20 min.
– Berta, by Lucía Forner Segarra (Alicante). Dur: 16:58 min.
– La terrorífica posesión maliciosa de un fantasma con el pelo guarro a la rubia de siempre en el templo Ketemato. The final last dance of the world, by Guillermo Rojo (Alicante). Fake trailer. Dur: 3:00 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– Leonardo, by Álvaro G. Company and Meka Ribera (Alicante). Dur: 15:55 min.
– El perverso mundo de los cubitos de hielo, by Joaquín Górriz (Spain). Dur: 20:00 min.
SATURDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2025 – MORNING – AUDITORIUM OF CONGRESS CENTRE “CIUTAT D’ELX”.
C/ Filet de Fora, 1. Elche (See map).
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11:30h-13:30h: SCREENING OF COMPETITION SHORT FILMS.
Free admission until full capacity is reached, no prior reservation required.
With presentations by the authors.
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IMPORTANT: ALL WORKS SCREENED DURING THIS SPECIFIC SESSION WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AUDIENCE AWARD (TO BE ANNOUNCED DURING THE CLOSING CEREMONY). IN ADDITION, AFTER THE SCREENINGS IN THIS SESSION, THREE VOUCHERS WORTH 50€ EACH WILL BE RAFFLED OFF AMONG THE ATTENDEES, TO BE USED AT “CINEMA PARADISO, TU TIENDA DE CINE”.
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– Amira, by Javier Yañez Sanz (Spain). Dur: 16:07 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– Kore, by Sara Llinares (Alicante). Dur: 7:13 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– Prou bé, by Anna Carbonell (Spain). Dur: 12:23 min.
– Mefisto, by Emma Planchon (Alicante). Dur: 5:25 min.
– Hell Troops, by the Gallego Bros (Alicante). Dur: 8:48 min.
– Radix, by Anne Breymann (Germany). Dur: 4:14 min.
– El mal donat (The evil eye), by Alfons Casal and Hector Mas (Spain). Dur: 20:00 min.
– Reflexions, by Zain Mehdee (Germany). Dur: 8:46 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– Simulación 73, by Álex Gil (Alicante). Dur: 6:53 min.
– Pimple, by Fernando Alle (Portugal). Dur: 4:17 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– Dagon, by Paolo Gaudio (Italy). Dur: 6:07 min.
– Pálpito, by Marisa Crespo and Moisés Romera (Spain). Dur: 17:30 min. In Spanish and Valencian with subtitles.
SPECIAL SESSIONS
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TUESDAY 18, AND WEDNESDAY 19, NOVEMBER, 2025 – MORNING – I.E.S. TIRANT LO BLANC.
C/ Pedro Juan Perpiñán, 91. Elche (See map).
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9:00h-12:00h: FANTASTIC TRAINING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
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The exchanges between fantasy and cinema also provide an ideal space for debate and learning about our audiovisual culture. The festival continues to develop activities aimed at young audiences; in this case, this year there will be two specific workshops for students at the I.E.S. Tirant Lo Blanc secondary school in Elche who are interested in the audiovisual field and the fantastic genre, with the participation of their teachers.
Coming soon.
WEDNESDAY, 19 NOVEMBER 2025 – AFTERNOON – ABC CINEMAS AT THE L’ALJUB SHOPPING CENTRE (ROOM 10 VIP).
C/ Jacarilla, 7. Elche (See map).
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20:00h-21:30h: CEREMONY + FANTAELX-L’ALJUB SPECIAL AWARD (III EDITION).
This session has special subtitles with audio description for people with hearing impairments.
To attend this activity, prior registration is required using the following form: https://cclaljub.com/inscripcion-gala-fantaelx-2025-en-laljub/
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Presentation and screening of a selection of the best animated short films from the Degree in Audiovisual Communication and the Double Degree in Journalism and Audiovisual Communication at the Miguel Hernández University in Elche, coordinated by their teachers. The FANTAELX-L’ALJUB Special Award will be awarded from among all the works. This prize includes the awarding of two Diverplanes from the L’Aljub Shopping Center (sponsor of the Festival) to each of the members of the winning short film.
