Summer evenings spent in front of the big screen have arrived in Vila Nova de Famalicão.
This is the invitation from Cineclube de Joane, Casa das Artes and the Famalicão Municipality: pull out your blanket and bring some popcorn, Cinema Paraíso is back with seven free open-air cinema sessions, starting on 2 July.
The 26th edition of the initiative, organised by the Cineclube de Joane, the Casa das Artes de Famalicão and the municipality, will take place in Famalicão's public spaces from 2 July to 20 August, with five screenings in Parque da Devesa and two decentralised screenings in the parishes of Lagoa and Requião, as part of the project's usual itinerancy.
The journey through the seventh art begins on 2 July in Parque da Devesa, the venue par excellence for Cinema Paraíso's open-air cinema sessions, with a screening of Tim Burton's ‘Bettlejuice Bettlejuice’ (2024).
This is followed by the film that won the statuette for ‘Best Animated Feature Film’ at the last Oscars. ‘Flow’ (2024), by Gints Zilbalodis, will be screened on 9 July at the same venue.
On 13 July, it will be time to head to Lagoa, more specifically to the parish's Playing Field, to watch one of the most acclaimed films of the year and winner of the Oscar for “Best International Feature Film”: ‘I’m Still Here’ (2024) is a film that explores the 1970s in Brazil, a critical period during the military dictatorship, and stars actress Fernanda Torres, critically acclaimed for her performance in this film.
Returning to Parque da Devesa on 16 July, it will be possible to watch Edward Berger's ‘Conclave’ (2024), a film with a cast made up of Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini and John Lithgow, which had five nominations for the 2025 Oscars, winning in the “Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)” category.
The outdoor cinema sessions in July end with the animated film ‘Wild Robot’ (2024), a happy encounter between nature and technology directed by Chris Sanders, which will be screened on 20 July at the Requião Sports Centre.
The warm August nights set the tone for the last two screenings of the 26th edition of Cinema Paraíso, with the film starring Robert Pattinson, ‘Mickey 17’ (2025), by Bong Joon Ho, on 13 August in the city park, where the French feature film ‘The Marching Band!’ (2024), directed by Emmanuel Courcol, will also be screened on the 20th, thus closing this year's programme.
All Cinema Paraíso screenings start at 10pm and admission is free.
It's worth remembering that Cinema Paraíso has been an initiative in Vila Nova de Famalicão since 1999, and has already brought the magic of cinema to more than 40 places in the municipality. It is a co-production of the Cineclube de Joane and the Casa das Artes de Famalicão, with the institutional support of the Vila Nova de Famalicão Municipality and the Cinema and Audiovisual Institute (ICA).
