Hungarian feature “ Liza, the Fox Fairy” is the winner of the fantasy competition in the 35th edition of the Oporto international Film Festival – Fantasporto. Receiving the Special Effects Award as well, this film was presented in World Premiere at the Portuguese film festival. The director came to the city of portwine to introduce the film about a beautiful nurse who turns in a fox fairy out of jealousy.
The Special Award of the jury went to “Wolfcop” by Canadian director Lowell Dean who also presented his film about a cop with drinking problems. Also introduced by the director, “Hungerford”, by British director Drew Casson, talks about a very strange invasion in a peaceful small town. The film also won an award for actress Georgia Bradley. Still on the fantasy side, “Horsehead” by French director Romain Basset got the Director’s Award and Rupert Evans saw his work in the Irish production “The Canal” win the Best Actor Award. “Mourning Grave”, by Korean director Jong-Ho Lee, got the Prize for Best Screenplay. “Habana”, de Edouard Salier, a French-Cuban production got the award of the Best Short in the fantasy competion.
EMIGRATION AND THE CLASH OF CULTURES WERE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE WINNERS OF FANTASPORTO 2015 DIRECTORS WEEK, “MEMORIES ON STONE” AND “EL RAYO”
German-Iraquian production “Memories on Stone” by Shawkat Amin Korki, came up as the grest winner of the general competition in Fantasporto 2015. The story tells us about a film crew trying to shoot in a post-Sadam Iraque a feature about a massacre in iraquian Curdistan. The film also won the Best Screenplay and a Special Mention of the critics. Also speaking about the complexities of being in a strange land is Spanish “El Rayo” by Ernesto de Nova, the odyssey of a muslim worker who wants to take home his work tool, a tractor, to Morocco. The Best Director Award went to Korean Shim Sung-Bo, for his film “Hae Moo”, which was also the opening film of the festival and won the Asian Films competiton as Best Film. Best Actress award of this general section went to Maxine Peake in “Keeping Rosy” , a UK production.
JAPANESE “HAEMOO” AND “CHILDREN’S SHOW” FROM THE PHILIPINES WERE THE WINNERS IN THE ORIENT EXPRESS COMPETITION
Orient Express, the competition for Asian films was won by “Hae Moo”, about the drama of clandestine passengers, and the Special Jury Award went to the surprising “Children’s Show”, by Roderick Cabrido, about the world of children exploitation.
“RENAISSANCE” WINS THE PORTUGUESE CINEMA COMPETION AND THE LUSOFONA UNIVERSITY IS CONSIDERED THE BEST FILM SCHOOL OF 2015.
Nuno Noivo and João Fanfas short film “Renaissance” is the winner of the Portuguese competion , receiving the Best Film Award. Lisbon Lusófona University got the top prize in a competition that envolved 6 film schools.
OTHER AWARDS AND TRIBUTES
The Critics Award went to French “Pseudonym”, by Tierry Sebban, a thriller about a divorced father who gets abducted. Georgian feature “Landmine Goes Click”, by Levan Bakhia, got the Audience Award. 
Portuguese director Producer Fernando Vendrell saw the festival pay him a tribute for his body of work. Also actress Catriona MacColl, with a long career in the fantasy genre, especially with Italian director Lúcio Fulci ,was honoured with a Career Award by the Festival.