The Portuguese Short Film Agency ended 2011 with a world record for distribution, promotion and sales of Portuguese short films in the international market.

The Agency, created in 1999 within the Curtas Vila do Conde, has been doing a public service work, serving as a link between Portuguese producers and directors and the international market of film distribution and exhibition.

Main part of the Agency’s work is the placement of Portuguese films at film festivals and special screenings all over the world (shows, panoramas, retrospectives, etc.). In 2011, the Agency has allowed more than 1600 inclusions in the programme of festivals and exhibitions, corresponding to about 192 000 spectators (an increase of more than 80% compared to 2010). Continuous presence in major competitions, in 2011, the Portuguese films were shown at festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand, Locarno, Rotterdam, Oberhausen, Cannes, Annecy, Gijón, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, among many others. In total, more than 50 countries that received Portuguese films.

It was announced the list of films selected for the Tiger Awards competition of short films for the 41st Rotterdam International Film Festival, one of the most prestigious European festivals. In this list, it is included the short film “As Ondas” (“The Waves”) by Miguel Fonseca.

The festival organization classifies the film as “An expertly played, effortlessly cosmic topography of surf, sea and sand from one of Portugal’s rising cinematographic stars.” Miguel Fonseca is the autor of two other short-films: “Alpha”, 2008 and “I Know You Can Hear Me”, 2010.

+info atthe festival’s site.

The 34th International Short-Film Festival of Clermont-Ferrand has announced the films that will be in its international competition. The film “Fado of a grown man,” an animated film by Pedro Brito, is one of the selected. The Festival of Clermont-Ferrand is the largest festival of short films and has also a large market of short film associated, where the Agency will be with a stand.

“Fado of a Grown Man” tells the story of a man who, sitting in a tavern, remembers small stories of a childhood spent in a popular neighbourhood of Lisbon. At the same time we hear a surreal fado, played by António Zambujo and with original music by João Lucas.

The short-film “I Know You Can Hear Me”, by Miguel Fonseca, has been highlighted in the past weeks. The film had national première at Curtas Vila do Conde, in the experimental competition. Since then, the film has been in several international festivals. This is the director’s second short-film, after “Alpha”, from 2008.

“I Know You Can Hear Me” was selected in the international competition of Festival International du Film de Belfort – EntreVues and won an award at Media 10-10 Festival du Court Métrage de Namur, in Belgium.In the first days of December, the film will be screened at the 15º Festival de Cinema Luso-Brasileiro at Santa Maria da Feira.

The Portuguese Short Film Agency has organized, in partnership with João Garção Borges, of Onda Curta/RTP2, a programme of Portuguese short-films for screening at the Tous Courts International Short Film Festival, at Aix en Provence, France, which will take place from 28 November until 10 December.

The session – programmed for the 6 December – will be composed by the following films: “Journey to Cape Verde”, by José Miguel Ribeiro; “Pickpocket”, by João Figueiras; “Stuart”, by Zepe; “Wind’s Embrace”, by José Miguel Ribeiro; “The Fat Dancer’s Tuesdays”, by Jeanne Waltz; “In the middle of the night”, by Fernando José Saraiva; “Tragic Story with Happy Ending”, by Regina Pessoa.

+info at http://www.festivaltouscourts.com/?id_page=676

The films produced for the Exhibition Stereo (a production of Estaleiro, a cultural project of Curtas CRL) were selected for several international film festivals and will have, therefore, its première outside Portugal in the last days of November. The Portuguese Short-Film Agency is the responsible for the international distribution of these films.

The group première of the six films will be at the49º FICXixón – Gijon International Film Festival, which takes place until 26th November. Moreover, one of these productions – “Strokkur”, by João Salaviza (and music by Norberto Lobo) – will be also screened at Paris in the Rencontres Internationales Paris/Madrid/Berlin at its Closing Ceremony; and was selected for the international competition ofFestival International du Film de Belfort – EntreVues.

