The Curtas Vila do Conde – International Film Festival serves as an important platform for showcasing and reflecting on contemporary cinema. It is dedicated to uncovering new talents, embracing diverse aesthetics, and fostering artistic experimentation. Throughout the academic year, the festival collaborates with ESMAD – School of Media Arts and Design of the Polytechnic of Porto to promote various initiatives and projects that support these goals.

A key highlight is the ESMAD Showcase, returning to the historic Municipal Auditorium—a venue iconic to the festival’s early editions. The showcase unfolds in two sessions: the first revisits a selection of student films from 2024, including several world premieres; the second offers a preview of upcoming graduation projects from the 2025 cohort of the BA in Film and Audiovisual. The screenings span fiction, documentary, experimental, and animation genres, offering a glimpse into the emerging generation of Portuguese filmmakers.

Complementing the screenings, the festival also features the RAVE exhibition, dedicated to final-year student work from ESMAD. This curated display provides a parallel narrative to the cinematic programme, revealing a range of approaches, genres, and creative visions.

Also featured in this year’s programme is the exhibition MAD JAM: “The Wonderful Grotesque”, stemming from the MAD Jam Fest—an annual creative marathon organised by ESMAD’s Multimedia Department with the support of its student union. Now in its 9th edition, the event challenges around 100 participants to produce original works over an intensive weekend, responding to a surprise theme revealed at the start of the fest.

The exhibition features photographic works from the MAD Photo Jam, alongside continuous-loop video pieces that encompass video art, animation, and game design. It celebrates a spirit of collaborative, cross-disciplinary creativity that Curtas continues to embrace and promote.

The presence of ESMAD at Curtas Vila do Conde underscores the dynamic relationship between higher education and the professional film circuit, reinforcing the festival’s ongoing commitment to artistic renewal, education, and emerging talent.