LEFFEST – Lisbon Film Festival reaches its 20th edition and returns to the capital’s movie theaters. From November 6 to 15, the festival, directed by Paulo Branco, will screen approximately 180 films, including previews, competition entries, and retrospectives, according to the official program. The guest list includes names such as David Cronenberg, Willem Dafoe, and Fanny Ardant.
The story began in 2007 in Estoril under the name European Film Festival. In the following years, it became the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival—hence the acronym LEFFEST—and later expanded to include Sintra. Today, all screenings take place in Lisbon.
Cronenberg on the jury and Willem Dafoe returns
David Cronenberg chairs the jury for the Official Competition, which awards the NOS Grand Prize to one of 11 films in competition. In the running are works by directors such as Steven Soderbergh, Christophe Honoré, Radu Jude, and Kantemir Balagov. The Canadian filmmaker is already familiar with the festival: according to the program, he had a retrospective in 2009 and served on the jury in 2017.
Willem Dafoe is also returning. The actor had previously attended the festival in 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2019, according to the LEFFEST website, and is one of the names associated with the tribute to Lars von Trier, with whom he filmed “Antichrist.” The organizers describe this retrospective of the Danish director’s work as the most comprehensive ever held and have invited several of the filmmaker’s regular collaborators.
Guide: Screenings You Won’t Want to Miss
The evening of November 6 is spread across four venues. The opening ceremony is at 7 p.m. at Cinema São Jorge, featuring James Gray’s “Paper Tiger.” At Nimas, the Lee Chang-dong retrospective begins with “Possible Love”; at Culturgest, Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine” will be screened; and NOS Vasco da Gama, which is joining the festival this year, will host Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord.” In the coming days, here are some of the screenings to mark on your calendar:
Nov. 7, 9:30 p.m., Nimas — “Ela Olhava sem Nada Ver” by Fanny Ardant, filmed in the Azores, followed by a conversation with the director
Nov. 8, 6:00 p.m., NOS Vasco da Gama — “Ink,” by Danny Boyle
Nov. 8, 7:00 p.m., São Jorge — “Soudain,” by Ryūsuke Hamaguchi
Nov. 8, 9:30 p.m., Nimas — “Wendy & Lucy,” with Kelly Reichardt in attendance
Nov. 10, 9:30 p.m., Culturgest — “Fatherland,” by Paweł Pawlikowski
Nov. 14, 9:00 p.m., São Jorge — closing ceremony, featuring the awards presentation and “The Debut,” directed by Jesse Eisenberg, starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti
Nov. 15, 6:00 p.m., NOS Vasco da Gama — “Tender Loving Care” by Mike Leigh, followed by a Zoom discussion with the director
Where to watch and how much tickets cost
Screenings are held at Cinema São Jorge, Cinema Medeia Nimas, Culturgest, Teatro do Bairro, and the NOS Vasco da Gama Cinemas. Tickets are available online through Ticketline, BOL, or ActiveTicket—depending on the venue—and at the box offices of each venue.
Prices vary by screening. On opening night, for example, tickets cost between €6 and €10. At Culturgest, discounts are available for people under 30, students, and those over 65; these tickets are sold only at the box office.
Don’t miss out! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and now on WhatsApp too!