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El Laberinto del Fauno and Un Franco, 14 Pesetas are the winners!
Asian and hispanic cinema rule in a fantastic edition of the Oporto festival -Fantasporto

The Mexicano Guillermo del Toro wins again the main prize, the Grand Prix Fantasporto 2007 for the Best Fantasy Film, following his triumph in 1994 with his first film, Cronos. The now Oscar-winner director of El Laberinto del Fauno has convinced the Jury.
Also a winner, but of the Directors Week, the Spanish Un Franco, 14 Pesetas, marks the successful debut of actor Carlos Iglésias as a director.
And, with no surprise, this was also a good year for Asian cinema, with Isabella by Ho Cheung Pang winning two awards, the Orient Express Best Film Award and the Best Actress Award for Isabella Leong, in the Directors Week. The Host by Bong Joon-Ho got the Best Director Award of the Fantasy Section and Kim-Ki Duk’s latest film, Time received the Best Actor Award of the Official competition of the Directors Week.

The gothic fairy tale about the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War El Laberinto del Fauno, seduced the Juri as the Best Film and also got a Best Actor Award for Sergi Lopez.
Spanish actress Ariadna Gil (also present in El Laberinto del Fauno) won Best Actress Award for her role in Ausentes by Daniel Calparsoro.
From Mexico came another film in the Spanish language, Histórias del Desencanto by Alejandro Valle , the winner of the Special Prize of the Jury.
The Host gave Bong Joon-Ho the Best Director award and Re-Cycle by the Pang Brothers, the creators of The Eye (2002), on Best Special award.
ganhou o Prémio Melhor Efeitos Especiais.
Celebrating European fantasy Film, the Best Screenplay award was given to James Moran, the Englishman who wrote Severance after being crushed in the underground by a group of yuppies.
With a Special Mention of the Jury came out the Norwegian film The Bothersome Man by Jens Lien,

17th Directors Week Fantasporto 2007

Un Franco, 14 Pesetas by Carlos Iglésias was the winner of the Best Film Award in this competitive category. This is the story of two friends who decide to emigrate to Switzerland in the 60’s. The film also gave first time director Carlos Iglesias a Best Director Award.
Portuguese Suícidio Encomendado (Suicide on Demand) by Artur Serra Araújo received the Special Award of this jury, a black comedy about a man who needs help to commit suicide.
A frequent visitor of Fantasporto, South Korean Kim Ki-Duk won with his Time, the best Actor Award for Jung-Woo Ha, playing a man in the middle of a very confusing love triangle in which a girl wants to win him over by doing plastic surgery.
A different type of love is behind the Best Actress award, Isabella Leong, the leading lady in Isabella by Ho Cheung Pang, also the winner of the Orient Express main award.

Orient Express Official Competitive Section

Macao. The end of the Portuguese Empire, days before the territory was handed over to China. An unexpected love story, Isabella won the Best Asian film with the story of a bohemian police agent who is living the turning point of his life.
The Special Award of this section, The Promise by Chen Kaigé gave the director of Farewell, My Concubine, an immersion in the fantastically beautiful world of a truly fantastic love affair.

Some Numbers in Fantasporto 2007

Fantasporto 2007 registered an attendance of over 85, 000 people, accupying the seats of the Teatro Rivoli in the town centre. It had over 100 foreign guests, who came to prent their films and about 150 journalists of several nationalities.
Fantasporto secreened over 200 features and shorts during its 10 days of projections.

Awards and Homages

Actors Ruy de Carvalho, Henry C. Thomas and Rosanna Arquette received Career Awards, In the case of Mr Henry C. Thomas, and by permission from Universal Pictures, the Festival celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the release of ET ¬ The Extraterrestrial by Steven Spielberg.
Retrospectives of Greek Cinema and the Mosfilm Studios completed the programme


Fantasporto will return next year for its 28th edition between the 27th February and the 2nd March at the Teatro Rivoli and the Teatro Sá da Bandeira, having conquered a new space for the sponsors with its Movietown at the Praça D. João with over 25,000 visitors.

The Programme for 2008 will include a retrospective of Portuguese director Fernando Lopes and of Danish Films.