Stereo was an exhibition which allowed the joint work of six pairs of directors and visual artists with musicians. Took part of the exhibition: João Salaviza + Norberto Lobo; Sandro Aguilar + Black Bombaim; Rodrigo Areias + The Legendary Tigerman; Bruno de Almeida + Manuel João Vieira; João Onofre + Adolfo Luxúria Canibal; and Gabriel Abrantes + Pedro Gomes.

In 2011, L’Agence du court métrage published the «European Guide of Short Film Distribution Organizations», an enriched edition (25 countries, 40 structures) compared to the first version. This was the begining of discussions to create a European network dedicated to short film distribution, which would involve several European short films distributors, including AGENCIA. This structure and its aims will be officialy launched during next Clermont- Ferrand International Short Film festival in February 2012. The AGENCIA took part in a conference at Shortlatino to unveil a little that project together with Fabrice Marquat (Agence du Court Métrage, France) and Axel Behrens (KurzFilmAgentur Hamburg, Germany).

Short Circuit will be an European Network of Short Film and Video Art Distributors.

The Agency will be present with a Stand at Cinanima 2011, that starts today in Espinho and goes until next Sunday, 13th November. Cinanima is the main Portuguese animation film festival and it is also one of the most important in Europe.

Besides promoting its activities, the Agency will be following several Portuguese short-films that were selected for the Festival, in its different programs. Highlights go to the films in the Portuguese competition: THE SHOEMAKER (David Doutel e Vasco Sá; also selected for the international competition), THE MILLIONAIRES (Mário Gajo de Carvalho) and INDEPENDENT MIND (Marta Monteiro). It will be also promoted the project Animar, which takes place annualy in Vila do Conde with several activities of animation.

+info at http://cinanima.pt

The documentary ANGST, by Graça Castanheira, won the award ULISSE for best documentary at Festival International de Montpellier (France).

After being awarded at CineEco 2011 – with an honourable mention in the international competition; with the Prize Juventude Universidade Lusófona; and best documentary “Troféu Andorinha Curta”, at Cineport 2011, the film ANGST was now awarded at Cinemed Festival, where it was in competition among other 10 international documentaries.

In the next 4th November, Centro Multimeios de Espinho and Extrapolar-Associação Cultural present a screening of short-films curated by Agência da Curta Metragem, with the name “Affection”.

This session will screen the short films MEANWHILE, by Miguel Gomes, ALPHA, by Miguel Fonseca and FLOW, by Rodrigo Areias. Salette Ramalho, Agência’s representative, will be there to present the session.

Curta Cinema – International Short Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro, one of the most important festivals dedicated to short films, curated an extensive retrospective of Portuguese films, called FOCUS ON PORTUGAL. The Festival will take place from 28 October to 6 November.

Within this extensive program, Agência in collaboration with Curta Cinema, Curtas Vila do Conde, IndieLisboa and Onda Curta RTP, scheduled a series of five sessions. In addition, Curta Cinema invited the filmmaker Miguel Gomes to be the director IN FOCUS and the production company O Som e a Fúria for a special presentation, also in collaboration with the Agência.

Agência – Portuguese Short Film Agency is largely responsible for executive production of this focus on Portuguese cinema, and it is a result of an intense activity of contacts with international festivals. This retrospective also highlights the Agência’s ability to act as an associated curator with major film events, fulfilling its aim to promote Portuguese cinema.

The short-film NORTH ATLANTIC, by Bernardo Nascimento, won the audience award (short-film category) at the 27th Warsaw Film Festival, which took place in Poland, from 7 until 16th October.

This is yet another award for the film in several international film festivals. NORTH ATLANTIC also received the award for Best Cinematography at Curtas Vila do Conde 2011.

+info here.

DODU – THE CARDBOARD BOY is edited, in this beggining of October, in DVD, by the British Animation Awards, a british organization dedicated to animation. DODU will be edited in the vol. 3 of “Box of Delights – Animation for a Younger Audience”, with another 10 films of animation from several countries.

