Silvana Torricella's short film "The Muffler" (2023), on the theme of euthanasia, is the big winner of the Ymotion 2023 competition. The closing session of the 9th edition of the Vila Nova de Famalicão Youth Film Festival took place last Saturday, 2 December, at the Cupertino de Miranda Foundation, on a night that was also marked by a standing ovation for Maria de Medeiros.
"I was already very touched (...) it's very nice when they remember to celebrate our work," commented Portuguese actress and director Maria de Medeiros about the tribute paid at the Ymotion festival. The artist pointed out that the fact that it took place at a festival dedicated to young cinema, young directors had “a special meaning”, and that "you can see the dimension of creativity and poetry that exists in these new generations".
"We've seen more and more quality and creativity in the short films submitted to the competition," said Luísa Azevedo, Vila Nova de Famalicão City Council's Councillor for Youth. "Ymotion has served as a lever for the work of promising young people in national cinema and, above all, has allowed us to strengthen ties between young people and the film industry. It's an initiative that encourages them to keep their dreams alive in this challenging professional area," said the councillor.
The closing session of the 9th edition of Ymotion began with a screening of the short film "The Voyager" (2017), by João Gonzalez, who soundtracked the work live.
This was followed by the presentation of the festival's first prize, the Audience Award, for "Icarus" (2023), by Nuno Mina, and then the Best Cinematography award for "Capa de Honras - La Cuonta de I Garotico i I Bielho" (2023), by Rui Falcão, which also won the Best Screenplay award.
"Flor de Laranjeira" (2023), by Rúben Sevivas, was judged Best Documentary and "O Senhor do Porto" (2023), by Tânia Marques, Best Animation.
The Secondary Schools award went to Isa Sousa, for "Madrugada" (2023), and the Best Performance award went to Inês Sá Frias, for her performance in "Só Nós Dois" (2023), by Carolina Aguiar.
In addition to the competition prizes, honourable mentions were also awarded to two projects by young people from Famalicão - "Art'Oculta" (2023), by Mariana Silva, and "A Mil Cartas de Distância" (2023), by Andreia Correia - as well as to actress Maria Leite's performance in "O Abafador" (2023).
The main week of the 9th edition of Ymotion ran from 29 November to 2 December, and the festival's closing session was the culmination of four days of competitive sessions and themed moments linked to the seventh art, with the presence of well-known faces to the Portuguese public such as: Rui Reininho, Valter Hugo Mãe, Carla Chambel and Paula Lobo Antunes.
Ymotion - Famalicão Youth Film Festival is an initiative promoted by the Municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão, through the Youth department, since 2015, which has given stage to the work of young Portuguese filmmakers, aged 12 to 35, and has allowed for closer ties between educational institutions, students and the film industry.