BEAST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 27.09 — 01.10.2023

BEAST Festival of Central & Eastern European Film is returning to the city of Porto between September 21 and 25, with a programme dedicated to the film culture from 21 countries.

The Official Opening Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, 21st of September from 22:00 in the grand Cinema Passos Manuel. The festival will kick-off with the screening of The Elegy of Laurel, the debut feature film by Montenegrin filmmaker Dusan Kasalica, as part of a focus that the fifth edition of the festival dedicates to Montenegrin cinema. With its national premiere at BEAST IFF, the film is a challenging and innovative drama, which suddenly becomes dark, fantastic and mysterious.

BEAST – International Film Festival takes place in several venues of Porto: Passos Manuel, Cinema Trindade, Casa das Artes, OKNA – Espaço Cultural and Livraria Térmita. In addition to the 60 selected films, the festival’s programme extends to a series of exhibitions, workshops and panels events.

Tickets available online

BESTIARIUM features 4 animated 3D sculptures created by the young Polish artists Joanna Simon, Patryk Ornoch, Maciej Żak, Barnaba Mikułowski.

BESTIARIUM is an immersive exhibition unleashing virtual creatures to the streets of Porto from 21 to 25th of September. The city game produced by the Photon Foundation, the organizer of the Patchlab Digital Art Festival in Krakow, is a part of the side programme of the BEAST International Film Festival.

Individual beasts in Augmented Reality can be discovered in these following locations:
Travessa da Figueirôa / Rua de Álvares Cabral (crossroad)
R. da Cedofeita no. 247
Travessa de Cedofeita no. 60
Maus Hábitos (glass corridor & terrace)

To discover animated dragons, find a poster exposed in the locations listed above and scan the QR code on the poster.

Credits
Concept: Elwira Wojtunik, Popesz Csaba Láng
Programming and coordination: Popesz Csaba Láng
UX: Keun Kindred
UI: Lena Malecha
Production: Fundacja Photon

The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from International Visegrad Fund – www.visegradfund.org . The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.

Nikola Vukčević invites emerging filmmakers to take part in a masterclass focusing on the practical details of the filmmaking process.

Sharing tips from his professional experience, Nikola aims to create a healthier environment for the aspiring artists. Challenges of the creative process between art, craft and media will be discussed during the masterclass dealing with the story structure, topic/theme, message, conflict, creating characters, time-math, work with actors and use of technology. The masterclass is recommended to students of filmmaking, young screenwriters, directors, producers, actors, creatives and all film enthusiasts. 

Date: September 24
Time: 16:00 – 17:30
Location: Livraria Térmita (Largo de Mompilher 5 R/C, Porto)
Language: English
Free entry
No registration required

Nikola Vukčević is one of the most respected film directors of the young generation in Montenegro. He is associate professor of Film and TV direction and Head of Film and Media department at the University of Montenegro. 

Nikola holds a PhD in Filmology, he is an alumni of the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and Fulbright Program (New York, Los Angeles). For seven seasons he was the artistic director of the City Theater in Podgorica. His feature film The Kids from the Marx and Engels Street (Dječaci iz Ulice Marksa i Engelsa, 2014) was an official Montenegrin Oscar Candidate in the category for the Best Foreign Picture in 2014.

In the last five years, he has held director’s masterclasses in Paris, Dubrovnik, Izmir, Tirana, Mostar, China dealing with issues of directorial poetics, crafts, art, structure. As director and producer, he has been committed to producing stories about marginalized and discriminated social groups, people who are working to encourage social change, peace, and find ways to improve human conditions. Using film as a form of expression, his director’s approach is to utilize the media power of film and the performing arts to contribute to the development of civil society and social change. In video storytelling, he is well versed in the use of modern cinematic technology, a skill he has mastered through collaboration with experienced international crews as well as through attendance of international workshops, festivals, and training sessions.  

