“This edition of the FIMP will feature five world premieres and seven national premieres. We will have 12 countries represented — Australia, Belgium, Germany, Brazil, the Philippines, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Scotland, France, England, Spain, and Portugal,” stated FIMP 2025’s artistic director Igor Gandra during a press conference unveiling the event’s schedule.
One of the world premieres includes the play “Astra 8” by Costanza Givone, which depicts a planet where inhabitants undergo metamorphoses and extraordinary creatures dwell within these beings.
Other first-time presentations will include ‘Crankies de fazer chorar as pedras da calçada’ by A Tarumba, ‘As mais belas coisas do mundo’ by Joana Providência from Teatro do Bolhão with text by writer Valter Hugo Mãe, and ‘Senhor Aníbal’ by Marionetas do Porto.
The festival will also showcase the premiere of ‘A Tela Rasgada’ by Joclécio Azevedo, as noted by the organizers.
This edition of the FIMP will take place at Teatro Municipal do Porto, Teatro Nacional São João in Porto, and Teatro Constantino Nery in Matosinhos, according to Igor Gandra.
“We are starting with two performances, ‘Entrañas’ by the Spanish company El Pátio, and ‘Hunter’ by Courtney Robertson. These are two very different pieces that are interesting to view together,” Igor Gandra explained.
‘Hunter’ by Courtney Robertson, debuting in Portugal, is an interdisciplinary performance critically examining misogynistic roles attributed to women across three key cinematic genres: pornography, horror, and melodrama.
The other opening show ‘Entrañas’ by El Patio dives into the human body to “attempt to explain, through object theater, what exists inside people, almost like an intimate anatomy lesson.”
Another highlight identified by Igor Gandra was the national premiere of ‘Anito’ by Justin Shoulder.
“This piece from a Filipino artist based in Australia offers a somewhat immersive experience, proposing a new cosmology and an alternative nature. It is visually powerful and very special,” he explained.
The FIMP 2025 program is “primarily aimed at an adult audience,” yet it also considers children, featuring a “significant portion of world premieres” tailored for young viewers, such as the show ‘Shrimp Tales’ by Hotel Modern, discussing the “plague called humanity.”
“A maior flor do mundo e das pequenas memórias” by Leirena Teatro, drawn from the childhood memories of writer José Saramago and styled in a ‘pop-up’ book aesthetic, is another selection targeted at children and teenagers.
The FIMP concludes on October 19, with 22 performances scheduled in addition to three ‘masterclasses’, three workshops, six animated tours, a film object, and the exhibition ‘Limite Zero – 22 years of animated forms’, co-produced by the festival.
