This live cinema concert was conceived specifically for this edition of Curtas and is the result of a collaboration between composers Bruno Miguel and Nuno Canavarro. Drawing from images and fragments of films such as “Étude Cinégraphique sur une Arabesque” (1929), “Thèmes et Variations” (1928), “Disque 957” (1928) and excerpts from “La Coquille et le Clergyman” (1927) — often regarded as one of the earliest surrealist works in cinema history — the performance offers a new reading of the visual universe of an artist who sought to expand the boundaries of cinematic language.

For Bruno Miguel and Nuno Canavarro, this creation also represents an opportunity to rediscover and bring renewed attention to a key figure in film history, whose artistic significance remained insufficiently recognised for decades. Through the combination of archival materials and a new sonic approach, the live cinema concert seeks to establish a dialogue between the filmmaker’s historical legacy and the contemporary possibilities of audiovisual performance.

Performers:

Clara Lacerda (musical direction, keyboards)

João Geraldo Gomes (cello, electronics)

Rafael Santos (clarinet, electronics)

Portuguese musician and composer Gabriel Ferrandini presents a new audiovisual project developed in collaboration with filmmaker Luís Costa, marking their first artistic encounter. The performance brings together music and image in an immersive experience where memory, narrative and imagination intertwine.

Recognised as one of the leading figures in Portuguese improvised and experimental music, Ferrandini expands his compositional language in this work, combining writing for choir and string orchestra with electric and electronic elements connected to drums. The result is a sound architecture with a strong cinematic dimension, centred on texture, space and emotion.

The compositions engage in dialogue with images captured by Luís Costa over several years, now brought together in a unique visual work. Conceived specifically for the festival, the piece reinforces Curtas Vila do Conde’s commitment to artistic experimentation at the intersection of cinema, music and audiovisual creation.

Mão Morta Redux — the line-up formed by Adolfo Luxúria Canibal, António Rafael and Miguel Pedro — present a live cinema concert featuring an original soundtrack composed especially for a screening dedicated to the animated films of director Pedro Serrazina. The performance includes the short films “Estória do Gato e da Lua” (1995), in an expanded version commissioned by Batalha Centro de Cinema, “Os Olhos do Farol” (2010) and “Sombras de Nós Próprios” (2025), bringing together live music and moving images.

Since 1984, Mão Morta have established themselves as one of the most influential bands in Portuguese rock, with a distinctive artistic identity and a remarkable career. In this Redux version — returning to the group’s original trio format — the band offers an intimate and intense approach, creating a new sonic interpretation of these animated works.

Pedro Serrazina is an award-winning animation filmmaker, professor and researcher. Since his first short film, “Estória do Gato e da Lua”, which premiered internationally at the Cannes Film Festival, his work has taken many forms, including short films, site-specific installations, music videos, workshops, publications and academic projects. His career is marked by an ongoing exploration of the relationship between architecture, public space and animated cinema.

Alabaster DePlume is a London-based musician and composer whose work stands out for its poetic and exploratory nature. Described as a saxophonist, singer, composer and thinker, Alabaster DePlume occupies a unique place in contemporary music, combining captivating melodies with a strong social and political awareness.

Drawing inspiration from folk, jazz, electronic music, punk and indie, he creates an experimental form of pop that conveys emotion, joy and an intense sense of vitality. His songs are built around circular melodic patterns and luminous tones that radiate calm and generosity in warm waves — unless they turn towards challenging complacency and the everyday dehumanisation of late-stage capitalism.

For this performance, DePlume has created an original composition, performed by a quintet, to accompany the screening of “Time of the Heathen” (1961), directed by Peter Kass, presented in a newly restored 4K copy.

This live cinema concert is a co-production with the Videodroom series (VIERNULVIER Arts Centre and Ghent Film Festival).

This documentary explores the influence of the Black Rio movement on culture, society and the fight for racial justice in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil during the 1970s and 1980s. The film examines the movement’s impact on music and on the direction of Black political activism during Brazil’s period of redemocratisation, highlighting its influence on genres such as hip-hop and funk.