Ended the 3rd edition of Madeira Micro Film Festival which granted the award for the best film to "Rocks In My Pockets" by Signe Baumane. But the news does not end there, for the next year will be more and better films.
The Micro Film Festival has grow in terms of public and movies to contest?
Nuno Barcelos: This is the 3rd edition and we believed that we have managed to iron out some edges not only in programming, as in the production and the guests that we bring, given that it is a new project in an almost improbable space, which is a festival of contemporary and experimental cinema, in a village as picturesque as the Ponta do Sol, in Madeira. This year we again have six films in the competition and we can say with great pride, due to a partnership, there was a 30% increase of foreign visitors who come specifically for the festival and still we continued with our short films section in the Sun movie, one of the oldest remaining in Portugal.
What can you stand out from the films that were shown and are not in competition?
NB: I can highlight the film "follows it" directed by David Robert Mitchell, who received critical acclaims worldwide, is considered, in fact, one of the great tales of terror this year and "The Duke of Burgundy" undoubtedly produced by Andrew Starke, one of the great British producers, although is a film recent that reaping many awards. Our programming appeals a little to the fantastic, but not along these lines, we still have a test section, which includes a visit from students of the University of Berlin who will develop an audio project.
There is a foreign public and increase projection of the festival internationally, but at local and national level?
NB: I think it has been gradual, of course in terms of the local community we have not this growth, because we understand that it is an experimental area to the cinema level, eventually we like to have more local viewers. I think it is a "work in progress" there is also another aspect to consider, being an international exhibition subtitles are in English and all the people who come here have to understand that language, but we felt next year there will be a significant growth on a local basis. At the national level is a job that we have to develop for the future, our international partnership that is based in Germany helps us in terms of spectators in a community located in the center of Europe, strangely have a large Norwegian and Irish base. Nationally and localy there is still much to do, but it is not lack of promotion on our part, we fell like in all, specially in Madeira, we have to take things slowly so people accustomed and recognized this project.
The programming has various foreign films, but not many Portuguese features.
NB: Unfortunately it is true, we have a short film that is not only Portuguese, as is regional, Carlos Melim that has already been presented at the Cannes film festival. This year we have no Portuguese film, but in this third festival we are still trying to figure out what works more and better and this time the only curator is Michael Rosen. For the year to come we are planning to include other people in these repertoire, at national level, to also contribute with ideas for the festival and to create parallel sections of short films to films in competition, that may appear curated by a professional of the national film industry and it will help to be able to bring not only Portuguese films but also from Latin America. I believe it has not been a lack of research, but are edges that we thought we will filing for years to come.
