Lisbon Film Festivals you can’t miss this season
During this season, the incredible Portuguese capital hosts several festivals for lovers of the seventh art, and there are also offers for the little ones. Get to know the Film Festivals in Lisbon you can’t miss this season.
MONSTRA – Lisboa Animation Film Festival’23
Date: March 15th to 26th
Venues: Cinema São Jorge | Cinemateca Portuguesa | Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes | Museu do Oriente
Lisboa Animation Film Festival’23, also known as MONSTRA, returns for its 22nd edition and brings many animated films, shorts, and features created around the globe.
This year, the festival pays tribute to Japan, which produces one of the most popular and original cinematographies through a vast and complete retrospective. The event has many confirmed premieres and presences coming from all corners of the world to share their knowledge and celebrate animation cinema. As usual, there will be a wide selection of films for everyone, several workshops, exhibitions, and masterclasses by some of the great international masters in animation art. These events will take place at the locations that have been partners of MONSTRA for many years, that is, the Marioneta Museum, the Cinemateca Portuguesa, the National Society of Fine Arts, and, this year, also the Orient Museum, for the first time in 15 years.
In 2023 we will also celebrate 100 years of Portuguese animation. Therefore, throughout the year, MONSTRA will organize one film session per month at the Cinemateca dedicated to national animated films.
It is a festival not to be missed by cinema lovers, especially those who love Japanese cinema.
IndieLisboa’23
Date: April 27th to May 7th
Venues: Cinemateca Portuguesa | Cinema Ideal | Culturgest- Fundação Caixa Geral de Depósitos | Cinema São Jorge
IndieLisboa International Film Festival lasts 12 days, exhibits over 270 films every year, and is one of the Lisbon film festivals you can’t miss this season.
To show recent films by emerging talents and rediscover renowned authors is the aim of IndieLisboa, which attracts audiences and film professionals from everywhere.
To appeal to a younger audience, the festival also includes IndieJunior showcasing animated films, documentaries, and international fiction.
Besides this, the festival includes thematic programs intending to promote debate on relevant issues and presents a diverse, international, and conceptually stimulating selection. LisbonTalks happens parallel to regular film screenings and include workshops, masterclasses, and discussion panels, among other activities.
IndieLisboa presents a section dedicated to the connection between cinema and music, where films about musicians and bands from all over the world can be seen, which becomes the theme for the official night program of parties and concerts, IndieByNight.
Festival PLAY – Kids Film Festival’23
Date: February 25th to March 5th
Venues: Cinema São Jorge | Cinemateca Júnior
The tenth edition of the Festival PLAY will take place from February 25th to March 5th, 2023.
This festival is dedicated to the youngest, offering a week with plenty of cinema, music, talks, and workshops. From February 12th to 20th, during the week, they present a unique selection for school audiences and, on weekends, sessions dedicated to families.
With an incredible selection of short and feature films from all over the world, the goal is that the younger have access to the most recent cinema shown in all the Children’s Film Festivals. There are nine days full of films and other activities only dedicated to the youngest, up to the age of 13. The program divides into sections distributed by the following age groups that you can see by clicking on the respective ages 1-2 years | 3-5 years | 6-9 years | 10-13 years | +13 years.