Carlos Sargedas
Director of the Festival

And we have reached the 6th edition.

Once again the Finisterra Arrábida Film Art & Tourism Festival assumes itself as one of the main international projects of the Region. It will certainly be the one that will take you further and more countries. The Arrábida Film Commission, also a co-organizer of this festival, has seen with great pleasure the great increase of requests to film in the Region, Advertising films, short films, longs, novels, and photography, showing with this the enormous promotional work that this festival develops across borders. From this edition the Finisterra Arrábida Film Art & Tourism Festival, became integrated in one of the biggest platforms of festivals of the World, the Filmfreeway. We are certain that we are on the right track and that it will be a great asset to us all in terms of organization. The Jury in this edition composed of 21 elements from different countries, had enormous difficulty in classifying and choosing the winners, due to the enormous quality of the works presented. In this edition we received 210 films from 56 countries of the five continents. This year India as a “Special Guest” country, with huge prominence for the presence of Bollywood film producers also representing India. Responding to our invitations, it is with great satisfaction that we saw several scenes for two Bollywood films being shot in our region of Arrábida with the direct intervention of “All Around Globe Portugal”. The presence of the Indian Ambassador to Portugal, Nadini Sigla and his cabinet, who welcomed us and accepted our invitation. Institutional relations have been highly, developed in order to promote Portugal in one of the largest countries in the world. The participation of a Bollywood dance company will be one of the highlights in the closing ceremony of the festival. Also note the sixth edition of the conference “Cinema and Tourism” to be held for the first time at the Clube Sesimbrense, with the participation of the British Rob Davinson, Rui Miguel Mendonça, Augusto Alves da Silva and Dhimant Radia from Bollywood. Three photography exhibitions about India: From the embassy with “incredible India”, “Wonderful India” by Portuguese photographer João Taborda, one of the most medalists in the world and “My farmers” by Portuguese photographer Jorge Bacelar, Champion of the World of Photography in 2016. Also here, mention the great success of the partnership with Canal Sporting TV where at the invitation of its director Rui Miguel Mendonça, we have a weekly heading of “Cineturismo” to promote Festival Finisterra, in the program “Good Day Sporting”.

Today the Finisterra Arrábida Film Art & Tourism Festival is already a World reference and one of the best festivals in the genre at the International level. It is demonstrated by the participation of numerous directors and producers, but also hundreds of international news, institutional invitations and partnerships with other festivals such as Hollywood, Brazil, Czech Republic.