ULusófona celebrates Equality and Empowerment at Film Festival

The renowned Porto Femme - International Film Festival that celebrates gender diversity and is dedicated to honouring women and non-binary people, is back in Porto for its 7th edition, highlighting innovation on the film scene. With the theme "Women and Revolutions", this special edition seeks to recognise the importance and current contribution of this group in social transformations over time. Not limited to being just a festival, it is a comprehensive project that promotes values such as equity, justice and human rights throughout the year.

The 2024 programme offers a variety of 122 films in competition from 38 different countries. Three world premieres, five international premieres and 40 national premieres stand out among the selected films. The diverse programme includes competitions, screenings, tributes, workshops, debates, Q&A sessions, exhibitions and musical performances, providing a rich and captivating experience for film lovers and anyone interested in exploring the diverse narratives and perspectives presented.

On 19 and 20 April, Lusófona University - Porto University Center hosted the event, which featured the directors of one of the films in the first session, exploring the issue of illegal abortion in Brazil and its complexities. The other films dealt with various deprivations faced by women, including themes such as abuse, war situations and human rights in general.

All the films screened were part of a thematic competition, where the directors competed for recognition from the jury. This thematic competition reflected the diversity of issues relevant to women and society as a whole, providing an essential space for reflection and debate during the event.

In the Porto Femme 2024 programme, on Friday 19 April, the activities began at 02.15 p.m. with Session 1 of Thematic Competition B, where the films "An Ordinary Woman" by Debora Diniz and "Mariquita Woman Revolution" by Sabrina Farji were screened. Later, at 04.15 p.m., Session 2 of Thematic Competition C took place, with the film "Sew to Say" by Rakel Aguirre. Closing the day at 06.15 p.m., Session 3 of Thematic Competition D presented the films "Heiresses" by Silvia Venegas and "Saint Gregory" by Nataša Nelević.

The following day, Saturday, the programme continued with Session 4 of Thematic Competition E, at 02.15 p.m., with the screening of Mai Masri's film "Beirut: Eye of the Storm". Finally, at 04.15 p.m., Session 5 of Thematic Competition F brought us the film "Analogue Revolution: How Feminist Media Changed the World", by Marusya Bociurkiw.

This year, the festival reiterates its commitment to promoting and celebrating effort and dedication in the film industry, promoting equality and empowerment in this field, values that are aligned with those of Lusófona University. The event continues to be a space for creative expression, the sharing of ideas and debates open to all participants.

Text
Mariana Rocha

Photography
Mariana Rocha