More than just a film festival, IndieLisboa is a unique opportunity for filmmakers and audiences to come together. At the end of each screening, the Q&As bring conversations and questions into the cinema, making watching a film at IndieLisboa much more than just watching a film. To find out whether the screening will be followed by a discussion with filmmakers, look for the icon in the programme that indicates a guest will be present at the screening, or look for the Q&A icon on the website.
So, with just five days to go until the end of the festival, we’d like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the guests (filmmakers and film crews) who have been present at the various festival screenings.
One of today’s highlights, 6 May, is the Q&A for We Put The World to Sleep, which will be attended by director Adrian Țofei and artistic collaborator Duru Yücel, both of whom star in the film.
Generally speaking, Portuguese films are always attended by the film crew, and it is always a great opportunity for the Portuguese film community to come together.
In the International Competition, we would like to highlight the following guests: Amin Motallebzadeh, director of the film Conference of the Birds will be present at today’s premiere at 19:30 at the Cinema Ideal. We would also like to mention Clemente Castor from the film Frío Metal, Gabriel Azorín from Anoche Conquisté Tebas, and Ruan Lan-Xi director of The Plant from the Canaries.
From the Mockumentary Retrospective, we will be joined by Kirsten Johnson, director of the film Dick Johnson is Dead, in which the protagonist, Dick, is both an actor and the director’s father. The film will be screened twice, on 7 and 9 May, at the Cinemateca Portuguesa.
In the Rhizome section, we’ll be joined by Sophie Heldman, director of The Education of Jane Cumming.
And in the IndieMusic section, we will have the director of Massa Funkeira, Ana Rieper, who will also be present at the final celebration of the festival – IndieByNight – at the closing party on 9 May. Naturally, the film will be screened before the party on the 9th, and also today, 6 May at 9.30 pm at São Jorge.
On 9 May, we are premiering an expanded cinema installation, It’s not the sun who is moving which will be on display throughout Saturday. Admission is free and it forms part of the Open House programme of the Trienal de Arquitectura de Lisboa, at the Palácio Sinel de Cordes, from 11:00 to 19:00. The artist, Luis Macías, will be present.
IndieJúnior, the festival’s cutest section and one for children of all ages, will feature not only Portuguese filmmakers but also international directors: João Victor Silva, the Brazilian director of the film Chica, and Zoe Schmidt, director of Carrossel.
In the Silvestre section, we highlight the short film programme featuring Petna Ndaliko Katondolo from the film Deep Cobalt (Silvestre Shorts 4) and Niles Atallah, director of Merrimundi (Silvestre Shorts 3). Both can be seen on 10 May.
Last but not least, the much-anticipated closing film, on 10 May at 9.30 pm at Culturgest: The History of Concrete is the latest feature film by John Wilson, who rose to fame with his eponymous series How to with John Wilson.