Melies d’argent winners at Lisbon 2017

“Thursday Night” by Gonçalo Almeida was named as the big winner of the MOTELX Award for Best Portuguese Horror Short Film/Méliès d’Argent 2017. The jury – actress Maria João Bastos, musician Carlão and director Can Evrenol – decided to award this short film for its “story, direction, photography and actors”, adding that “it was a film that left a big impression, that we consider unique and that will certainly remain with us for a long time”. An animal ghost story with just animals, “Thursday Night” was inspired by Brian Eno’s album “Thursday Afternoon”. The jury also decided to give a Special Mention to “The Silence and Afterwards” by Guilherme Daniel, considered “quite promising in terms of storytelling and cinematography”.Carlão and director Can Evrenol – decided to award this short film for its “story, direction, photography and actors”, adding that “it was a film that left a big impression, that we consider unique and that will certainly remain with us for a long time”. An animal ghost story with just animals, “Thursday Night” was inspired by Brian Eno’s album “Thursday Afternoon”. The jury also decided to give a Special Mention to “The Silence and Afterwards” by Guilherme Daniel, considered “quite promising in terms of storytelling and cinematography”.

The MOTELX Award for Best Portuguese Horror Short Film/Méliès d’Argent gives the biggest money prize for shorts in Portugal. The winner receives 5000€, plus 5000€ in post-production services by Kino Sound Studio and a weekend at Belver Hotels. Since its creation in 2009, around one hundred Portuguese horror short films have had their world premiere at the Festival, thus achieving one of MOTELX’s main objectives: to encourage the production of horror films in Portugal. By winning the Award, “Thursday Night” is also automatically nominated for the Méliès d’Or Award, given by the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation (EFFFF) this November in Trieste.MOTELX’s main objectives: to encourage the production of horror films in Portugal. By winning the Award, “Thursday Night” is also automatically nominated for the Méliès d’Or Award, given by the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation (EFFFF) this November in Trieste.d’Argent gives the biggest money prize for shorts in Portugal. The winner receives 5000€, plus 5000€ in post-production services by Kino Sound Studio and a weekend at Belver Hotels. Since its creation in 2009, around one hundred Portuguese horror short films have had their world premiere at the Festival, thus achieving one of MOTELX’s main objectives: to encourage the production of horror films in Portugal. By winning the Award, “Thursday Night” is also automatically nominated for the Méliès d’Or Award, given by the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation (EFFFF) this November in Trieste.

In the international competition, “Cold Hell” by Stefan Ruzowitzky won the MOTELX Award for Best European Horror Feature/Méliès d’Argent 2017. A “clear decision” for the jury – critic Kim Newman and actors Rogério Samora and Iris Cayatte – due to “its contemporary relevance, exciting and imaginative action and excellent performances by the whole cast”. “Cold Hell” is a political thriller set in a multicultural Germany which tells the story of a young Turkish-born taxi driver and a serial killer. An “outstanding film which combines elements of the serial killer thriller with horror”, this is the latest film by Ruzowitzky, who won the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film 2007 for “The Counterfeiters”. The director and the actress Violetta Schurawlow were at MOTELX’s Closing Ceremony to receive the Award.MOTELX’s Closing Ceremony to receive the Award.

The Best European Horror Feature Award was given for the first time in 2016 and this year there were 8 films in competition. “Cold Hell” succeeds “The Noonday Witch” by Jiří Sádek and is nominated for the Mélies d’Or Award together with the winning short film “Thursday Night”.