The fifth edition of Beast returns to Porto between September 21st and 25th, with a programme dedicated to Central and Eastern European film culture. Five spaces in the city will be occupied by a diversified programme that, besides the 70 selected films, extends to a series of parallel activities and events.

It is a unique and singular festival that intends not only to promote Eastern European productions and filmmakers, but also to open a space for debate and dialogue with the culture of this region, demystifying clichés and evoking contemporary socio-political issues and concerns. The Beast – International Film Festival, organized by Cultural Association OKNA in partnership with the City Council of Porto, completes this year five editions and returns to the city of Porto to show the most vibrant works produced in the Balkans, Baltic and post-communist countries. 

The Official Competition is the central space of BEAST, dedicated to mapping and promoting the new Eastern European cinema. A selection of 28 short and medium-length films, focused on new works by emerging directors, will bring to the screens in Porto a series of works that show the best of what is produced in the region. 

This year’s focus is on Montenegro, a rare opportunity to get to know a cinema made in a recent country, which does not always find its rightful place among western culture. This focus includes the opening film of the festival, “Laurel’s Elegy”, the first feature film by filmmaker Dusan Kasalica, as well as programmes dedicated to the representation of emerging filmmakers, school projects and an extensive retrospective made in partnership with the Montenegrin Cinematheque. In a special programme, the festival presents Highlight Ukraine!, which features films by six promising Ukrainian filmmakers and Kateryna Gornostai’s feature film “Stop Zemlia”. 

These are new additions to this fifth edition of BEAST and reinforce the idea of a festival that promotes plurality and difference, assuming the ever important need to tread new paths and open channels of debate to marginalized themes and universes. Queer Shorts is a programme presented in collaboration with the Queer Archives Institute, an organisation that tracks queer visual representations of Eastern Europe in modern history, in which each film makes us look at how the region’s cinema has worked with and represented the LGBTQIA+ community. Still strengthening the forum for dialogue and questioning rooted notions, the Territories section explores the concept of “place” by interrogating the power of belonging and the sense of dislocation and dissociation from a territory.

The BEAST programme also includes Visegrad Film Hub, which supports audiovisual works from the V4 region (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia), promoting cultural and collaborative interaction through screenings and educational projects. This section integrates the special Lost Sci-Fi Epic programme, with the screening of the unfinished cult film – cancelled by government authorities – by Polish filmmaker Andrzej Żuławski, “Escape to the Other Globe”, accompanied by the documentary that tells us the story of the whole process.

The festival’s programme is completed with a series of talks, masterclasses, parties, exhibitions, or workshops. BEAST – International Film Festival will take place in several places in the city of Porto, from September 21st to 25th: Passos Manuel, Cinema Trindade, Casa das Artes, OKNA – Espaço Cultural and Livraria Térmita.

Animation workshop gives children the opportunity to create their first own film!

As part of the Visegrad Film Hub programme, the workshop looks at the basic principles of stop motion animation focusing on cut-out and relief animation. Kids will prepare their story, create the characters and background for the shooting. Working with materials such as paper, plasticine, textile, wood, etc., participants will work in small teams, having all the necessary equipment and technology at disposal in OKNa – Espaço Cultural ready to launch their debut creations.

Recommended age of participants is from 8 to 12. 

Date: September 24 & 25
Time: 11:00–16:00 with lunch break (lunch is not provided by organizers)
Location: OKNa – Espaço Cultural (Rua Igreja de Cedofeita 27, Porto)
Free entry

REGISTER HERE

Schedule:

Sat.24. 09. 2022
11:00–13:00 | Session 1
13:00–14:30 | Lunch break
14:30–16:00 | Session 2

Sun. 25. 09. 2022
11:00–13:00 | Session 3
13:00–14:30 | Lunch break
14:30–16:00 | Session 4

The workshop is a collaboration between three visual artists, Leander Meresaar (Estonian animation director), Alla Dmitrievna (Ukrainian animation director) and Martyna Formella (Polish visual artist) and it builds on skills that the group feel comfortable with such as storytelling, set and puppet making and it introduces key animation concepts such as timing and movement. Workshop is going to be held in English with Portuguese translation.

