80% of the 68 films of the 3 Competitive Sections are WORLD PREMIERES and EUROPEAN PREMIERES, the other films have their national premières.

For a festival in Portugal this is quite an accomplishment!

The Popular Fantasporto is back, after two downsized editions due to the pandemic regulations. But the Oporto Film festival moves on, holding its 42^nd edition back at the Rivoli Theatre in the centre of the city.

Looking at the line-up and the films in the two most important competitions, there is a definite balance although countries like Japan or the United States and Europe lead the way, a great number in WORLD PREMIERE, EUROPEAN PREMIERE and INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE.  

It will be an edition dominated by science-fiction, technology, and the latest concerns of the world, including the aftermath of the pandemic, curiously not always on dramatic terms as several comedies are among the selected films. Likewise, animation is rather present, manga and animé included, as well as productions from Europe such as acclaimed French film Vortex: The Dawn of Sovereignty.

THE JAPAN INVASION

The most expected “XxxHolic”, will make his World Première in Porto among many others, has received the honour to open the festival on the 1st April, a much expected big budget live image recreation of a very popular manga.

Also to be screened at Fantasporto are many heavy weights from Japan.  Japanese thriller “Baby Assassins”, a box-office hit, “Ms Lupin”, an homage Japanese style to the infamous burglar Arsène Lupin, and to the popular manga with the same characters “The Mole Song” by Takashi Miike, the always polemic but hugely popular director, and last buy not the least, “Ox-Head Village”, another World Premiere by Takashi Shimizu, himself the winner of Fantasporto 2021.

CHINA, more JAPAN, and TAIWAN against GERMANY and FRANCE

The participation of many countries clearly shows a pendant for Sci-fi, confirming the worries about our future. The best examples in competition come from Germany, with a sophisticated and political approach with “The House”, but also from China’s “Annular Eclipse” or Taiwan’s “2049: Hedgehog Effect”, all with stunning visions of our possible future.

Animation is also inevitable in Fantasporto due to its capacity to reproduce the wildest produce of the imagination. That is the case for French “Vortex: The Dawn of Sovereignty”, by Michel Rousseau, Chinese “Chicken of the Mound” or “The Laws of the Universe – The Age of Elohim” by Isamu Imakake ans many shorts in the Short Fantasy Competition.

THE RETURN OF KOREA, IRAN, with a WORLD OPENING, HUNGARY, SPAIN AND ENGLAND

The social media, with its massive influence, especially on the young, and its invasion of privacy, is also a concern in many of the selected films. Examples of that are “Follow Her”, a first fiction film by American Sylvia Caminer, the alienation of youth in Japanese feature “Baby Assassins” or Hungarian  “Soul Park”.  

Place in the line-up for great stories of humanity such as fabulous “Escape from Mogadishu”, Korean candidate to the 2022 Oscars, or “Saralish” from Iran about the drama of child marriage, the latter presented in a special Human Rights Screening.

The occupation of rural areas by housing investments or by city people are also frequent in the concerns of today’s film makers. Such is the case of Hungarian “Eviction”, a first film by Maté Fazekas, “Jacinto” by Spanish Javi Camino or British “Barbarians” a first feature by Charles Dorfman, a twice Oscar nominated producer (The King’s Speech” and “The Lost Girl”).

EUROPEAN FILMS against PHILIPINES, EUA and ARGENTINA

Following the matrix of the festival that started as a fantasy event and became a general one in 1991, are the incursions in more classic approaches with films such as the extraordinary Italian feature “Sometimes in the Dark” by Carmine Cristallo Scalzi , “Entombed “ from Norway,  “The Unburied” from Argentina , “Night at the Eagle Inn” by Erik Bloomquist, “Alchemy of the Spirit” by  Steve Balderson,  “The Exorcism of God” by Alejandro Hidalgo, or an historical view over Inquisition horror in “Duyster” by Thomas Vanbrabant and Jordi Ostir,  about the violence against women.

The suspicion of the different are subjects that always elicit new films. Apart from Spanish “Jacinto”, also “Broken Blooms” from the Philippines remind us of the struggles in common people’s lives.

A most varied and strong competition is surely going to dominate the main official sections, Fantasy Cinema and Directors’ Week, with 58 countries sending films for selection.  

