Fantasporto

The 38th Oporto International Film Festival begins next February 20^th, bringing all new productions from around the world to the main competitions: Fantasy Films, Directors Week, Asian films in the section Orient Express and Portuguese Cinema. The festival takes place at the Rivoli Theatre, in the centre of Portugal’s second largest city.

Fantasporto was considered a while ago one of the 10 film festivals in the world “to visit before you die”. It began in 1981 and it is still organized by Cinema Novo.

“Marrowbone” by Spanish director Sergio G. Sanchez opens the festival, the competitions start with Russian mega-production “Anna Karenina: Vronsky’s Story “ by Karen Shakhnazarov on the 23^rd and the festival ends on the 3rd March with “Le Fidèle” by Michael Roskam, Belgian entry to the Oscars.

Along the way, the festival will present in world, international or national premieres some of the best examples of today’s tendencies in film, along with the premieres of Portuguese features and shorts.

The festival, which received entries from more than 60 countries, has a steady cooperation with Brasilian giant TV Globo, launching in the festival some of its pilots for future or already produced TV series. A cooperation with the Taiwan Film Institute also brings some less known aspects of its cinematography. One example is the Retrospective of Taiwanese director Tso- Chi Chang, master of realistic cinema, primed in Venice, Tokyo or Singapure, and another is a Retrospective of Taiwan B- Movies, whose popularity was crucial for the change in mentalities in the 70’s, introducing powerful heroes, most of them women. Also in the program, an Homage to Portuguese film critic and director Lauro António, a popular promoter of cinema on newspapers and television, and Harley Cokeliss, director of “Dream Demon”, on occasion of the 30^th anniversary of its release.  

About the new films, shorts or features, in competition or not, some of the highlights are Toho’s hero saga “Ajin: Demi Human”, Brazil’s Fantasy Comedy “A Comédia Divina”  with God being played by a black woman, national superstar Zezé Motta, “Bhoy Intsik” about the crusade for humanity by a travesti in the streets of Manila, “Les Affamés” by Canadian Robin Aubert, a new vision of a zombie movie, “Glass Garden”, a Korean cry against the destruction of the environment, “ True Fiction”, another view on political corruption, Hungarian “B udapest Noir” about freedom of the press, Danish already multi-awarded “The Charmer” about the integration of migrants, “November” , the very original Estonian representative to the Oscars, “Al Asleyeen- The Originals”, an unexpected and super modern look at the technological societies, from Egypt, “ Chimera” about science research on humans, or “Bikini Moon”, a fabulous look at homeless people in the streets of New York by former Fantasporto Honoree Milcho Manchevski. Also screening is a very original perspective about a literature classic by Tolstoi - the film “Anna Karenina: Vronsky’s Story“ brings in great style and means the historical context that led to Karenina’s suicide, all  by the hand of Mosfilm director, Karen Shakhnazarov.

Portuguese cinema will premiere the features “Uma Vida Sublime” by Chicago winner Luís Diogo , “Aparição”, the newest from Fernando Vendrell and “Doutores Palhaços”  by Bernardo Lopes and Helder Faria, a documentary about the Red Nose doctors in children’s hospitals.

 The theme of this 38^th edition, reflecting the worries of today’s world is “Ethics- The boundaries of Science, Arts and the Cinema”, with films, lectures and debates. Also in the program the 1^st Fantasporto International Filmakers and Actors Meeting and a debate about “Financing Cultural institutions”, promoted by the University of Minho.

Fantasporto will also be, as usual, the meeting place for film professionals, cinephiles and other people interested in modern Cinema. Welcome to Oporto, a UNESCO World Heritage City, two times European Best destination, home of FANTASPORTO.

Welcome to the Film World, welcome to OPORTO