Martin I. Petrov

In 2015 FEST is bringing to Portugal some of the most relevant short fiction films in the world. Thirty one films, from twenty one countries will be competing for the Best Short and Audience Awards.

With a wide array of styles and tendencies, the program includes some truly obligtory works, such as the much talked about Leidi, from colombian filmmaker Simon Mesa Soto, winner of the Palme D’Or in Cannes among many other awards, a film that shows us the daily life in a Colombian slum. Come and Play, from the russian artist Daria Belova, a film about the mysteries of time, garnered much praise and two awards at the Critic’s Week in Cannes.

Also from the Cannes Film Festival comes Fragments from polish director Agnieszka Woszczynska. This tale about a premiscuous couple in clear decline was a sucess in the Director’s Forthnight last year, quickly becoming one of the most talked about films in the short film festival circuit; while 37º4 S from italian director Adriano Valerio, was equally a success in the Cinéfondation Competition; German Patrick Vollrath also brings a disturbing vision of a divorce in Everything will be ok, a film that caused quite a debate at this year´s Directors´Fortnight.

From Germany, we also welcome Pale Blue Dot, a provocative and brave work that is bound to cause quite a stir amongst our audience. Equally fierce, but on another level, He Took His Skin off For Me, is a film that has been praised for its extraordinary make up detail, which serves as a starting point for an original love story.

Portuguese cinema is also highly represented as usual, with Portugal garneshing the most selections. Starting with the return of Pedro Almeida, and his new film Por Aqui Nada de Novo; Sara Marques Moite with Os Amantes and Francisco Lobo’s Serafim.

Official Fiction Short-film Selection:

Get ripped by Leonardo Van Dijl (Belgium)

Abrase byToshadeva Palani (USA)

Orpheus by Tina Smalcelj (Bosnia Herzegovina)

He took the bottle but left the girl by Reinis Kalvins (Latvia)

Pale Blue Dot by Pourya Ezzati Pour (Germany) 

It’s not about you anymore by Louise De Groef (Belgium)

Milky by Andrée-Anne Roussel (Canada) 

Everything will be ok by Patrick Vollrath (Germany) 

Meantime by Christian van Duuren (Holland) 

Fragments by Aga Woszczynska (Poland)

Por aqui nada de novo by Pedro Augusto Almeida (Portugal) 

A Hole In my Heart by Mees Peijnenburg (Holland)

Remains by Yotam Ben-David (Israel) 

Leidi by Simon Mesa Soto (Colombia/UK) 

Os Amantes by Sara Marques Moita (Portugal)

Playfellows by Ábel Visky (Hungary) 

Hurly-Burly by Kuba Czekaj (Poland) 

By Mutual Agreement by Rémy Cayuela (France)

Mercy all the way by Hannaleena Hauru (Finland) 

Serafim by Francisco Lobo (Portugal) 

Scrabble by Cristian Sulser (Switzerland) 

Sincerity by Andrea Casaseca Ferrer (Spain) 

Disintegration by Alvaro Martin (Spain) 

He took his skin off for me by Ben Aston (UK) 

I call it Love by Elsy Hajjar (Lebannon)

Come and play by Daria Belova (Germany/Russia)

The Collector by Dimitris Argyriou (Greece) 

SPECTRUM by Dimitris Gkotsis (Greece) 

37°4 S by Adriano Valerio (Italy)

Oh! My Princess by Heewook SA (South Korea)

The Cutting Room by Marco Velez (France)

(From Official Press Release)