+info at http://www.britishanimationawards.com/

Highlight to Sandro Aguilar, who is confirmed in several international film festivals. Also, this Thursday, VOODOO has its commercial release in Portugal, screened in addition to “Os Famosos e os Duendes da Morte”, by Esmir Filho.

At the festivals, MERCURY is selected for Un Festival c’est Trop Court, France; Adana Golden Boll – Mediterrranean Short Film Competition, Turkey; International Short Film Festival of Cyprus; Festival du nouveau cinéma Montréal. VOODOO will be screened in Spain, at Alcine 41; at the Mexico Short Film Festival; and at the Uppsala International Short Film Festival, Sweden.

September was a positive month for the last short-film by Pedro Serrazina, THE EYES OF THE LIGHTHOUSE. The animation was invited for Hyderabad Festival, India, and will be, this week, at Krok Festival, Russia. Until now, THE EYES OF THE LIGHTHOUSE was screened in more than 50 international festivals, receiving 9 awards and 5 special mentions.

O CINEPORT – Festival de Cinema de Países de Língua Portuguesa has ended in the 25th September and has awarded several Portuguese films.

Among the awards of Andorinha Curta, it can be highlighted: (Best animation) JOURNEY TO CAPE VERDE, by José Miguel Ribeiro; (Best documentary) ANGST, by Graça Castanheira; (Best short-film) THE EYES OF THE LIGHTHOUSE, by Pedro Serrazina; (RTP2 – Onda Curta special mention) O ESTRANGEIRO, de Ivo M. Ferreira.

+info at the Festival’s site.

The last film by Carlos Conceição, the short fiction O INFERNO (HELL), is receiving good reception in international festivals. After its presence at Indielisboa 2011 competition, O INFERNO was already selected for Flanders International Film Festival Ghent, Belgium; Festival Européen du Film Court de Brest, France; and the exground filmfest 24, at Wiesbaden, Germany.

O INFERNO (HELL) is the third film by Carlos Conceição, after CARNE and DUAS ARANHAS.

From 19th to 25th September, takes places another edition of CINEPORT – Lusophone Countries Film Festival. This 5th edition takes place in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. Once again, the festival presents an huge selection of Portuguese short-films.

Animation: VIAGEM A CABO VERDE, de José Miguel Ribeiro; A ÚNICA VEZ, de Nuno Amorim; OS OLHOS DO FAROL, de Pedro Serrazina; O HOMEM DA CABEÇA DE PAPELÃO, de Luís da Matta Almeida e Pedro Lino; DODU – O RAPAZ DE CARTÃO, de José Miguel Ribeiro; O SAPATEIRO, de David Doutel e Vasco Sá; DESASSOSSEGO, de Lorenzo Degl’Innocenti. Documentary: O ESTRANGEIRO, de Ivo M. Ferreira; ANGST, de Graça Castanheira. Fiction: PICKPOCKET, de João Figueiras; NA ESCOLA, de Jorge Cramez; GOLIAS, de Rodrigo Areias.

The last film of Pedro Serrazina, THE EYES OF THE LIGHTHOUSE, won the award for best animated short-film at Lucas – Internationales Kinderfilmfestival, in Frankfurt, Germany. This festival is already at its 34th edition and is dedicated to children’s films.

THE EYES OF THE LIGHTHOUSE is the return of Serrazina to film directing and tells the poetic story of a lighthouse keeper and his daughter.

+info at http://www.lucas-filmfestival.de/

Portuguese short-films are being selected to several international festivals. In the following months, several films will travel around the world.

With its beginning in the following week (10-17 September), it happens the Split Film Festival – International Festival of New Film, with the presence of LISBON-PROVINCE, by Susana Nobre; e I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, by Miguel Fonseca. In the final of September (from 29th to 14th October), the Vancouver International Film Festival will screen RED DAWN, by João Pedro Rodrigues and João Rui Guerra da Mata; and NORTH ATLANTIC, by Bernardo Nascimento. Finally, in October (1 to 29) it will happen the 33e Cinemed – Festival international du cinéma méditerranéen de Montpellier, with the screening of ANGST, by Graça Castanheira; and MARY, by Pedro Maia.

