News
Anthology "Terror in the Feminine", with Passos no Escuro
We announce the first session programmed jointly by MOTELX and Passos no Escuro, on May 24th, at 10pm, at Passos Manuel (Porto): an Anthology of "Feminine Horror", with six shorts by female filmmakers who competed for the MOTELX Award – Best Portuguese Short Horror Film.
On May 24th, at 10pm, Passos Manuel will host the first session resulting from the new partnership between MOTELX – Lisbon International Horror Film Festival – and the Passos no Escuro project, which since 2019 has established itself as a reference in the exhibition of horror and cult cinema in the city of Porto. This alliance between two fundamental entities in the promotion of the genre in Portugal marks the beginning of an intense cinematographic dialogue between Lisbon and Invicta, with the promise of sessions that celebrate the best of contemporary horror cinema.
The inaugural screening of this programmatic partnership, entitled “Terror in the Feminine”, will be an anthology of short films, all premiered and created within the scope of the MOTELX competitions, which pays homage to the female gaze that has recently injected undeniable vitality into Portuguese horror cinema. The program brings together six works by female filmmakers who competed for the MOTELX Award – Best Portuguese Horror Short Film, all of which are notable for their narrative strength, technical quality and aesthetic boldness that brings new tones to the genre.
The selection includes:
Paralisia, by Inês Monteiro – Special Mention MOTELX 2023;
After an excessive night, Mafalda e Filipe return home. It’s when they fall asleep that something sinister awakens.
Penrose, by Alessandra Roucos e Maria Teresa Teixeira (2024);
During his first night in his ground-floor apartment, Óscar is awakened by water droplets mysteriously falling from the ceiling. As he searches for the root of the problem, he ends up discovering a side of himself he would rather not know...
Moscatro, by Patrícia Maciel (2018);
The world seen through Ana Lara’s eyes. Between illness, manipulation and love, Ana Lara lives in constant confrontation with her own escape
O Abafador / The Smotherer, by Silvana Torricella (2023);
Vicente is a smotherer: travelling from land to land with the mission of helping those who suffer while waiting for death. Tired of living like a criminal, he makes one last ‘smothering’, but is surprised by a woman. Olivia tries to hire Vicente to end her father’s suffering, but he refuses. Desperate, she threatens to denounce him.
Parem de Olhar Para Mim / Stop Looking at Me, de Carolina Aguiar (2024);
Two sisters stumble into an intense journey between reality, dreams, and fantasy. A deep exploration of the feminine genre in horror films, delving into the issue of anxiety and the constant feeling of being watched.
Holofote, de Camilla Ciardi (2024);
A young aspiring actress gets the opportunity of a lifetime to make a name for herself in the artistic world. Before that, however, she must overcome her fears in a daunting audition with a prominent director.
These shorts reveal a territory where fear is expressed in innovative, personal and disturbing ways — from psychological terror to social allegory, through dreamlike atmospheres and visceral experiences. Each film is a window into what horror can be when told through female voices, exploring intimate concerns, disrupted bodies, oppressive spaces, and real or metaphorical ghosts. With this session, MOTELX and Passos no Escuro invite the public to delve into narratives that challenge conventions and expand the limits of genre cinema made in Portugal.
A celebration of the talent of Portuguese female directors and an affirmation of the indispensable place they occupy in the present and future of cinematic horror.
See also:
Porto´s Cultural Agenda
Trendy
The inaugural screening of this programmatic partnership, entitled “Terror in the Feminine”, will be an anthology of short films, all premiered and created within the scope of the MOTELX competitions, which pays homage to the female gaze that has recently injected undeniable vitality into Portuguese horror cinema. The program brings together six works by female filmmakers who competed for the MOTELX Award – Best Portuguese Horror Short Film, all of which are notable for their narrative strength, technical quality and aesthetic boldness that brings new tones to the genre.
The selection includes:
Paralisia, by Inês Monteiro – Special Mention MOTELX 2023;
After an excessive night, Mafalda e Filipe return home. It’s when they fall asleep that something sinister awakens.
Penrose, by Alessandra Roucos e Maria Teresa Teixeira (2024);
During his first night in his ground-floor apartment, Óscar is awakened by water droplets mysteriously falling from the ceiling. As he searches for the root of the problem, he ends up discovering a side of himself he would rather not know...
Moscatro, by Patrícia Maciel (2018);
The world seen through Ana Lara’s eyes. Between illness, manipulation and love, Ana Lara lives in constant confrontation with her own escape
O Abafador / The Smotherer, by Silvana Torricella (2023);
Vicente is a smotherer: travelling from land to land with the mission of helping those who suffer while waiting for death. Tired of living like a criminal, he makes one last ‘smothering’, but is surprised by a woman. Olivia tries to hire Vicente to end her father’s suffering, but he refuses. Desperate, she threatens to denounce him.
Parem de Olhar Para Mim / Stop Looking at Me, de Carolina Aguiar (2024);
Two sisters stumble into an intense journey between reality, dreams, and fantasy. A deep exploration of the feminine genre in horror films, delving into the issue of anxiety and the constant feeling of being watched.
Holofote, de Camilla Ciardi (2024);
A young aspiring actress gets the opportunity of a lifetime to make a name for herself in the artistic world. Before that, however, she must overcome her fears in a daunting audition with a prominent director.
These shorts reveal a territory where fear is expressed in innovative, personal and disturbing ways — from psychological terror to social allegory, through dreamlike atmospheres and visceral experiences. Each film is a window into what horror can be when told through female voices, exploring intimate concerns, disrupted bodies, oppressive spaces, and real or metaphorical ghosts. With this session, MOTELX and Passos no Escuro invite the public to delve into narratives that challenge conventions and expand the limits of genre cinema made in Portugal.
A celebration of the talent of Portuguese female directors and an affirmation of the indispensable place they occupy in the present and future of cinematic horror.
See also:
Porto´s Cultural Agenda
Trendy