Lisbon Animation Festival Monstra Celebrates 25 Years with Exciting Features and International Highlights

Celebrating 25 Years of Animation

The Lisbon Animation Festival Monstra marks its 25th anniversary with an array of exciting events, including exhibitions dedicated to the Portuguese cooperative COLA and the American animation studio LAIKA. This year's festival will also feature a special program focused on Austria and showcase the latest in international animation cinema.

Festival Details

The upcoming edition will take place from March 20 to 30 at Cinema São Jorge, with additional screenings planned at the Cinemateca Portuguesa and the Museum of Puppetry. Since its inception in 2000, Monstra has promoted animation cinema, attracting over one million spectators, showcasing approximately 12,500 films and holding around 3,000 sessions for diverse audiences.

Opening Films

The festival will kick off with the films:

• “One Way Cycle” by Alicia Nuñez Puerto
• “Mind the Gap” by José-Manuel Xavier, based on a work by composer Luís Tinoco
• “The Boy Who Erased Kisses” by Radostina Neykova and Fernando Galrito, the festival's artistic director.

Austria as Guest Country

Austria is this year's guest country, featuring a retrospective curated by filmmaker Thomas Renoldner, focusing on the most exciting animation productions, particularly in the experimental and abstract genres.

Notable Screenings

Among the general programming, Monstra will screen:

• “Wild”, directed by Swiss filmmaker Claude Barras (known for “My Life as a Zucchini”)
• “Rock Bottom” by Maria Trénor, inspired by the life of musician Robert Wyatt.

The festival will also feature Oscar-nominated shorts, including:

• “Beautiful Men” by Nicolas Keppens
• “Wander to Wonder” by Nina Gantz
• “How Disgusting” by Loic Espuche.

Competitive Section

The competitive section includes:

• “Percebes” by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves, an award-winning film from Annecy that was an Oscar finalist
• “The Hunt” by Diogo Costa
• “Reason and Impulse – Disappear” by Ala Nunu
• “Tomorrow They Won't Rain” by Maria Trigo Teixeira
• “The Girl with Occupied Eyes” by André Carrilho
• “Saudade, perhaps…” by José-Manuel Xavier.

Exhibitions and Collaborations

An exhibition titled “Other Movements” will showcase works by the renowned artist José-Manuel Xavier at the National Society of Fine Arts, featuring prints, drawings, and paintings. Monstra will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the animation cooperative COLA with an exhibition at the Cinemateca Portuguesa reviewing significant projects.

Additionally, the Museum of Puppetry will host “LAIKA: Frame x Frame”, showcasing behind-the-scenes content from five notable stop-motion films, including “Coraline”, “ParaNorman”, and “The Boxtrolls”.

Full Program

All details regarding the Monstra – Lisbon Animation Festival, including sessions for children at Monstrinha, will be available at monstrafestival.com.