The Portuguese short-films are, once again, at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival, which takes place from 3rd to 13th August in that Swish city. In 2011, the Pardi di Domani section will screen RED DAWN, by João Pedro Rodrigues and João Rui Guerra da Mata; and LIBERDADE, by Gabriel Abrantes and Benjamin Crotty.

RED DAWN won the award for best Portuguese short-film at Indielisboa and was screened at the Portuguese Panorama at Curtas Vila do Conde.

Also NUVEM, by Basil da Cunha, will be screened at the section Appellations Suisse.

The actor Francisco Tavares won the Award for Best Actor for the film NORTH ATLANTIC in ShortShorts – Film Festival & Asia. NORTH ATLANTIC is the first work by director Bernardo Nascimento and a co-production between Portugal and the United Kingdom and tells the story of an air traffic controller on a small island in the Azores that comes into contact with a lone pilot, lost over the Atlantic.

NORTH ATLANTIC has already been presented in numerous festivals, among which are: Cleveland International Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, USA, Rome Independent Film Festival, Ankara International Film Festival, Aspen Shortfest, MIFF Film Festival Awards (where it won the prize of the audience) and BFI London Film Festival.

The Agency was present at the last Annecy International Animated Film Festival, the most important festival dedicated to film animation. It happened from 4th until 9th June 2011. The Agency shared a stand with Sardinha em Lata and IB Cinema.

It was an important moment for the spread of Portuguese animation film, one of the more internationally visible.

+info at Annecy Festival

The short-film by José Miguel Ribeiro, JOURNEY TO CAPE VERDE, was again awarded at an international festival. It was at the 51st Krakow Film Festival, Poland. It won the SILVER DRAGON Best Short-Film Documentary and the award by the FICC (International Federation of Film Societies).

The jury statment said: “A utilizing hand drawn animation, the Portugese film, a Trip To Cape Verde tells a story as real and as unique as any documentary using traditional camera images. The director’s sensual technique and his firm personal point of view, capture the hot and primitive island environment off the coast of Africa. No other documentary in the short film competition was as evocative of a filmmaker’s journey.”

+info at: http://www.kff.com.pl/en/news/168

On May 15 another edition of IndieLisboa has ended. That day the winners were announced, including two short-films of Agência. Marco Martins and Filipa César, for the film INSERT, received the award RESTART for Best Portuguese Director of a Short-Film (ex aequo with Gabriel Abrantes). THE MILLIONAIRES, by Mario Gajo de Carvalho, got an Honorable Mention for the Award SIGNIS.


complete list of awards at IndieLisboa

MERCÚRIO, by Sandro Aguilar was awarded at Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen. The short-film – which was premiered at Curtas Vila do Conde 2010 – was also awarded at Gijón Film Festival.

The Oberhausen’s jury has stated: “Mercúrio opens up an unexpected visual landscape by showing the intimate encounter of two people through glass that turns into a strange half mirror that reflects reflections, and turns around the inside and the outside world in a visual and emotional way”.

+info at kurzfilmtage.de

From 5 to 15 May, it takes place another edition of Indielisboa which receives, during these two weeks, a selection of the best indie films from last year. The Agency has four short films screenings during the Festival, all in the national competition.

Three of them are animations: THE MILLIONAIRES, by Mario Gajo de Carvalho, DOG MEMORY, by João Morais Ribeiro, and INDEPENDENT MIND, by Marta Moreira. Finally, it will also be present, INSERT, by Filipa César and Marco Martins.

+info at http://www.indielisboa.com/

The documentary short-film TERRITORIES, by Mónica Baptista, won the Prix Visions du Réel for best direction of a short-film. The 17th Visions du Réel Festival happened from 7 to 13 April at the Nyon, Switzerland.

TERRITORIES is a journey on the mythic Trans-Siberian train, in the 3rd class wagon, where all kinds of stories can be heard.

