The animated films by directors Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves and Maria Trigo Teixeira were recognized at MONSTRA - Lisbon Animation Festival.
At the 25th awards ceremony of MONSTRA, the short film “Percebes", directed by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves, received multiple accolades. The film, which is a collaboration between Portugal and France and runs for 11 minutes, was awarded the Vasco Granja Grand Prize, the Vasco Granja Portuguese Competition Audience Award, the Best Portuguese Short Film Award and Audience Award of the International Competition.
The jury for the International Competition, consisting of Aida Santos, David Novack, João Apolinário, Julia Ocker, and Sabine Groschup, provided the following statement regarding the Best Portuguese Short Film Award: “This film presents a balanced, nuanced, and multifaceted dialogue that explores the impacts of tourism on local culture and economy, a challenge faced by cities and towns across Europe, while anchoring the narrative in the resilience, strength, and permanence of a small, delicious crustacean.”
Additionally, the Vasco Granja Competition jury, made up of Delphine Maury, Matilda Tavelli, and Tiago Santos, commented on their decision to award the Grand Prize to “Percebes,” stating: "The rhythm of the narrative, represented by high-quality animation and its transitions between themes, shifts the audience's perspective regarding the film's topic. The use of the term «Percebes» serves as a symbol of the resistance and resilience of communities living by the sea, who often find themselves exploited by tourism and unable to fully enjoy their surroundings. The documentary aesthetics combined with animated film grammar enhances the poetic representation of ‘percebes’ and how sound and image transcend their literal meanings".
Furthermore, the short film “It Shouldn't Rain Tomorrow", directed by Maria Trigo Teixeira, also received recognition. This film from Portugal and Germany was awarded the Special Jury Prize - Max in the Vasco Granja Competition. The jury commended the film for its ability to convey profound emotions through animation, noting that it lends dignity and beauty to a universally challenging theme: end-of-life care and the reversal of roles between parents and children. They highlighted the emphatic use of silence and the deliberate movement in the animation to convey a sense of a fading past and an uncertain future.
