Marcelo Tavares

the mobile phone of Alain, a belgium director in his fifties, appears a mysterious picture. Enough time to recognise Luisa, the portuguese actress he loved so passionately 7 years ago, during the shooting of his unfinished film.

Early Spring. A sonata, a train, a letter. Between his work as a flute teacher and the rituals of mourning the early death of his wife, Samuel faces a dilemma after a visit from his brother.

A soul waits to be reincarnated while reflecting back on her past life as a nun, who worked at the Vatican Astronomical Observatory in early-20th century. There, she took part in the “Carte du Ciel” — an ambitious international project to map the night sky, earning the early title of “computer” as a result of processing repetitive calculations. Disillusioned with her previous existence, she considers becoming a coder in her next life, amidst the wave of economic optimism awaiting her reincarnation in 1990s Portugal. Shot on 16mm film and smartphone, "Oh Be a Fine Girl Kiss Me" blends historical fiction and autobiography in a meditation on life’s choices and constraints, as well as on the systems and categories that shaped modernity.

The recollections of a Portuguese teacher in the present will make us follow his father, Manuel, former fighter in our colonial war and constantly tormented with those memories. He'll walk us through the depths of the physical sites that haunt him - from training barracks to the lakes and gardens of his youth and infatuation - and also to his memory's gulf - war and passion combined, entangled, in a battle that questions or howls immemorial existential doubts.

João, an actress from Lisbon, as she stars in a biopic about Liberada, a gender-nonconforming figure persecuted by the Portuguese Inquisition in the 18th century. The film's production becomes a battleground as João clashes with the director over how Liberada’s legacy should be portrayed. These tensions deepen as João's dreams are increasingly haunted by Liberada's ghost, blurring the lines between past and present. When the director succumbs to a mysterious paralysis, leaving the film unfinished, João is left to navigate the unfolding chaos. She faces unanswerable questions, not only about the film's future but also about her own connection to Liberada’s spirit and story.

Gabi believes in her ability to act in times of injustice, relying on her physical abilities. One day, Gabi finds out that her brother, Daniel, is a victim of bullying in their neighbourhood. Suffering from unexpected outbreaks of sleepwalking, he disappears from home during the night. While trying to avenge him, Gabi realizes that perhaps all the coinciding events related to her brother are a test made by ghosts of the past.

Ceramic dildos intended to go beyond cis-normative sex toys; the forbidden love of Josefa and Maria during the Inquisition; a singing narrator… Such are the elements that make up Dildotectonics. A masterful blend of time and place, this film gives free rein to a search for pleasure that is free from all normative constraints.

The Serra da Gardunha mountain range in central Portugal has long been associated with the unexplained. Over the years, alleged visions of saintly apparitions have given way to alien sightings, with witnesses reporting mysterious lights in the sky and rumours circulating that a UFO hangar lies hidden beneath the craggy rocks. Meanwhile, two friends speculate over the extent of the mountain’s power as they discuss whether its spirits might be able to offer relief to their old and heavily pregnant cat.