FEST is a film and an educational event divided in different activities and dimensions. This includes the official film competition, the academic experience of Training Ground and all the parallel activities associated with the event such as Open Air Cinema, Gala Dinners, Filmmakers Corner, and many others.

 

The official competition is focused on the work of filmmakers under the age of 30, making FEST a privileged space where audiences can have access to the future of film.

The films are selected without any discrimination regarding duration or genre.

 

The award categories are: Best Short Fiction; Best Short Documentary; Best Short Animation; Best Short Experimental Work & Best Short Academic Work.

There is also a Special Prize destined to Portuguese productions.

 

Finally, the major competition is the Castelo de Prata (Silver Castle) award, dedicated exclusively to features from directors who are on their first or second long features. The selection process for this part of the competition is done by direct invitation of the programmers, made during international festivals around Europe. This section has brought to Portugal some of the best pieces produced in the last few years, promoting filmmakers that in a very short period of time have made their mark on the world stage, gaining major international awards in the process. The opening and closing galas are also a high point of the event, screening films that will bring something extra to the program.

 

Parallel to the festival we host one of the largest educational events of its kind. FEST - Training Ground consists of a series of lectures, master classes, workshops and debates where new and up and coming filmmakers from all over the world gather for one week to attend a unique training opportunity.

 

The program includes over 20 sessions lectured and organized by some of the film industry`s top experts. The program is designed to approach all the key issues of film making, from a theoretical and technical perspective. We cover themes such as scriptwriting, sound, editing, photography, acting, casting, actors direction, book adaptation, lighting, filmmaking with low resources, pitching ideas, funding, distribution, production, among many other subjects. Alongside these areas we also include a series of debates on the impact of film in everyday society. These classes are open to everyone, from film students, to professionals or mere film enthusiasts.

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