Porto Femme returns from April 18 to 23 and presents 126 films from 41 countries

The festival will open on 18 April at 21:15 at the Batalha Centro de Cinema with a screening of Roxanne Stam’s film Housemaid #2, followed by a concert by Ana Lua Caiano.

As usual, Porto Femme honors women filmmakers who stand out or have stood out in the film industry. In this 6th edition, Portuguese actress Adelaide Teixeira and director Solveig Nordlund, two prominent figures in Portuguese cinema, are honored.
The Porto-based institution PLANO I, which seeks to provide concrete answers to a wide range of social issues such as inequality, discrimination, violence, exclusion, and poverty, is also honored in this edition with the Sorority award.

One of the new features of this edition is the complete showing of the work of Brazilian filmmaker and poet Maria Clara Escobar. In this cycle, which takes place at Casa Comum, all of the director’s films will be presented, including the feature films Desterro and Os Dias Com Ele, and the shorts Passeio de Família and Onde Habito.

In addition to the screening of her films, on April 21 at 6:15 pm, the director will be available to speak with the public, in a conversation moderated by Júlia Marques, a doctoral student in Media Arts at the University of Beira Interior, with an emphasis on women’s cinema, self-representation in cinema, peripheral and post-colonial cinemas.

This program is a testament to the generosity and courage of female filmmakers, at a time when many artists are not available to do so, fearing for their safety.

In this edition, “Talks at the University” are also organized, from April 19 to 21, in partnership with Lusófona University and the FEMglocal research project, aiming to promote reflection on different topics such as feminist movements, transgender people, oppression, and violence against women.
There are also conversations with the presence of filmmakers, producers, and actresses. The conversations will be moderated by Vanessa Ribeiro Rodrigues, Célia Taborda, Ana Sofia Pereira, Carla Cerqueira, and Priscilla Domingos.

Throughout the festival, two workshops will take place: the first one on the 19th, 20th, and 21st at the Fernando Pessoa University with Brazilian director Maria Clara Escobar, to deepen the idea of “self” and “other” in cinema; and the second one on April 22nd at the Porto Association House with Andreia Nunes on how to prepare a grant application for audiovisual funding.

The theme of the collective exhibition of this 6th edition is “Reflections”, which reflects and creates a dialogue between expressions and forms, bringing together the work of 43 artists in two different locations and moments (Side A and Side B).
“Reflections” extend beyond space and time, encompassing a range of works including photography, video art, painting, illustration, sculpture, and installation.

As with previous editions of Porto Femme, this festival also includes moments of fun and socializing. Three performances, a concert, and two parties with female DJs will take place.

The festival will end on April 23rd, starting at 7:15 pm, with a ceremony where the films chosen by the jury will be announced and women’s cinema will be celebrated!