The Novíssimos section, which presents works by young filmmakers at the beginning of their careers, includes 14 films, including “La Leyenda Negra”, by Patricia Vidal Delgado, the first ‘feature’ by a Portuguese director, at the Sundance festival, for the which was selected this year.
The festival’s National Competition has five feature films and 17 ‘shorts’, produced or co-produced by Portugal, including “O Fim do Mundo”, by Basil da Cunha, selected for the Locarno festival (Switzerland), and ” The Metamorphosis of the Birds “, the first ‘feature film’ by Catarina Vasconcelos, which has already given the director international critics awards, in the Encounters section of the Berlin festival, and the best film, in Vilnius.
The romantic comedy “A Arte de Morrer Longe”, by Júlio Alves, and the premiere of the documentaries “Ana e Maurizio”, by Catarina Mourão, and “Entre Leiras”, by Cláudia Ribeiro, complete the series of five films from the National Competition of feature films.
The ‘shorts’ competition includes “O Cordeiro de Deus”, by David Pinheiro Vicente, already selected by the Cannes 2020 Festival, “A Mordida”, by Pedro Neves Marques, premiered at the Toronto Festival last year, “Bustarenga”, by Ana Maria Gomes, and the premieres of “Corte”, by Afonso and Bernardo Rapazote, “Errar a Noite”, by Flávio Gonçalves, and “Mesa”, by João Fazenda, which the festival organization highlights, in a “very large ensemble “from 17 films,” from emerging voices “.
“Carnage”, by Francisco Valente, “A Chuva Acalanta a Dor”, by Leonardo Mouramateus, in a Portugal / Brazil co-production, “A Dança do Cipreste”, by Francisco Queimadela and Mariana Caló, “Meine Liebe”, by Clara Jost, ” Moço “, by Bernardo Lopes,” Parto sem Dor “, by Maria Mire,” A Rainha “, by Lúcia Pires,” Regada “, by Francisco Janes,” Weeks of Sand, Months of Gray, Dust Years “, by Rita Macedo, “Somewhere in Outerspace This Might Be Happening Somehow”, by Paulo Malafaya, and “Suspensão”, by Luís Soares, are the remaining films included in the competition for short films.
The Novíssimos section, in addition to the feature film by Patricia Vidal Delgado, includes 13 ‘shorts’ from cinema’s “new voices”, such as “À Tarde, sob o Sol”, by Gonçalo Pina, “Nestor”, João Gonzalez, and ” Selvajaria “, by Camila Vale.
To these are added “Altas as Gaivotas”, by Marianne Harlé, “Carta a Elba”, by Helder Faria, Flávio Ferreira, Alejandro Vásquez, Daniela Cajias and Carmen Tortosa, “Club Splendida”, by Caio Amado Soares, a Portuguese co-production – German, “Estrada para o Céu”, by Pedro Vaz Simões, and “Laniakea Supercluster”, by Rodrigo Ralha.
“Lázaro”, by Concha Silveira, David Cruces and Alba Dominguez, “The Sacrifice of the Druids”, by Reinaldo Pinto Almeida, “Under Current”, by Alice dos Reis, and the animated films “Ode to Childhood”, by Luís Vital and João Monteiro, and “Sábàtina”, by Rafael dos Santos, close the list of short films chosen for the Novíssimos section.
The IndieLisboa International Competition, which includes 43 films, 12 feature films and 31 ‘shorts’, was announced last April 30, the date on which the 17th edition of the festival was supposed to open, postponed because of the covid-19 pandemic.
The documentary “L’Île aux oiseaux”, by the Portuguese-Swiss duo Maia Kosa and Sérgio da Costa, which was in competition in 2019, at the festivals of San Sebastian (Spain) and Locarno, and “Si yo fuera el invierno mismo”, Argentine film Jazmin Lopez, with photography direction by Rui Poças, are some of these 43 films in competition.
At the time, the festival’s management also highlighted the exhibition of films by Bruno Dumont and the collective The Living and the Dead Ensemble, created by artists from Haiti, France and the United Kingdom in 2017.
Those responsible also underlined the “strong African presence”, with a retrospective of the entire work of Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène and a cycle dedicated to Franco-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diope, in addition to showing films such as “Nafi’s Father”, by Mamadou Dia, Senegal, and “This Is My Desire” by Nigerian Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri.
IndieLisboa will also include a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Forum section of the Berlinale.
The full program of IndieLisboa 2020 will be available, at the end of July, on the official website and application of the festival, at which time Special Sessions, Opening and Closing Ceremonies, films from other sections of the festival will be known, in addition to the program full range of parallel activities, workshops and IndieJunior activities, to the LisbonTalks program for professionals.
The 17th edition of IndieLisboa – International Film Festival takes place from August 25 to September 5 at Cinema São Jorge, Culturgest, Cinema Ideal and Cinemateca Portuguesa.
