São Paulo – The 31st São Paulo International Short Film Festival will screen four works from Morocco and one from Libya this year. The show that runs from last Thursday (20) to August 30 is one of the cultural events that have had to adapt to the virtual format. The organization received over 3,000 films entered, and the selection had to be smaller this year, featuring 212 works.
You can set up your own schedule and access the films on the website of the show, which is free. The program is divided into eight sections. The “Paranormal Situations” includes the short film ‘So What If The Goats Die?’ The film (pictured above) will be screened next Saturday (22) as well as August 27. The French-Moroccan film was launched earlier this year and tells the story of mountain shepherd Abdellah. The young man is forced to brave the snow blocking him in order to get food and save his cattle. Once he gets to the village, he faces a supernatural phenomenon. The work was directed and written by Sofia Alaoui.
As for “Inter 2 – Weird Societies,” it includes the short film Clebs. The film is Moroccan-Canadian 18-minute production. It will be screened on Friday (21) and August 27. The story takes place in a shelter where more than 750 animals wait for adoption. Each day is the same, except for the mealtime. Director and producer Halima Ouardiri seeks to bring an empathic, keen eye on the subtleties of the environment’s light and texture. The scenes show the animals and their parallel suspended existence while waiting for a new home.
The festival also features parallel programs such as ‘Special Program,’ with titles organized and produced by an Organization Committee and guest curators. It includes Libyan short film ‘Prisoner and Jailer’ by director Muhannad Lamin, which will be screened on August 28, and Moroccan short film ‘Beyond the Wall’, directed by Aisha Jabour, to be screened on August 22 and 27. Another space for experimentation is the newly created ‘Limit Fest,’ which brings short films that bet on innovating the audiovisual language. It will screen Moroccan short ‘Ceuta’s Gate’ on August 25 and 27.
Overall, there are works from 26 different countries, including unreleased films as well as films awarded in big festival, acclaimed directors and future talents. The festival also has a schedule of lectures and seminars to be screened live in its social media. “Bringing to the audience a such diverse program that show this huge plurality of looks, accents and languages across the world makes us feel that we are contributing to bringing some joy in such a difficult moment,” the show’s director Zita Carvalhosa was quoted as saying in the press release.
Quick Facts
31st São Paulo International Short Film Festival
August 20-30
Virtual format
Full program
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
