One of the most eccentric films I have seen of late was the Japanese film GUILTY OF ROMANCE (恋の罪 Koi no Tsumi?, 2011) by auteur director Sono Shion. Reflecting the genre Japanese ‘pink cinema’, the film is about three women who find sexual freedom in unconventional ways through pink paint balloon tossing, prostitution and poetry. From the director of the films COLD FISH (2010) and HIMIZU (2011), Shion is not only a prolific director but one who shocks and pushes the envelope ...
Fantasporto 2012 (20 February - 04 March) paid homage to a series of Ed Wood films. The Ed Wood films that screened at the festival were: "Bride of the Monster" (1955), "Night of the Ghouls" (1959), "Plan 9 From Out of Space" (1959), "Glen or Glenda" (1953).
In the 1950's Ed Wood was as independent as they come, having made numerous black and white low budget indie films with his signature star actor Bela Lugosi. A screenwriter, director, prod...
At the 2012 Fantasporto (20 February - 04 March) in Porto, Portugal, the festival paid tribute to some of the best blood sucking films in the vampire canon: "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992), which screned at the Rivoli Theater follwing a screening of another vampire classic, F.W. Murnau's "Nosferatu" (1922).
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"The film was a hit at Sundance in 2011 and went on to make nine times its $17,000 budget. The film is written, directed and stars Evan Godell who also designed and built the camera used for shooting. This combination of old camera parts, Russian lenses, and a Digital camera give the film a visually compelling look that ties in nicely with the post Apocalyptic theme. A very unique story dealing with adulthood and the inevitable pitfalls that plague all of us as we try to find ourselves. L...
32nd OPORTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
FANTASPORTO 2012
The 32nd edition of the Oporto International Film Festival - Fantasporto has just revealed its awards in a celebration that promoted the best films but also celebrated the Future in a Special Programme that included 17 lectures by specialists, a unique hologram exhibition, the publication of a new Science-fiction short story book and lots of sci-fi films, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the film "Blade Runner". ...
Hungarian cinema comes to Porto during Fantasporto 2012 in Endre Hules' film, THE MAIDEN DANCED TO DEATH (2011).
The film is about two brothers during Communist Hungary who were great dancers and once upon a time danced together. But while one brother kept dancing, the other gave it up. Now they meet twenty years later to dance together again.
I interviewed Endre Hules a year ago before the film was finished. And now here in Fantasporto I will finally s...
We will be reporting live from Fantasporto...Come back for our dialies.
FORUM THE FUTURE NOW : 21st- 24th February
This forum is organized in cooperation with various entities of recognized quality in the fields of the Arts and Sciences, and it is coordinated by the Director of Fantasporto, Beatriz Pa...
WINNERS FANTASPORTO
1981
(Non-Competitive Festival)
1982
Grand Prix Fantasporto 82: The Redemeer - Krsto Papic (Jugoslavia)
1983
Grand Prix Fantasporto 83: Scanners - David Cronenberg (Canada)
1984
Grand Prix Fantasporto 84: Le Dernier Combat - Luc Besson (France)
1985
Grand Prix Fantasporto 95: The Company of the Wolves - Neil Jordan (UK)
1986
Grand Prix Fantasporto 86: ...
EVOKING ALAIN ROBBE-GRILLET
To most cinema lovers Robbe-Grillet is best known for the fantastic screenplay of "Last Year in Marienbad," directed by Alain Resnais and the winner of the Golden Lion in Venice. A story about the the paths of memory, the game of Marienbad has become one of the most interesting mathematical challenges that subverts the very idea of the game since the first one to play is the one that always wins. The film caused an uproar...
New and Unreleased Films
SHORTS
Guard Dog - Global Jam - Bill Plympton (USA) - 5’25’
Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forrest - Kevin Sean Michaels ( USA) - 5’44’’
Le Jour où le Fils de Rainer S’est Noyé - Aurélien Vernhes-Lermusiaux (Fra) - 15’
The Lost Town of Switez - Kamil Polak (Pol, Can, Fran, Swi, Din) - 20’
FEATURES
A Boyfriend for My Wife - Juan Taratuto (Arg) - 100’
Adventures...
FEATURES IN COMPETITION
A Moral Conjugal - Artur Serra Araújo - 95’- Port
Avé - Konstantin Bojanov - 84’- Bulg
Cherry - Quinn Saunders - USA - 96’
El Artifício - José Enrique March - 87’ - Spa
Guilty of Romance - Sion Sono - 124’ - Jap
Hotel Lux - Leander Haussmann - 110’ - Ger
Immaturi - Paolo Genovese - 110’- Ita
Lena - Christophe van Rompaey- Belg - 114’
Rose - Wojciech Smarzowski - Pol - 95’
...