The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from International Visegrad Fund – www.visegradfund.org. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.

Video mapping and Augmented Reality are part of the evolution of visual art – they indicate a manifestation of technology to create an optical illusion while playing with light. As a conclusion, ordinary objects are changed into awesome magical creations. Artists can simply apply their majestic sketches to any 3D materials, for example buildings. 

Within Visegrad Film Hub 2022, in cooperation with  TRAKT from Slovakia and Photon Foundation from Poland, the Video Mapping + Augmented Reality Workshop intends to give the participants an overview of the different possibilities to create a live installation wrapping projected virtual content around a real world object.

The first editions of the workshop (2019/2021) were a great success, with over 200 people applying for participation. Its third edition will return in a more complex and open source format, for participants and festival audience to interact. It will cover various options of how to create content (both pre-produced and in real time) and how to apply it on an object using various mapping methods. 

Furthermore, the visitors will get a comprehensive insight on what kind of content works best, based on the nature of the individual, illuminated objects. The educational event invites the participants to discover the space of projection in volume and the production line of the video mapping with a contemporary approach. This was tailored to build on the strengths of the new emerging talents, and equip them with a full understanding of both the workflow, and the technical skills required to create interactive projection mapped installations.

Throughout the workshop, general public will get the opportunity to enjoy the V4 Expanded: VR CORNER – interactive exhibition of several virtual reality projects from emerging studios in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia. This experience is a novelty brought by BEAST IFF in collaboration with its V4 partners and Supported by International Visegrad Fund.

INFO

V4 ACADEMY | Video Mapping Workshop (Event–Public), Porto, PT
PARTNERS: TRAKT.SK (Slovakia) / PHOTON FOUNDATION (Poland)
DATES: 21 – 25 09. 2022, OKNA Cultural Centre

Guidelines and Registration HERE

/ VISEGRAD / FILM / HUB / is organised by BEAST International Film Festival with the support of International Visegrad Fund – visegradfund.org, providing support for the audiovisual works from the V4 region (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) through activation of networks and educational events. 

As the fifth edition of BEAST IFF comes closer, it’s time for you to join our team! Being a volunteer means being part of an international team, meeting a lot of like-minded cinema passionate people, discovering Eastern European culture, learning and sharing your skills for the common goal: 5 great festival days in Porto. We need you, so we can build an unforgettable experience for everyone!

Take a look at the sections of Volunteering that you can sign up for and choose the ones that fit you best (you can choose more than one area that interests you and we will do our best to assign you the tasks that fit your expectations). You can also specify when you can be involved, so please remember to check and let us know your availability. 

All volunteers will receive a festival pass allowing them to participate in the BEAST screenings and special events in their free time.

Let’s do great stuff together!  SIGN UP HERE

Marketing and Set Dressing – help with the distribution of BEAST programmes to various locations in Porto to let the whole city know the festival is starting soon! Participate in branding and decorating the venues to bring the Eastern European spirit to cinemas and our partner spots, creating the festival atmosphere everywhere. // The tasks in this department begin on Sep 10th already and may require some physical effort (carrying stuff around). 

Social media, photo & video, website – create attention-grabbing content and memorable photo/video coverage of the festival. Prepare reels and stories for social media, document each festival day and put your creativity and editing skills to real-life test. Help the communication team with publishing news on the BEAST website to keep everyone updated on what’s going each festival day. // The festival provides all the necessary gear but your own camera, phone or/and computer would be a plus. 

Guests – meet the festival Guests and help them have a great experience in Porto. Become a guide involved in pick-ups, drop-offs, accommodation arrangements, making sure they know their agendas and find their way to all the venues. Do some international networking and practice your hospitality skills. // English language at communicative level required.

