PAST EDITIONS
2025
The second edition of the Maia International Film Festival, took take place in April 2025, with an even richer program featuring films from both emerging and established talents in global cinema. With a carefully curated selection of feature films and esteemed guests such as Margarida Cardoso (PT) and Algimantas Puipa (LT), the festival continued its commitment to diversity and cinematic creativity. For several days, the city of Maia hosted inspiring encounters between filmmakers and audiences, creating unforgettable moments of dialogue and artistic exchange.
The Night Screening (LT)
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Watchmaker stumbles into a mysterious cinema and is enraptured by the sight of movie star Lisa sleeping on the screen. His life changes. A girl he meets in the cinema begins leading him through the strange world of cinematic dreams.
Director | Algimantas Puipa
Duration | 1h50
Guitar Barrel Project (PT)
The unexpected discovery by a luthier of wooden staves from old wine barrels—believed to have belonged to the Marquis of Pombal—sparks the challenge of transforming them into musical instruments and artistic objects by six world-renowned luthiers. At the same time, one of the enormous barrels (holding over 5,000 liters) will be restored at one of the most prestigious cooperages.
Director | Hélder Faria
Duration | 1h13
Rabia (DE/FR)
NATIONAL PREMIERE
Driven by the promise of a new life, Jessica, a 19-year-old Frenchwoman, leaves for Syria to join Daech. Arriving in Raqqa, she joins a home for the future wives of combatants, and soon finds herself the prisoner of Madame, the charismatic director who runs the place with an iron fist. Inspired by true events.
Driven by the promise of a new life, Jessica, a 19-year-old Frenchwoman, leaves for Syria to join Daech. Arriving in Raqqa, she joins a home for the future wives of combatants, and soon finds herself the prisoner of Madame, the charismatic director who runs the place with an iron fist. Inspired by true events.
Director | Mareike Engelhardt
Duration | 1h34
Robot T-0 (FR)
NATIONAL PREMIERE
In the near future, robots are in every household, at the service of humans, replacing them in their daily chores. 40 years old Max, unemployed, and her daughter Paula struggle to earn their living. When a desperate mom and her daughter encounter an outdated robot, T-0, their reluctant alliance becomes their only hope in a world dominated by household robots.
In the near future, robots are in every household, at the service of humans, replacing them in their daily chores. 40 years old Max, unemployed, and her daughter Paula struggle to earn their living. When a desperate mom and her daughter encounter an outdated robot, T-0, their reluctant alliance becomes their only hope in a world dominated by household robots.
Director | Giulio Callegari
Duration | 1h18
BRONZE EAR OF WHEAT – 3rd Place
Moon (AT)
NATIONAL PREMIERE
Sarah, a former mixed martial artist from Vienna, takes up the offer to work as a personal trainer for the three daughters of a wealthy family in the Middle East. In a palace surrounded by walls, with no internet access and constant surveillance on the sisters, Sara finds that they are not really interested in boxing training. The question is, why was Sara brought here?
Director | Vicente Alves de Ó
Duration | 1h33
A Woman and Her Four Men (LT)
NATIONAL PREMIERE
Story set in a Baltic fishermen’s settlement at the turn of the 20th century. The film’s heroine keeps losing one husband after another, but there’s always someone from the family to come and take care of her children and her house.
Story set in a Baltic fishermen’s settlement at the turn of the 20th century. The film’s heroine keeps losing one husband after another, but there’s always someone from the family to come and take care of her children and her house.
Director | Algimantas Puipa
Duration | 1h31
Rhythm of Dammam (IN)
NATIONAL PREMIERE
His late grandfather’s spirit haunts Twelve-year-old Jayaram Siddi. He loses touch with reality. His family embraces tribal rituals and Dammam music to restore his balance and address inter-generational trauma.
His late grandfather’s spirit haunts Twelve-year-old Jayaram Siddi. He loses touch with reality. His family embraces tribal rituals and Dammam music to restore his balance and address inter-generational trauma.
Director | Jayan Cherian
Duration | 1h33
HONORABLE MENTION
Kino (DE)
WORLD PREMIERE
An observation of daily life from the perspective of a cinema employee together with the imagination and power of cinema.
An observation of daily life from the perspective of a cinema employee together with the imagination and power of cinema.
Director | Pourya Pour
Duration | 1h39
SILVER EAR OF WHEAT – 2nd Place
The Hyperboreans (CL)
NATIONAL PREMIERE
A woman’s storytelling and illusions bring to life the controversial figure of Miguel Serrano, a Chilean writer who propagated esoteric Neo-Nazi philosophies, prompting contemplation about his place in history.
A woman’s storytelling and illusions bring to life the controversial figure of Miguel Serrano, a Chilean writer who propagated esoteric Neo-Nazi philosophies, prompting contemplation about his place in history.
Director | Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña
Duration | 1h02
Costa dos Murmúrios (PT)
During the war of independency Evita moves from Lisbon to Mozambique to marry Luís. She slowly discovers how different and disturbing life is in a country of war and when her husband is send on a military mission she starts to fight loneliness. Over time she finds out more about her husband and Mozambique than she would have imagined in her peaceful European home. Racism, violence, injustice and fatalism make life unbearable.
Director | Margarida Cardoso
Duration | 1h55
Delirio (CR)
NATIONAL PREMIERE
Masha (11) and her mother Elisa move to her grandmother’s house, to take care of her. Everybody acts as if Masha’s father is dead, something she denies. Elisa feels the presence of a threatening person around the house. To protect Masha she cuts her off from the outside world.
Masha (11) and her mother Elisa move to her grandmother’s house, to take care of her. Everybody acts as if Masha’s father is dead, something she denies. Elisa feels the presence of a threatening person around the house. To protect Masha she cuts her off from the outside world.
Director | Alexandra Latishev
Duration | 1h14
Mary and the Witch's Flower (JP)
While waiting for the school holidays to end, Mary wanders through the village, stumbling upon unexpected encounters. Guided by two cats, Tico and Tica, she discovers a rare magical flower, “Night Flight.” The moment she touches it, a spell is activated, leading her into the most magical adventure of her life, where she realizes she has more power than she ever imagined.
Director | Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Duration | 1h43
Dragon Dilatation (FR)
NATIONAL PREMIERE
The combination of two film essays, Petrouchka and La Déviante Comédie. The first part is a rereading of Stravinsky’s ballet, while the second consists of traces of an unpublished performance.
The combination of two film essays, Petrouchka and La Déviante Comédie. The first part is a rereading of Stravinsky’s ballet, while the second consists of traces of an unpublished performance.
Director | Bertrand Mandico
Duration | 1h54
GOLD EAR OF WHEAT – 1st Place
MA - Cry of Silence (MM)
NATIONAL PREMIERE Mi-Thet, a young Burmese woman who works in a garment factory, faces an urgent strike organized by her colleagues, which reminds her of her deep trauma. By learning about the recent history of her country, she decides to act.
Director | The Maw Naing
Duration | 1h14
Banzo (PT)
1907. Afonso starts a new life on an African tropical island as a plantation doctor, tasked with treating a group of servants “infected” by Banzo—the deep nostalgia of enslaved people. They die by the dozens, either from starvation or suicide. Fearing contagion, the group is sent to a rainy hill surrounded by dense forest. There, Afonso struggles to heal them, but his inability to understand the depths of their suffering proves stronger than any remedy.
Director | Margarida Cardoso
Duration | 2h07
Maia International Film Festival © Copyright
Crafted by Dotgraf