FANTASPORTO´2022 will be the place to DISCOVER the GREAT FILMS and ACTORS of the STORY of the CINEMA made in the STATES and a preciosity that was discovered IN BRAZIL

A great part of the FANTASCLASSICS section which brings to the big screen iconic features of the past, is going to present and celebrate anniversaries of films such as “The Curse” by Brasilian Mojica Marins, in a restored version, the 70^th anniversary of “Singin’ in the Rain,” by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donnen and 80 years of “Casablanca”. “THX 1138” by George Lucas celebrates 50 years and Fantasporto’s favourite “Blade Runner” by Ridley Scott, 40 years since its European Premiere in the festival, were not forgotten. The Retrospective HOLLYWOOS STARS brings (again) to the theatre room the faces of the great ACTORS AND DIRECTORS of the 40’s till the 60’s, among them Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, Sidney Poitier, Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly, Ava Gardner, Ingrid Bergman or Humphrey Bogart, in some of their fundamental features. Also works by John Ford, Ernst Lubitsch or Joseph L. Mankeiwicz

So, WELCOME TO PORTO, a World Heritage city, and to the 42nd OPORTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, 1-10 April 2022 at the Rivoli Theatre.

FANTASPORTO 2022 | FINAL LINEUP

FANTASY CINEMA

(Competition)

Features

xxxHOLiC - Mika Ninagawa – 110´(Jap) WORLD PREMIERE

Alchemy of the Spirit- Steve Balderson - 92´(EUA) EUROPEAN PREMIERE

2049: Hedgehog Effect -Chien-Ching Chu – 162’ – (Taiwan) WORLD PREMIERE

The Laws of the Universe – The Age of Elohim-Isamu Imakake – 119’ (Japão) EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Annular Eclipse – Zhang Chi – 97’- (China) EUROPEAN PREMIERE

The Unburied/ El Cadáver Insepulto– Alejandro Cohen Arazi- 84’ (Argentina)

CENAS EVENTUALMENTE CHOCANTES

Night at the Eagle Inn - Erik Bloomquist- 70’ (EUA)

SoulPark- Róbert Odegnál, Illés Horváth – 77’ (Hun)

Entombed- Kjell Hammerø- 99’ (Noruega) INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Ox-Head Village- Takashi Shimizu- 115’ (Jap) WORLD PREMIERE

The House- Rick Ostermann- 90’ (Alem)

Vortex, Dawn of the Sovereignty- Michel Rousseau- 72’ (Fra)

Sometimes in the Dark/ A Volte Nel Buio - Carmine Cristallo Scalzi- 122’ (Ita)

Follow Her- Sylvia Caminer- 95’ (EUA) WORLD PREMIERE

Barbarians - Charles Dorfman- 90’ (UK)

Chicken of the Mound- Xi Chen- 83’ – (China) EUROPEAN PREMIERE

The Mole Song – Takashi Miike- 129’ (Jap) INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Ms Lupin (aka Daughter of Lupin - Hideki Takeuchi- 106’ (Jap) WORLD PREMIERE

Duyster- Thomas Vanbrabant, Jordi Ostir- 80’ (Bélgica)

The Exorcism of God - Alejandro Hidalgo – 99’ (EUA/Mex/Venzuela)

The Good Father- Sho Kataoka- 100’ (Jap) WORLD PREMIERE

Shorts 

Fledge - Hanni Dombe, Tom Kouris- 15’25’’ (Israel)

Visitors –   Kernichi Ugana - 16’21’’ (Japão)

Elena-  Biruté Sodeikaité – 13’ (Lituânia/França/Croácia)

Night Breakers - Gabriel Campoy, Guillem Lafoz – 17’ (Esp)

Zmiena- Pierre Renverseau- 13’46 (Fra)

Part Forever- Alan Chung-An Ou – 12’ 33’’ (Taiwan)

Unheimlich – Fabio Colonna – 15’ (México) F/DCP

Grandpa – Valentine Rolland, Théo Bongiovanni, Hugo Martins, Sophie Ouvrard, Thomas Piot, Nell Molinier - 6’ 46’’ (Fra)

The Flight of Banog – Elvert Bañares – 9’ (Filipinas)

Told You –  Cashell Horgan- 9’ (Irlanda)

Tranvia – Carlos Baena- 8’50’’ (Esp)

While we Stayed at Home - Gil Versely -5 ‘ (Israel) 2020

Shiny New World –Jan van Gorkum- 8’43’’ (The Nederlands)

DIRECTORS’ WEEK

(Competition)

Features

Escape from Mogadishu – Seung-wan Ryoo- 153’ (Coreia do Sul)

Eviction- Maté Fazekas – 87’ (Hun)

Confession- Yoon Jong-seok- 105’ (Coreia do Sul) INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Baby Assassins- Yûgo Sakamoto 95’ (Jap) EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Jacinto- Javi Camino 95’ (Esp)