Info Points, Venues & Events – become the first contact person to BEAST audiences. Provide the information about the festival programme, make sure everybody got their accreditation, tickets and merchandise, help with the setup of special events, workshops and parties, get hands-on experience in festival production. // Please note that some screenings and parties require staying out late!

The fifth edition of BEAST IFF will take place between 21 – 25, with a program designed to nurture and champion the art of creative filmmakers from Central and Eastern Europe.

BEAST IFF is much more than a film festival and it assumes a relevant role in the stimulation and dissemination of Central and Eastern European film culture in Portugal, opening it to new audiences. Besides the series of film events, the festival expands its activity to masterclasses, parties, exhibitions, conversations, or workshops. 

The Official Competition of the festival, a space that promotes new works by promising filmmakers from the East, presents a diverse and attentive selection of the best works produced in the region. With room for fiction works, in the East Wave section, documentaries, in East Doc, or experimental works, in the ExperimentalEast program, the official selection of the fifth edition of BEAST IFF includes 28 films from 13 countries.

This year, the festival dedicates a focus to Montenegro, presenting a total of 18 works by several Montenegrin directors. With a selection divided into four sections, this program is a rare opportunity to learn more about the film production of a country that only gained independence in 2006, promoting the new and refreshing facet of Montenegrin cinema.

Included in this focus is the festival’s opening film, The Elegy of Laurel (2021) by Dusan Kasalica. The Montenegrin filmmaker’s first feature, making its national premiere at BEAST IFF, is a challenging and innovative drama that suddenly turns dark, fantastic and mysterious – a direct connection to the energy of the festival, standing with the slogan “Wild WIld East.

Focus Montenegro comes in partnership with the Montenegrin Film Center, Montenegrin Cinematheque, and is supported by the Honorary Consulate of Montenegro in Porto.

With an expanded programme, BEAST IFF also announces a special program that honours Ukraine. Highlight Ukraine! features six talented and emerging Ukrainian filmmakers, including a unique selection from the Kyiv International Short Film Festival, the coming-of-age feature Stop Zemlia (2021) by filmmaker Kateryna Gornostai, premiered and awarded at the Berlin Film Festival – Generations. Through The  Highlight Ukraine!, the festival wants to spread and convey a message of hope and support to all Ukrainian people, artists, friends, partners, and their families.

Organized by OKNA – Cultural Association in partnership with the City Council of Porto, the 5th BEAST – International Film Festival will take place in the city of Porto, from September 21st to 25th. The complete program will be announced on September 6th.

Entering its 5th edition, BEAST International Film Festival is returning to Porto between 21 – 25 of September 2022.

BEAST IFF 5.0 is looking for short and medium-lenght films to join its Official Competition Programme – productions from Central & Eastern Europe or by filmmakers of Eastern European descent worldwide irrespective of theme, as well as films by international filmmakers with a focus on the CEE region.

During the 7 festival days, BEAST IFF will turn Porto into the center of Central & Eastern European cinema culture through screenings, masterclasses, workshops and several industry related events.

Since its first edition (2017), BEAST IFF brought the community together in celebration of the best cinema from Central & Eastern Europe. Through its public screenings, BEAST IFF premieres a highly curated programme including feature films, documentaries, short films and animation. The post-screenings Q&A create a space for connecting filmmakers, pioneers ,opinion-makers, and the wider audience.

Submit your film and give it the chance to be seen on the big screens of Porto’s cinemas.

BEAST IFF aims to provide a platform for emerging CEE filmmakers and Portuguese directors working abroad. Until now, BEAST IFF screened over 500 films, representing over 21 countries from the region. The Official Competition presents three categories: EAST WAVE (fiction film) EAST DOC (documentary film), and experimentalEAST (experimental film), screening short and medium-length films released in the last two year.

APPLY HERE