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– ¿Dónde estás amor?, by Matías Roca Castro, Alba Bailón Plaza, Pablo Revelles Torres, Adrián Romero de la Osa and Jose Ángel Ruiz Olivares. Dur: 7:39 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– Invisible Besties, by Sandra García Sánchez, Cristina Aguilar Rubio, Clara Alemany Martínez, Paula Aránega Cortés and Isabel Serrano. Dur: 4:58 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– Kaizen, by Carlos Romero López, Jaime Lucerón Calero, Ignacio Ortiz Caro, Damián Bieco Ivorra, Alba Díez Gilabert and Rafael Marín Pérez. Dur: 3:18 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– La grieta, by Sara Adán, Laura Ortega, Sandra Pastor, Jin Sanmartín, Lidia Sempere and Rocío Valero. Dur: 6:00 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– Aluna, by Andrés Campos. Dur: 6:12 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– Hibernació, by Lucía de Bunder, Maravillas Espín, Alejandro Ramón, Guillermo Rojo and Elia Sempere. Dur: 7:02 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
– Lo sentimos, Elisa, by Andreu Mas, Diego de la Encina and Philip Coveney. Dur: 4:02 min. Subtitled in Valencian.
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Coming soon.
FRIDAY, 21 NOVEMBER, 2025 – AFTERNOON – ALI I TRUC BOOKSTORE.
Passeig de les Eres de Santa Llucia, 7. Elche (See map).
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19:30h-20:30h: PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK “NO TE OLVIDES DE AQUELLO QUE CRECE BAJO TUS PIES. ESTUDIOS DEL FOLK HORROR DESDE LA CONTEMPORANEIDAD” (2025).
With the attendance of the authors and editors.
Free admission until full capacity is reached, no reservations required.
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Folk Horror, or rural horror, is a subgenre of fantastic that conveys terror through elements of folklore, legends, and superstitions, originating in 19th-century literature and consolidated in the cinema of the 1960s and 1970s. These narratives, marked by the supernatural, witchcraft, paganism, and fear of sects and cults, express the tension between progress and the ancestral, adapting to different cultures from Great Britain to the United States, Australia or Japan. Today, this imagery continues to expand through media such as video games, comics, and television, interacting with other subgenres such as Slasher and Survival Horror. This book brings together new contributions from international experts who analyze its various ramifications within fantasy fiction..
VIII INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
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Coming soon.
Coming soon.
THURSDAY, 20 NOVEMBER, 2025 – MORNING – AUDITORIUM OF CONGRESS CENTRE “CIUTAT D’ELX”.
C/ Filet de Fora, 1. Elche (See map).
9:30h-13:30h: THIRD SESSION (IN PERSON) OF THE VIII INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF FANTASTIC GENRE, AUDIOVISUALS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
Free admission until full capacity is reached, no prior reservation required.
The aim of the Congress is to disseminate research studies within the different thematic lines of the Fantastic Genre, covering all its possible variants and platforms: cinema, television, theater, literature, comics, video games, virtual reality, plastic arts, etc.; and whose main theme in this new edition is Japan and its mark on the Fantastic Genre.
9:15h. OPENING.
9:30h. PRESENTATION.
9:40h. Inaugural guest conference: El presidio mineral. La mujer de la arena de Hiroshi Teshigahara y Kōbō Abe. Dr. Pau Pascual Galbis (University of Madeira, Portugal).
10:00h. La grulla y la tortuga: símbolos de longevidad y equilibrio en Dragon Ball y la tradición japonesa. Dr. Eduardo López-Pintor Madrid (University of Valencia).
10:20h. Epifanía musivisual de la shōjo en el anime fantástico de Oshii Mamoru. Dr. Emilio José Cano Pérez (Jaume I University) and Dr. Antonio Loriguillo López (University of Murcia).
10:40h. Nature as a Source of Fear in Fantasy Horror: The Role of Film Grammar. Viktorija Lankauskaitė (Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania).
11:00h. La Lanza del Destino: reliquia y mito como herramienta de legitimación política. María Barrios Hermida (Independent researcher).
11:20h. WMT y TMS: Adaptaciones literarias, la puerta de entrada del Anime en Europa. Dra. Anna Tarragó Mussons (University of Barcelona).
11:40h. Anatomy of girlbands: Evolution and Deconstruction. Ben Manzanera (Independent researcher).
