秒読み The countdown begins! 秒読み
Less than one month away from the 22nd MONSTRA, it is no longer news that, this year, the best animation festival in Lisbon invites to the centre of its programme the Land of the Rising Sun and the stories of the centenary of Portuguese animated cinema.
With the ticket office almost ready to open to the public, we remind you of the upcoming events we have scheduled and reveal some more highlights not to be missed, from 15 to 26 March.
100 years ago Disney and its universe of wonders was being created
Yes, it’s true: there are many ephemerides to celebrate this year. In addition to the axes of the MONSTRA honour programme we have already mentioned, the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney Company’s foundation is also celebrated in a series of special sessions that bring some of the classics of this great master of the seventh art to the big screen.
Our adventure through the Disney animated universe begins with the short film “Alice’s Wonderland” (1923) and continues to “The Ugly Duckling” (1939), passing through the unavoidable “Steamboat Willie” (1928), which presents Mickey Mouse for the first time, and “Skeleton Dance” (1929) — special films for children, but also for all those who grew up under the enchantment and beauty of this enormous collective imagery.
MONSTRA that isn’t translated: new section in honour of Portuguese language animation
Every year, the exciting and sensitive Brazilian animation crosses the Atlantic to make its presence felt at the festival. In 2023, 50 years after Guinea-Bissau’s self-declaration of independence, MONSTRA also strengthens its ties with the other members of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.
In an unprecedented programme, committed to the intertwined stories of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, São Tomé & Príncipe and Timor-Leste, Anima CPLP brings together short and feature films from at least 6 of these countries, celebrating our great cultural and artistic multiplicity.
Tall, and tanned, and young, and lovely, MONSTRA goes walking…
From cinemas to museums and galleries, a monstrous exhibition programme
Six competitions and over 400 films are not enough for MONSTRA, that knows that animation cinema is essentially an art of encounters and transversalities. So, from the dark rooms to the white walls, we have prepared a programme of 4 exhibitions to discover before, during and after the festival.
At the Puppet Museum, “Time Keeping Puppets: a journey into the world of Portuguese animated puppets” (24 February to 23 April), delves into the past, present and future of animation made in Portugal, through the accessories, original sets and puppets that integrate iconic films and others in absolute premiere in this edition of MONSTRA.
The tribute to Portuguese cinema continues at the Cinemateca Portuguesa – Museu do Cinema (15 March to 9 June), with an exhibition that covers the history and the stories of the art of animation made in Portugal.
At the Orient Museum, to which MONSTRA returns after 15 years, the renowned Japanese director and illustrator Koji Yamamura — one of the illustrious presences confirmed this year — presents “Dozens of Drawings!” (10 March to 9 April), with originals from four of his beautiful, award-winning films.
The German Raimund Krumme, another very special guest and long-time friend of MONSTRA, brings to the Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes the site-specific exhibition “Traces of Movement” (15 March to 1 April), drawing directly on the walls of that cultural space’s Salon.
A month passes by in a flash! We can almost see MONSTRA on the horizon, taking great strides to colour and brighten up Lisbon, from 15 to 26 March.
Consult the full programme and guarantee your accreditation with special prices until the end of February (discounts available for students and industry professionals).