Several awards in focus: Ice Merchants received five of the main awards of the MONSTRA festival; the REGARD festival gave Human Nature the Official Competition Grand Prix and Ice Merchants the Best Animated Film; the Cine Court Animé Roanne gave The Garbage Man the International Jury Grand Prix and Ice Merchants the International Audience Award; 2nd Person won a special mention from the jury at the Glasgow festival.

The 31st edition of Curtas announces STEREO's first confirmations: on July 13, Bohren & der Club of Gore will present an original show that will set to music the film 'Le Révélateur', de Philippe Garrel; and on July 14, the stage is taken by the Belgian Miaux, playing for the film 'Carnival of Souls', by Herk Harvey.

Celebrating one of the best years ever of animation films in Portugal, the 18th edition of ANIMAR proposes, from March 4, 2023, a program centered on animation cinema, which goes through an exhibition, guided tours and thematic workshops at Solar – Cinematic Art Gallery, activities to be extended to film screenings at the Vila do Conde Municipal Theater and Auditorium, and at the schools.

After its premiere and award in Rotterdam, Natureza Humana (Portugal/ Germany, FIC 25′), by Mónica Lima, will be at the 52nd edition of New Directors/New Films, which will take place in New York from 29 March to 9 April 2023.

A long year's work – during which João Gonzalez, Bruno Caetano/Cola Animation and the Portuguese Short Film Agency worked on the internationalisation of Ice Merchants – couldn't have ended better: João Gonzalez' film doesn't come home with an Oscar, but it certainly comes back a winner! And so does Portuguese animation cinema. And the journey doesn't end here...

Solar – Cinematic Art Gallery is one of the 66 spaces for artistic fruition and creation that make up the Portuguese Contemporary Art Network (RPAC), an initiative of the Direção-Geral das Artes / Ministry of Culture for territorial decentralisation and deconcentration and wider access to the arts.

Curtas Vila do Conde was invited to join the programme La Factory des Cinéastes, promoted by the Cannes Directors' Fortnight, this year dedicated to the North of Portugal. Four Portuguese filmmakers and their guests will have their world premiere in Cannes, in May, and their national premiere at Curtas Vila do Conde, in July.

CURTAS PRO is Curtas Vila do Conde's programme dedicated to the industry. It integrates exclusive activities for professionals, as well as a new industry accreditation for the industry, which includes access to special screenings, animation production meetings and meet the festivals; access to the video library, workshops and exclusive parties.

The submission period for films for Curtas 2023 is open, in several categories and competitions: International, National, Experimental, Curtinhas, Music Videos and Take One. Short films produced in 2023 or to be produced in 2024, with less than 60 minutes, in film or digital, are accepted. The early deadline is December 31, 2022. The third and last call for registrations runs until 30 April.

The festival pass for the 31st edition of Curtas Vila do Conde is now available, scheduled for 8-16 July 2023. The regular period runs until April 30 and the last call from May 1.