12:00h. Matango (Ishirō Honda, 1963): una relectura del terror marítimo de William Hope Hodgson desde la modernidad urbana japonesa. Dr. Miguel Muñoz-Garnica (Loyola University, Andalusia).
12:20h. La torre de los siete jorobados (Edgar Neville, 1944): Pionera del fantástico español y su luz expresionista en la era de los estudios CEA. Roberto Oliver Sánchez García (Miguel Hernández University of Elche) y Dr. Elpidio del Campo Cañizares (Miguel Hernández University of Elche and López-Piñero Interuniversity Institute).
12:40h. Moyashimon y Cells at Work!, dos formas distintas de ver el mismo mundo microscópico. Dr. Manuel Sánchez Angulo (Miguel Hernández University of Elche).
13:00h. Motoko y la Silla Argyle: prótesis urbanas para una ecoestética ciborg. Juan Carlos Castro-Domínguez and María José Marcos Torro (University of Alicante).
13:30h. CLOSING OF THE SESSION.
FRIDAY, 21 NOVEMBER, 2025 – MORNING – AUDITORIUM OF CONGRESS CENTRE “CIUTAT D’ELX”.
C/ Filet de Fora, 1. Elche (See map).
9:30h-13:30h: FOURTH SESSION (IN PERSON) OF THE VIII INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF FANTASTIC GENRE, AUDIOVISUALS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
Free admission until full capacity is reached, no prior reservation required.
The aim of the Congress is to disseminate research studies within the different thematic lines of the Fantastic Genre, covering all its possible variants and platforms: cinema, television, theater, literature, comics, video games, virtual reality, plastic arts, etc.; and whose main theme in this new edition is Japan and its mark on the Fantastic Genre.
9:15h. OPENING.
9:30h. PRESENTATION.
9:40h. Inaugural conference: La Persistencia Estética del Yurei en la Cultura Japonesa — del arte tradicional al cine J-horror. Kazuto Shimizu (University of Salamanca).
10:00h. Fantasmas del siglo XX: Borrado y persistencia de la clase obrera en el fantástico moderno japonés. Dr. Luis Pérez Ochando (University of Valencia).
10:20h. DRAGON MAGAZINE: el origen de la fantasía de espada y brujería japonesa. Dr. Jorge Rodríguez Cruz (University of Salamanca).
10:40h. Authorship and fandom in Japanese fantasy literature – Tasaki Ray’s Kōyasai: a case of participatory worldbuilding? Marta Panuele (University of Turin, Italy).
11:00h. Lo Fantástico detenido: Hiroshi Sugimoto y la estética espectral del tiempo en el imaginario audiovisual japonés. Dr. Hernando Gómez Gómez and Dr. José Luis Rubio-Tamayo (Rey Juan Carlos University).
11:20h. Espadas y kami: el uso de la mitología y la religión japonesas como elemento narrativo fantástico en el manga Noragami. Sara Gómez Gómez (University of Salamanca).
11:40h. Tsukumogami. No-humanos al acecho. Dr. Santiago Lucendo Lacal (Complutense University of Madrid).
12:00h. Entre el J-Horror y el Hypnotic Horror: hipnosis e imaginería de lo sugestivo en Cure (1997) y Uzumaki (1998-1999). Dr. Juan Marcos Bonet Safont (University of Valencia).
12:20h. Onirismo deforme en The Substance: juventud, monstruo y fama. Santiago Peña-Bossano (Complutense University of Madrid).
12:40h. La estética de lo épico: composición visual y narrativa del combate en el anime Dragon Ball. Dr. Eduardo López-Pintor Madrid (University of Valencia).
13:00h. Cuando el monstruo llora: archivos espectrales de una humanidad perdida en el anime fantástico contemporáneo. Laura Palau Bravo (Jaume I University).
13:20h. Entre la arena y el algoritmo: la estrategia corporativa de Dune frente a la apropiación comunitaria en TikTok. Sandra Arias Montesinos (University of Alicante) and Dr. Francisco Javier Zamora Saborit (International University of Valencia).
13:30h. CLOSING OF THE SESSION.
MEETING WITH HONOURARY AWARD AND CLOSING
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The full program for the XIII Elche International Fantastic Film Festival – FANTAELX will be published soon.
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