The films “Mal Viver”, by João Canijo, and “Great Yarmouth – Provisional Figures”, by Marco Martins, were the most awarded at the Portuguese Film Academy’s Sophia Awards ceremony, which took place on Sunday at the Estoril Casino in Cascais.
In an edition celebrating “Cinema and Freedom”, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the April revolution, cheers were given to the diversity of Portuguese cinema, which “is almost a daily miracle”, as stated by the former director of the Cinemateca Portuguesa, José Manuel Costa, who was presented with the Merit and Excellence Award.
At the 13th edition of the Sophia Awards, João Canijo received the Best Director award and also won Best Film for “Mal Viver”.
This is a drama about a family of several generations of women who run a hotel; a work that combines in a diptych with the feature film “Viver Mal”, both produced by Pedro Borges, from Midas Filmes.
With João Canijo absent from the ceremony, the awards were received by the producer, Pedro Borges, and the actresses who appeared in the film, namely Cleia de Almeida, Anabela Moreira and Beatriz Batarda.
In his thanks, Pedro Borges said that “the Cinema and Audiovisual Institute is not doing well, it needs to be reformed”.
For “Mal Viver”, the Portuguese Film Academy also awarded the Sophia for Best Supporting Actress to Madalena Almeida and Best Editing to João Braz.
In the 13th edition of the Sophia, “Great Yarmouth – Provisional Figures”, by Marco Martins, a portrait of Portuguese emigration in the UK, also won four awards for Beatriz Batarda (Best Leading Actress), Romeu Runa (Best Supporting Actor), João Ribeiro (Best Cinematography) and Miguel Martins and Rafael Cardoso (Best Sound).
“Long live freedom, but let’s be stoic and make the house of our democracy an example for all the houses in our country. Xenophobia, misogyny, transphobia, hate speech, no, you can’t, you ignoramus,” said actor Romeu Runa in his speech of thanks.
“Amadeo”, by Vicente Alves do Ó, won three Sophia Awards in the Wardrobe, Art Direction and Make-up and Hair categories.
Edgar Pêra’s “Não Sou Nada – The Nothingness Club”, which was the most nominated film in this edition, picked up two statuettes, for Best Characterization and Special Effects and for Best Leading Actor, for Miguel Borges.
Carlos Conceição won the award for Best Original Screenplay for the film “Nação Valente”.
Also noteworthy were the prizes awarded for animated films.
The feature film “Nayola”, by José Miguel Ribeiro, won the Sophia for Best Adapted Screenplay, for Virgílio Almeida, “Sopa Fria”, by Marta Monteiro, won Best Animated Short Film, and the feature film “Os Demónios do Meu Avô”, by Nuno Beato, received two awards, in the categories of Best Song and Best Soundtrack.
The Sophia for Best Series or Telefilm went to “Rabo de Peixe”, directed by Augusto Fraga and Patrícia Sequeira, and produced for the Netflix streaming platform.
Joana Botelho won the Sophia for Best Documentary Short Film with “Coney Island – As Primeiras Vezes”, Basil da Cunha won in the short fiction category with “2720”, and “Viagem ao Sol”, by Ansgar Schaefer and Susana de Sousa Dias, won the Sophia for Best Documentary.
During the ceremony, the Portuguese Film Academy also awarded the Sophia Career Awards to musician and composer Luís Cília and director Rui Simões.
“We are Portuguese cinema, which is wonderful and beautiful, wherever it is. We have a cinematography that we should be proud of,” said Rui Simões as he accepted the award.
The Sophia Student prize went to “Défilement” by Francisca Miranda, from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto, and the academy also announced that the Nico prizes, for revelation, will be awarded to actress Ulé Baldé and actors Rúben Simões and Salvador Gil.
