Interview by Rui Pastorin
The Macau International Short Film Festival will showcase films with a wide range of genres and themes starting next Tuesday for its 14th edition.
From Algeria to Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan to Serbia, and the US to Macau, among others, selected finalists will be showcasing their films and competing for 17 different prizes, which include cash prizes and prestigious awards such as trophies and certificates for different categories, according to a recent statement by the co-organisers – CREATIVE MACAU and the Institute of European Studies of Macau.
Works in fiction, animation, and documentaries, in subcategories like comedies and science fiction, among others, will be showcased throughout the free-admission event, which will run through December 13 at Teatro Capitol in Rua de Pedro Nolasco da Silva.
Festival Director Lúcia Lemos told The Macau Post Daily during an interview at the CREATIVE MACAU gallery yesterday that the submissions were sent in by filmmakers, ranging from young graduates to established ones, who are familiar with their craft and create “cinema for cinema’s sake”. A raft of good films, some of which have already garnered awards elsewhere, are slated to be screened, she said.
The festival will screen 126 short films (SHORTS) and 10 music videos (VOLUME) from December 5 to 11 and on December 10 respectively, all of which have been chosen from among the 4,051 submissions. She described the films as having a great variety and are short enough (i.e., a maximum length of 30 minutes for fiction and documentaries, and 15 minutes for animation) to give audiences an idea of universal topics and issues around the world.
A festival and platform for all
With its wide selection, Lemos, who is also the founder and co-ordinator of CREATIVE MACAU – Centre for Creative Industries, pointed out that the festival is for all to enjoy.
For filmmakers who have sent in submissions this year or are planning to submit their works in the future, Lemos noted that there are no limits as to what theme or topic they can tackle. “The idea is that people should work on what they really like”, she pointed out, while noting that the festival is also inclusive. “The festival is for everyone”, she said, regardless of age, gender, and nationality.
Meanwhile, as a platform, Lemos said that she thinks that the festival can enable local filmmakers gain confidence to submit their work to international platforms in places such as Europe, engage in intercultural exchanges with filmmakers coming from different parts of the world, and get in contact with other professionals in the same field for future opportunities.
Expectations post-COVID-19
Asked about her expectations for this year’s festival compared to how it was during the previous three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lemos said that it was hard to say, but noted that there are several filmmakers from different parts of the world coming to Macau.
Moreover, as the local audience has changed, Lemos said she expects more locals to come to the festival. There may be more or fewer festival-goers compared to before the pandemic, she said. Moreover, with the city also hosting a lot of other cultural activities nowadays, she added that some of their participants may be interested in coming to the festival as well.
Aside from showcasing films and music videos, a symposium that features roundtable discussions and masterclasses will be held on December 12, while the winners will receive their prizes during the festival’s Gala Award Ceremony on December 13. The full programme, kinds of awards, trailers and list of films can be found on https://www.macauinternationalshortfilmfestival.com.
Macau International Short Film Festival Director Lúcia Lemos poses after yesterday’s interview at the CREATIVE MACAU gallery in Nape. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
