The festival will open its program with "The Tree House," an auteur slasher film directed by Luis Calderón and starring Sandra Escacena, Claudio Portalo, Kandido Uranga, Mala Rodriguez, and Apolonia Lapiedra.

The renowned Bilbao-born composer Aránzazu Calleja will receive this year's FANT Honorary Award. The Bilbao Fantasy Film Festival – FANT, organized by the Bilbao City Council, has released some details of its 32nd edition, which will be held from May 8 to 16, 2026.

FANT will officially open its program with the screening of the film “The House in the Tree,” directed by Luis Calderón, which will be shown at the Festival's opening gala on May 8. Filmed in various locations in Bizkaia and produced with the support of the Bilbao Bizkaia Film Commission, the film has generated considerable anticipation after being selected by Fotogramas magazine as one of the most eagerly awaited productions of 2026.

The film presents an auteur slasher with a distinctive visual and emotional identity, and stars Sandra Escacena, Claudio Portalo, Kandido Uranga, Mala Rodríguez, Apolonia Lapiedra, Ai-xing Cobos, Asier Hernández, and Inge Ugarte.

FANT HONORARY AWARD: ARÁNZAZU CALLEJA

The commitment to showcasing and supporting local talent has always been one of FANT's hallmarks, and in this edition, the Festival will recognize with the FANT Honorary Award the Bilbao-born composer Aránzazu Calleja, one of the most outstanding creators of contemporary film music. With an extensive career in film, her works include films such as “The Platform,” “Five Little Wolves,” “Marco,” “Irati,” and “Akelarre.” For the latter, she received the Goya and Platino Awards for Best Original Music, along with Maite Arroitajauregi. Her most recent projects include the music for “Los aitas,” by Borja Cobeaga; “Maspalomas,” by Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregi, nominated for the Goya and Feroz Awards for Best Original Music, and “Gaua” by Paul Urkijo Alijo, a film screened as part of the PreFANT series last November and composed in collaboration with Maite Arroitajauregi. She is currently working on the soundtrack for “Salitre,” the upcoming debut feature by Bilbao-born director Norma Vila.

“THE TREEHOUSE”

Synopsis: Ale, her boyfriend Jesús, and their dog Drago enjoy a romantic weekend in a treehouse suspended more than 20 meters high in the Zeanuri forest. In the middle of the night, Alejandra wakes up startled by Drago’s barking and, upon going outside to investigate, sees Jesús fall from the treehouse, dying instantly. A year later, Ale returns to the Zeanuri forest convinced that Jesús's death was not an accident and that something inhabiting the forest took him from her. But now, Ale has a plan: to prove that a presence exists in the forest. A presence that must be hunted.

Spain / 2025 / 80 min.

Directed and written by: Luis Calderón.

Cast: Sandra Escacena, Claudio Portalo, Kandido Uranga, Mala Rodríguez, Apolonia Lapiedra, Ai-xing Cobos, Asier Hernández, Inge Ugarte.

LUIS CALDERÓN

Spanish director, screenwriter, and producer, Luis Calderón holds a degree in Audiovisual Communication. He debuted in 2015 with the short film "Sabbat," which won an award at the LAUFF in Los Angeles and received international acclaim. After studying at EFTI Madrid, he founded La Barbería Films, an independent production company currently focused on horror films. He has directed and produced music videos and commercials for major international brands and artists. He is also the founder of the PXXR Cinema movement. “The Tree House” is his first feature film, an auteur slasher that won the Best International Film award at the Utah Horror Fest and has successfully toured European festivals, establishing him as one of the emerging voices in Spanish horror cinema. This film premieres in theaters on May 8.