03/02/2003

Organised by the Portuguese ministry for culture and the Oporto municipal authorities, the 23rd edition of Fantasporto, gets underway on 21 February in the Portuguese city of Oporto, and will run until 1 March.
Oporto is a popular event that introduced Portugal to major filmmakers like David Cronenberg, Andrei Tarkovski, Alain Resnais and David Lynch. This year’s programme will showcase 34 features from all over the world presented in a number of competitive sections like the self-descriptive “Fantasy Film” which includes Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s Intacto and the UK’s Nick Willing and Doctor Sleep; the 13th edition of “Directors’ Week” including the Britain’s Stephen Norrington with Secretary and “Panorama” which features the Portuguese premieres of Nick Hurran’s Plot With a View and Steven Soderbergh’s Solaris. There is also a short film competition.
Austrian and New Zealand cinema are the subjects of two reviews and there will also be a tribute to guest of honour, Stephen King, that includes the screen adaptations of many of his most famous best sellers.