+info at http://www.visionsdureel.ch/.

Premières today, April 7, at Portuguese theatres, the first feature film of João Nicolau: THE SWORD AND THE ROSE. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The synopsis of the film tells a story of adventure: “Manuel bids farewell to his routine and boards a 15th century vessel under pirate law. Treason onboard triggers a series of terrible events that our protagonist overcomes while keeping his moral principles intact.”

João Nicolau is one of the youngest Portuguese film directors, having launched two award-winning short films: BIRD OF PREY (2006) and SONG OF LOVE AND HEALTH (2009), both premiered internationally at the Cannes Film Festival and nationally at Curtas Vila do Conde.

+info at the site of O Som e a Fúria.

From 6 to April 17, it takes place the 13th BAFICI – Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente, in that Argentinian city. The festival exists since 1999 and has been one of the most prestigious festivals in Latin America.

This year the festival dedicates a retrospective session to Sandro, screening IN BETWEEN, THE SERPENT, ARCHIVE, VOODOO and MERCURY. It will be also displayed his first feature: UPRISE.

In another sections, it will be screened The Sword and the Rose, by João Nicolau; SWANS, by Hugo Vieira da Silva; CIVIL WAR, by Pedro Caldas; and LUSITANIAN ILLUSION, by João Canijo.

+info at http://www.bafici.gov.ar/

The animated short-film SMOLIK, directed by Cristiano Mourato, was awarded with an honourable mention at the 2nd Festival International de Court Métrage D’Animation de Roanne, which took place at the French city of Roanne, from 22nd to 27th March.
+info at http://animationfestival.roanne.fr/

The short film ALFAMA, by João Viana, continues to be awarded. This time, won the Grand Prize for Best Sound Creation at the International Film Festival of Aubagne. 65 shorts were selected to competition, representing 29 countries.

The Festival stated that “Alfama is a film without dialogue, almost mute if we omit the unusual sound work, mixing subjective sound long shots, sounds off the field, and bruitage synchronous, where the sound tells literally a story”.

Alfama premiered at Curtas Vila do Conde 2010 and since then has already been selected for various international festivals including the prestigious Festival of Clermont-Ferrand.

The short-film NOCTURNE, by João Nisa, was selected for the section “Exploring Documentary, at the Festival Cinéma du Réel 2011, which runs from March 24 to April 5, at the Centre George Pompidou in Paris. The Cinéma du Réel is one of the most prestigious festivals dedicated to documentaries.

NOCTURNE is a film that shows “the abandoned area of Lisbon’s Luna Park in the period between its closing down and ultimate demolition”.

+info at http://www.cinemadureel.org/

From 21st to 27th March 2011, there is another edition of MONSTRA – Lisbon Animated Festival. Were selected, from Agência, the animations JOURNEY TO CAPE VERDE and SUNDAY DRIVE, both by José Miguel Ribeiro.

The first is screened at “Best of Onda Curta”, curated by João Garção Borges (the film has won Onda Curta at Curtas Vila do Conde – International Film Festival); and the second is screened at a program by Production Company Il Luster.

+info at http://www.monstrafestival.com/.

The biggest festival in the world dedicated to animation – Festival International du Film d’Animation d’Annecy – has announced the films that will integrate the various sections, of this edition, which runs 6-11 June. Were selected five Portuguese productions.

For the official competition were selected: the already multi-award winning JOURNEY TO CAPE VERDE, by José Miguel Ribeiro; the new production of Sardinha em Lata, THE SHOEMAKER, by David Doutel and Vasco Sá; and finally, TALE OF THE WIND, by Cláudio Jordão Viegas. In the Educational Films Section, was selected AFONSO HENRIQUES; THE FIRST KING, by Pedro Lino. Out of competition will also be presented: ONCE ONLY, by Nuno Amorim, and THE EYES OF THE LIGHTHOUSE, by Pedro Serrazina.

+info at Festival international du film d’animation d’Annecy.