FEATURES
Attack the Block - Joe Cornish - 88’- UK/Fra
Bellflower - Evan Godell - 115’- USA
Calibre 9 - Jean-Christian Tassy - Fra - 91´
Code 37: The Movie - Jakob Verbruggen - Din - 96’
Eddie, The Sleepwalking Cannibal - Boris Rodriguez - USA – 76’
Eva - Kike Maíllo - Spa - 94’
Game of Werewolves (Lobos de Arga) - Juan Martinez Moreno - Spa - 100’
Hell - Tim Fehlbaum - 89’ - Spa
In the Dark Half - Alasta...
100 YEARS SINCE THE DEATH OF BRAM STOKER
Bram Stoker died 100 years ago and Fantasporto 2012 honors the creator of the gothic novel "Dracula". There were very few stories left behind by a writer that was adapted to cinema so often. Bu one of his texts became world famous. A novel and from this novel emerged one of the most distinguishable characters of all: Count Dracula. Despite not being the first vampire story ever written, it was surely the one that gave...
Fantasporto’2012 under the sign of
BLADE RUNNER
“...I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die...”
Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) in Blade Runner
The 32th edition of International Film Festival of Porto emerges under the sign of the Future. F...
SO BAD THAT IT’S ACTUALLY GOOD!
"So bad it's actually good" is the phrase that defines the work of Ed Wood. Hailed as "the worst director of all time", Edward Davis Wood Jr. will have a retrospective of his work at Fantasporto 2012. Born in America, he was a producer, director and writer of horror movies, "love stories" and science fiction films that clearly stood out in their creativity,taking into account the limited resources he had, both tec...
CAREER AWARD FOR MIKE HODGES
40 YEARS “GET CARTER” IN FANTASPORTO 2012
The Winner of Fantasporto in 1990 with "Black Rainbow" in the categories of Best Film and Best Actress (Rosanna Arquette), Mike Hodges, one of the most important British filmmakers, comes to Fantasporto 2012 to receive the Career Award.
The director and writer who says that " films must have a soul and express the difficult truths of the human condition&quo...
A LEGEND OF RUSSIAN CINEMA IN FANTAS 2012
Karen Shakhnazarov
One of today’s most important Russian filmmakers is honoured at the 32nd edition of Fantasporto. The screenwriter, producer and director Karen Shakhnazarov is also thedirector of Russia's largest movie studio - Mosfilm.
In 2010 he was awarded in Fantasporto for the film "Ward Number 6", which shows us how easy it is to become what we most fear. Now, the Porto Internationa...
TRIBUTE TO ANTÓNIO-PEDRO VASCONCELOS 2012
António-Pedro Vasconcelos
Homage in Fantasporto 2012
A director who was able to attract over 1 million viewers to the cinemas to see Portuguese films, definitely deserves a tribute at Fantasporto 2012. António-Pedro Vasconcelos is the only director who can boast such a feat and the International Film Festival of Porto has chosen him as the Portuguese personality to be highlighted in its 32ndedition. Becau...
The Psychological thriller TWO EYES STARING (original title: ZWART WATER) by Dutch writer/director Elbert van Strien has won the Grand Prix Best Film Award of the 31st edition of the International Film Festival of Porto 2011 (Fantasporto), and also the Award for Best Screenplay.
"...the film "Two Eyes Staring" by Elbert van Strien is the Grand Prize Best Film Award Winner of Fantasporto 2011. The Dutch film that will be...
FANTASPORTO AWARDS 2011
The year 2011 proves to be a year of discoveries. The Dutch film "Two Eyes Staring" born of a conversation between director Elbert Van Strien and his therapist won the Grand Prix best Film Award of the 31st edition of International Film Festival of Porto, and also the Award for Best Screenplay. This is a sophisticated psychological thriller with shades of horror about how we deform the reality from what we see. With a surreal atmosphere, surrounde...
TEKKEN
by Dwight H. Little (Jap/EUA) - 92 min
They fight to save the world, or whatever is left of it. They fight hard, loud and to death. The girls are loaded like guns.
Fun to watch.
Adapted from the japanese game.
...
Who will go wawy with the fantasporto prizes?
R U There? I saw the Devil? Red Nights?
answers for you tonite at 9.15! Followed by the Ball
Chance to see Mario Dorminsky with some make up on!
...
BOUDU SAUVÉ DES EAUX
de Jean Renoir (Fra) - 85 min. A classic masterpiec, funny to see it in fantasporto (in french, and quite an exception in the genre line of prgraming)
DUAS MULHERES
de João Mário Grilo (Por) - 100 min.
I tried...but portugese is too tough, no subtitles to help.
RED NIGHTS
de L. Courtiaud e J. Carbon (Fra/HK) - 110 min.
Missed that, the ending looked very Hong Kong style to me.
THE RITE
de Mikael Hafstrom ...
A FANTASTIC YEAR OF CINEMA! Get ready for the thrills! In a year that has been quite tough because of the crisis, the fantastic cinema returns stronger as ever with a variety of themes, ready to please all types of spectators. From the chills of gore to the delusions of science fiction, through imagination and suspense, the films in competition suit for all tastes. Established filmmakers mixed with new talents, cinema as diverse as the one coming from Serbia or Iceland, not forgetting...
