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HERE ARE THE FILMS SELECTED FOR THE FANTASTIC DIRECTOR´S WEEK COMPETITIVE SECTION

The city of Porto, overlooking the River Douro and close to the Atlantic Ocean, and a World Heritage City, welcomes once again one of the most prestigious film festivals in Europe and in the World.  Fantasporto, Porto International Film Festival celebrates its 40^th Anniversary in 2020 and it will be held in 25^th February- 8^th March at the Rivoli Theatre, with the support of the Town City Hall.

Thirteen days of celebration of the Film World, where producers, director, actors, distributors and the audience mix together to watch films of all genres and coming from all over the world. So, no wonder that a horror film is followed by a drama or a documentary, or, maybe an experimental film.

HERE ARE THE FILMS SELECTED FOR THE DIRECTOR´S WEEK COMPETITIVE SECTION – Manuel de Oliveira Award.

Adverse- Brian A. Metcalf -92’ (EUA)- World Opening – Opening film of the festival - thriller- SR

To save his sister, a driver must infiltrate a powerful gang, following the instructions of one of his passengers. With Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) and a fabulous cast, the new feature by the director of “Living Among Us” which played two years ago at Fantasporto.

Bring Me Home- Seung-Woo Kim- 109’ (Coreia do Sul) - drama- ANTESTREIA EUROPEIA- SR

In the search for her missing son, it is up to the mother to keep searching. When she knows the he might be in a fishing community, she travels there only to find cases of slavery and abuse. A  first film that was selected by the Chicago and Toronto festivals.

Cry of the Sky – Shahram Qadir – 82’ (Curdistão/Iraque)- ANTESTREIA MUNDIAL- drama- SR

A woman gives birth in a shack. She is going to try to bend the rules of men that may allow her a dignified life. Based on the collapse of the first Kurdish revolution of 1961 and the chaotic recovery of the resistance during the second half of the 1970’s.

Exile – Vassilis Mazomenos – 110’ (Grécia)- drama- SR

A man is rescued from a boat adrift in the sea. From then on, he knows the fate of those who do not exist. Without documents he lives in a house where he is used and frequently abused. Between the truth and the lies, the imaginary and the real, the man without identity remains a puppet at the mercy of others. The director has already been honoured in Fantasporto.

Immobilia Crime Story – Khaled al Hagar – 123’ (Egipto) – thriller-  SR

Kamal, a reclusive and lonely writer who listens to voices, decides to receive in his house for the evening a woman ((Nahed El Sebai, already Best Actress in Fantasporto) he knows through Facebook. When she arrives, she convinces him to let her stay there.  A story of crime and obsession, confirming a new talent and the importance of modern Egypcian cinema,  of whom we have already seen “Sins of the Flesh”.

In the Name of the Mother – Joel Lamangan- 99’ (Filipinas) – SR – ANTESTREIA MUNDIAL

After her husband’s suicide, it is the widow’s turn to rearrange everybody’s lives. The woman struggles to keep the family united and her business running. Her family cannot escape contacting the violent gangs of Manila. But things don’t go as she hopes for. Lamangan visited the festival to introduce “Bhoy Intsik”, Special Award of the Orient Express jury.

Lola Igna- Eduardo Roy Jr – 114’ (Filipinas) –  SR

A touching story about a very old woman who says she is ready to die and meet her deceased husband.

But things are not going to be exactly as she thought. A new humanist feature by Eduardo Roy Jr, one of the most awarded Phiippine directors whom we know from “Pamilya Ordinario”, screened in Fantasporto 2017.

Omar and Us – Mehmet Bahadir Er, Maryna Gorbach- 103’ (Turquia)- drama - SR

A man and a woman, two Syrian refugees waiting to cross the Mediterranean, are rescued by a couple passing by who takes them to his home, the man being a former soldier from Kosovo. With the main roles played by two actual Syrian refugees. From the directors of “Love Me”, screened in Fantasporto 2014 in the Directors Week and winner of the Special Award of the Jury, Best Direction and Critics Award.

Una Chica Invisible – Francisco Bendomir- 80’ (Argentina) – comédia- SR- PREMIÈRE INTERNACIONAL

An ex-boyfriend asks a hacker to install cameras in his ex-girl’s apartment just to know if she already has a replacement.   But comes next is not exactly what he was expecting. A sign of the vitality of Argentinian cinema, filled with unexpected moments and captivating characters.

Valan-Valley of the Angels- Béla Bagota- 113’ (Hun) – thriller- SR

A story about one of the most heart-breaking dramas of today. Peti returns to his home village, Valan, to discover the fate of his little sister whose body seemed to be found in the forest. Besides facing his own devils, Peti is also going to fight the silence and secrets of the villagers.  First feature by this director who has already worked with Ridley Scott in “The Martian”.

Willow- Milcho Manchevski – 91’ (República da Macedonia/Hung/Belg)- drama- SR

Three Macedonian women have to contend with control over their bodies, tradition, loyalty, pregnancy and adoption. They have not set out to change the world or society, but their struggle to become mothers makes them unlikely heroines. The director, a Gold Lion Winner at the Venice Film Festival, has already been honoured in Fantasporto with the Career Award in 2017.