Saralish – Yaser Ahmadi, Behrooz Bagheri - 76’ (Afeganistão/ Irão) WORLD PREMIERE

Broken Blooms –Luisito Lagdameo Ignacio – 107’(Filipinas) WORLD PREMIERE

The Good Father - Sho Kataoka- 100’ (Jap) WORLD PREMIERE

ORIENT EXPRESS

(Competition)

Features

Escape from Mogadishu – Seung-wan Ryoo- 153’ (Coreia do Sul)

Confession- Yoon Jong-seok- 105’ (Coreia do Sul) EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Baby Assassins- Yûgo Sakamoto – 95’ (Jap) EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Chicken of the Mound- Xi Chen- 83’ – (China) EUROPEAN PREMIERE

2049: Hedgehog Effect -Chien-Ching Chu – 162’ – Taiwan WORLD PREMIERE

The Laws of the Universe – The Age of Elohim-Isamu Imakake (Japão) 119’ EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Annular Eclipse – Zhang Chi – 97’ (China) EUROPEAN  PREMIERE

Ox-Head Village- Takashi Shimizu- 115’ (Jap) WORLD PREMIERE

The Mole Song – Takashi Miike- 129’ (Jap) EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Ms Lupin (aka Daughter of Lupin) - Hideki Takeuchi- 106’ (Jap) WORLD PREMIERE

The Good Father- Sho Kataoka- 100’ (Jap) WORLD PREMIERE

xxxHOLiC - Mika Ninagawa – 110´(Jap) WORLD PREMIERE

ANIMA-TE

(Non- Competitive)

Features

Vortex, Dawn of the Sovereignty- Michel Rousseau- 72’ (Fra)

The Laws of the Universe – The Age of Elohim-Isamu Imakake – 119´ (Japão) EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Chicken of the Mound- Xi Chen- 83’ (China) EUROPEAN PREMIERE

Riku – 65’ (Jap)- animação WORLD PREMIERE

Shorts

Fledge - Hanni Dombe, Tom Kouris- 15’25’’  (Israel)

Grandpa –Valentine Rolland, Théo Bongiovanni, Hugo Martins, Sophie Ouvrard, Thomas Piot, Nell Molinier - 6’ 46’’ (Fra)

Elena-   Biruté Sodeikaité – 13’ (Lituânia/França/Croácia)

PRÉMIO CINEMA PORTUGUÊS

(Competition)

All in WORLD PREMIERE

Amelinda- Miguel Gomes – 114’ (Port)

Shorts

Refém- Pedro Mira

Skull 2: A Variation or the Wars to Come- Luís Miranda

Jornada de Papel – Emanuel de Oliveira, Maria Ana Marques

Fruta Tocada por Falta de Jardineiro – Pedro Senna Nunes

Dilúvio- Eduardo Cruz

Atrás da Porta – Tom Freitas, Bruno Acosta, Inês Paredes

Misericórdia- Gonçalo Loureiro

(Out of Competition)

Meu Castelo, Minha Casa – José Mira- 15’

FANTASCLASSICS

MOJICA MARINS

A Praga – José Mojica Marins- 52’ (Brasil) Filme inédito do realizador (versão restaurada)

acompanhado pela CM: A Última Praga de Mojica Marins- Lucas de Barros - 17´ (Brasil)

ANNIVERSARIES/CULT MOVIES

Casablanca – Michael Curtiz- 102’ (EUA) 1942 – 80 years

Singin’ in the Rain- Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly – 103’ – (EUA) 1952- MGM – 70 years

THX 1138- George Lucas – 86’ (EUA) – 1972 - 50 years

Blade Runner - Ridley Scott -117’ (EUA) 1982 – 40 years

HOLLYWOOD STARS

Casablanca – Michael Curtiz- 102’ (EUA) 1942 – 80 years

Singin’ in the Rain- Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly – 103’ – (EUA) 1952- MGM – 70 years

High Society- Charles Walters- 101’ (EUA)- 1956

Mogambo- John Ford - 116’ (EUA) -1953

Guess who’s Coming to Dinner- Stanley Kramer – 108’ (EUA) -1967

Suddenly, Last Summer- Joseph L. Mankiewicz- 114’ (EUA)-1959

All About Eve- Joseph L. Mankiewicz- 138’ (EUA)- 1950

Ninotchka - Ernst Lubitch- 110’ (EUA)- 1939

SPECIAL SCREENING HUMAN RIGHTS

O Consentimento Não se Compra- Inês Renda, Ana Sofia Fernandes- 26’ (Port)

Saralish – Yaser Ahmadi, Behrooz Bagheri - 76’ (Afeganistão/ Irão) – WORLD PREMIERE