Cinanima will have 110 films competing and a category for "hybrid language"

According to the organizers of the event, which is promoted by Cooperativa Nascente and takes place in different venues in the aforementioned city in the Aveiro district and Porto Metropolitan Area, the new section is called 'All Aboard' and aims to promote "the creative richness and formal diversity of contemporary animation, valuing hybrid languages of visual intersection and the promotion of a plural and dynamic vision."

As for the full selection of the event, the 110 films in question come from 25 countries and, although the organization does not reveal the overall number of entries, it states that the jury's choices will result in "an edition focused on the vitality and diversity of global animation, and also on the festival's continued commitment to discovering new talent and valuing excellent national works."

In this context, the international short film competition will have 30 films in dispute, including several international co-productions and three Portuguese productions: 'Cão Sozinho' by Marta Reis Andrade, 'Porque Hoje é Sábado', by Alice Eça Guimarães, and 'Sequencial', by Bruno Caetano.

The feature film competition, in turn, will distinguish the best among the five works selected for this category -- and whose titles have not yet been announced.

The national competition will award the António Gaio Prize to the best of the eight works selected for this category. The three Portuguese works mentioned above for being included in the short film competition will be considered, as well as 'Maleza' by Carina Pierro Corso, 'Pietra' by Cynthia Levitan, 'Saudade, possível...' by José-Manuel Xavier, 'SweetSpot' by Jorge Ribeiro and Paulo Patrício, and 'The Hunt' by Diogo Costa.

Also competing for the 2025 Cinanima are 23 films directed by students -- from Europe and "countries such as Chile, China or Singapore, confirming the importance of the festival as a platform for showcasing new directors on the international stage" -- and 28 works by young filmmakers -- divided into a section specifically for directors under 18 and another exclusively for directors aged 18 to 30.

The Cinanima organization emphasizes that these competitive sections reserved for younger filmmakers are particularly interesting because, throughout the festival's history, they have been "fertile ground for the emergence of new creators who use animation as a tool for artistic expression."

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