Azorean Government brings Cinema Without Borders to regional secondary schools - Communication

Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades

The Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, through the Regional Directorate for the Communities, is organising the 4th edition of the "Cinema Without Borders" Film Festival from November 2 to 24, which will be held in all secondary schools across the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

Under the theme “Plural perspectives and narratives: what we gain when different cultures meet and engage in dialogue,” the Festival consists of a screening and discussion session featuring four animated short films, totalling 45 minutes. The initiative invites students to reflect on migration, diversity and intercultural dialogue, focusing on the concept of leaving, staying and returning.

The programme includes “O Homem do Lixo” by Laura Gonçalves. This 12-minute Portuguese animated film from 2022 was awarded Best Short Film at Animafest Zagreb, having been selected for over 60 international festivals and shortlisted for the 2023 Oscars. It also includes “Percebes” by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves, a 2024 Portuguese–French co-production lasting 11 minutes and 30 seconds, which won an award at the Annecy Festival that year.

Also featured in the programme are “Lost at Sea," an animated short film produced by Médecins Sans Frontières, in collaboration with Noon Films and Presence, and “Migrants” by Hugo Caby, Zoé Devise, Antoine Dupriez, Aubin Kubiak and Lucas Lermytte, an 8-minute animation produced as a final-year project at the French school Pôle 3D in 2020.

The sessions will begin on November 2 on the island of Pico and end on November 24 on the island of Terceira, covering all islands of the Region.

On Pico Island, the sessions will take place on November 2 at 10:25 a.m. at the Lajes do Pico Basic Education and Secondary School and at 2:25 p.m. at the Madalena Basic Education and Secondary School, and on 3 November at 10:20 a.m. at the São Roque do Pico Basic Education and Secondary School. On Faial Island, the screening will take place on November 4 at 10:20 a.m. at the Manuel de Arriaga Secondary School.

On São Jorge Island, the films will be screened on November 5 at 10:20 a.m. at the Velas Basic Education and Secondary School, and at 1:30 p.m. at the Calheta Basic Education and Secondary School. On Santa Maria Island, the screening will take place on November 9 at 9:30 a.m. at the Santa Maria Basic Education and Secondary School.

On Flores Island, the screening will take place on November 10 at 10:20 a.m. at the Flores Basic Education and Secondary School, and on Corvo Island on November 11 at 12:15 p.m. at the Mouzinho da Silveira Basic Education and Secondary School. On Graciosa Island, the session will take place on November 12 at 10:20 a.m. at the Graciosa Basic Education and Secondary School.

On São Miguel Island, the film festival will tour schools between November 16 and 20. On November 16, the screenings will take place at 10:20 a.m. at the Antero de Quental Secondary School and at 1:30 p.m. at Laranjeiras Secondary School. On November 17, they are scheduled for 10:20 a.m. at the Lagoa Secondary School and for 1:30 p.m. at the Domingo Rebelo Secondary School. On November 18, it is the turn of the Povoação Basic Education and Secondary School at 10:20 a.m., and the Armando Côrtes-Rodrigues Basic Education and Secondary School in Vila Franca do Campo at 1:30 p.m. On November 19, the session will take place at 10:20 a.m. at the Nordeste Basic Education and Secondary School, followed by a session at 10:20 a.m. on November 20 at the Ribeira Grande Secondary School.

On Terceira Island, the screenings will take place on November 23 at 10:20 a.m. at the Tomás de Borba Basic Education and Secondary School, and at 1:30 p.m. at the Jerónimo Emiliano de Andrade Secondary School. The final session of the 2026 edition will take place the following day at 10:20 a.m. at the Vitorino Nemésio Secondary School.

Through this initiative, the Government of the Azores is bringing internationally recognised works to secondary schools across the region, which serve as a starting point for discussions amongst young people on the diversity of perspectives and the meeting of cultures. The school sessions will be conducted by a specialist from the Regional Directorate for the Communities.