Rejoice, IndieJúnior is here and celebrating 10 years of existence with lots of parties and commemorative sessions, imagination, reflection and some cakes along the way!
In a world where we so often feel distant, this edition takes joy as the central theme of its programme. Among more than 50 selected films, we seek to promote closeness, encounters, empathy and positive feelings. We believe that joy is transformative: when we feel joyful, we make room for others, we create bonds, we share energy. Therefore, throughout the festival, the celebration will be present on screen, in workshops, in corridors and in social spaces.
The start of the edition is marked by the opening ceremony, which takes place on the first day of the festival and includes the screening of a special selection of films. A moment of encounter between organisers, teachers, parents and partners, all of whom make the full participation of our target audience possible: babies, children and young people.
In the school screenings, we are particularly excited to highlight the educational project Eu Programo um Festival de Cinema (I Programme a Film Festival), supported by the National Film Plan and the National Arts Plan. Throughout the week, participants will be able to watch and discuss the films chosen and programmed by the students from the four classes involved: 4.ºE from Escola Básica da Igreja Velha, in Matosinhos; 5.ºB from Escola Básica Augusto Gil; 9th G from Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira Alves Secondary School in Gaia; and 10th 7 from Dr. Manuel Gomes de Almeida Secondary School in Espinho, always accompanied by their teachers. It will also be an opportunity to discover nine Portuguese films and talk to filmmakers and teams in attendance.
Baby Cinema returns to the Novo Ático theatre at Coliseu Porto Ageas to welcome babies, young children and parents on their first adventure in a cinema. To celebrate its 10th edition, the space has been given a new welcoming setting, full of little details to explore and experience, created by Mariana Natário, a final-year scenography student at the Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo.
In the screening My First Film, we invite a personality from Porto to choose a film that had a significant impact on their childhood or youth. This year, the guest is Jorge Prendas, musician with Vozes da Rádio, composer and educator, who chose the musical “Grease” – the first film he saw at the cinema without his parents and which remains a special memory of his adolescence. On 31 January, he will be with us at Batalha to share these memories and the importance that the film had in his life.
Another feature film in the spotlight is Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake – the film addresses current issues such as single-parent families and the housing crisis, while celebrating solidarity. The session will feature translation into Portuguese Sign Language, thanks to the collaboration of the Inclusion Support Centre of the University of Porto, in an edition that is committed to enhancing accessibility.
In the Short Films section, we recommend the Curtas no Feminino (Women’s Short Films) session, organised in partnership with Porto Femme, featuring films that reflect on the female body, puberty and social norms.
In the Short Film Competition, three prizes will be awarded: the IndieJúnior Audience Award, decided by all festival viewers through voting at the screenings; the Impact Award, offered by the Rectorate of the University of Porto, a partner that helps spread the festival throughout the city with activities in various venues and which distinguishes a film for its thematic value, aesthetic care and creativity, chosen by a jury composed of members of the university and young secondary school students, promoting an enriching and intergenerational exchange; and the APEI (Association of Early Childhood Education Professionals) Award, in its second edition, which highlights a film from the competition aimed at early childhood.
Commemorative Sessions
To celebrate the ten editions of IndieJúnior, we have programmed some special sessions: at the Porto Planetarium, the screening Cosmic Pudding and Other Journeys presents a film about the cosmos made entirely with food, in a room that transports us directly into space. At Batalha, Curtas da Chéquia brings together tender animated films, chosen in collaboration with the Zlin Film Festival, the world’s oldest festival dedicated to childhood and held in the city of Zlin, Czech Republic, a city with a long tradition in animated film production. Also at Batalha, Curtas Mães e Pais (Mums and Dads Shorts) is a session particularly dedicated to adults, with films that take a sensitive look at childhood, offering a thematic and engaging selection to reflect on parenthood. To close the festival, the screening Adoro Bolos (I Love Cakes), sweet to the eyes and perfect for families, with short films about the world of parties and cakes, accompanied by the Children’s Choir of the University of Porto, which will be present throughout Sunday afternoon for IndieJúnior’s big birthday party, ending on the dance floor with a matinee dance, with resident DJ Miss Playmobil and, of course, a beautiful cake for everyone!
Parallel Activities
The festival includes various activities for families and schools, guided by key partners: the festival’s parallel programme includes several workshops for families and schools, guided by essential partners: the Biodiversity Gallery (science), Todos para a Mesa (cooking), Vila Maria Alice (personal development) and Olharapo (cinema and training for educators), the latter with director Alexandra Allen. The film ‘Morte ao Biquíni’ will open the dialogue for the debate E em vez do Medo? A Alegria! (Instead of Fear? Joy!), with a panel of guests and the classes present, an initiative organised with the PNA.
From 26 January to 2 February, our annual meeting is scheduled to take place at the Batalha Cinema Centre, Almeida Garrett Municipal Library, Porto Ageas Coliseum, Porto Planetarium, Perpétuo Studio Room and the University of Porto Rectory. Everyone is invited to another edition, which promises to be full of joy!