26 Aug

CineEco, in Seia, returns with Portuguese environmental cinema in great notoriety

From October 10th to 17th, Seia hosts the 26th edition of CineEco - Serra da Estrela International Environmental Film Festival, which takes place at the Municipal House of Culture in this mountain town. In competition are 78 films and documentaries from more than 25 countries. Still, this year, Portuguese environmental cinema is in the spotlight.

Given the current pandemic context for COVID-19, the Municipality of Seia, the Festival's organizing entity, has been working in line with all the recommendations issued by the General Health Authority. This year, public access to closed spaces will be limited. Safety and hygiene standards, social distance, and the distribution of hygiene points in the main areas are also guaranteed. In a time of pandemic, the 26th edition of CineEco brings a new look at the awareness and urgency in the debate on environmental issues.

This year, environmental cinema in Portuguese is highlighted, among feature films and short films, representing about half of all works in competition. The programming team consists of three guests from the Direction of the Serra da Estrela International Environmental Film Festival. Bruno Manique, President of the Portugal Film Commission Center; Rúben Sevivas, director, producer, trainer, actor and cultural programmer, and Tiago Alves, journalist, director and radio announcer and cinema programmer, presenter of the Cinemax program at Antena 1 and RTP2.

26th Edition safer and with Ecotalks via streaming for a wider audience

The Municipal House of Culture of Seia, which holds the Clean & Safe stamp, will be prepared to welcome the public, according to all the safety rules established, namely, by reducing the capacity of the rooms to half of their total capacity. In order to reach a wider number of people, the CineEco Organization intends to strengthen the set of Festival extensions throughout the year.

Ecotalks will also be adapted to the current situation. In order to reduce the number of people in the auditorium, they will be transmitted through a digital platform, allowing access to all interested parties. Ecotalks are 50-minute conversations on issues related to cinema and the environment, with the presence of experts on the topics to be addressed. Five conversations are scheduled with topics to be announced, always at 5 pm. The program of parallel activities also includes a concert at the opening of the festival, two photography and cinema exhibitions, among others.

One of the oldest Environmental Film festivals in the world, the only one of its kind in Portugal, has an Official Selection of 78 films, from more than 25 countries, with different approaches on environmental and sustainability themes. CineEco is a founding member and director of the Green Film Network, a platform for 40 environmental film festivals. CineEco 2020 is organized by the Municipality of Seia and has the High Sponsorship of the President of the Republic and the United Nations Environment Department. LIPOR is the main sponsor and the Festival is also sponsored by Águas do Vale do Tejo.