Fantasporto finds its fans from 23rd February to 7th March at Rivoli

New Year, new Fantasporto edition! Early spring brings what is now the most iconic film festival in the Invicta and, in compliance with all health guidelines in place, the event is aimed at an in-person experience. The starting film is “Death in Venice”, a film by Luchino Visconti, from the work by Thomas Mann.

Keeping up with tradition is what drives the festival’s organisation to prepare an in-person event, despite the pandemic that still scourges the globe. This will be Fantasporto’s 41st edition and aficionados are expected to be offered the best of the seventh art, of the fantastic status.

This year, "Fantas" kicks off with “Death in Venice”, by Luchino Visconti, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the film release. This will be “the first great cultural event of the year, adamant to the national and international scene”, reads the official statement by Fantasporto organisation.

Other iconic films on cinema history, also directed by Luchino Visconti. “The Leopard” is also included in the festival’s agenda, namely in the “Fantas Classics” category, alongside “Fight Club”, by David Fincher and “Dr Strangelove”, by Stanley Kubrick.

As regards the competition, the chosen films are “The Reckoning”, by Neil Marshall, "Ten Minutes to Midnight", by Erik Bloomquist, and "O Cemitério das Almas Perdidas", a fable story by Brazilian Rodrigo Aragão.

In addition, the Portuguese long film category features films such as "Toponímia - As Memórias do Porto", by António Pinto, "Um Quadro do Pollock com Sangue", by Rui António, "A Mulher Sem Corpo", by António Borges Correia, and "40 Anos de Fantasporto", by Isabel Pina.

As usual, “Director’s week” and “Orient Express” bring to Porto iconic films as "Get The Hell Out", by I-Fan Wang, "Suicide Forest Village", by Takashi Shimizu, and "Awauta", by Mile Nagaoka.

The film “No Man’s Land” is part of the closing programme. The film, directed by Conor Allyn, is to premiere in the USA this January.

To comply with Covid-19 preventive measures and the health guidelines issued by the DGS, this year edition will screen three movies per day, in each room, at one-hour intervals between each session, for space sanitation. Each day, the programme concludes at 10.30pm.

Further information on Fantasporto 2021 can be requested via email info@fantasporto.com. The organisation provides updates on its Facebook page.