IndieJunior Allianz Festival, where reality and fantasy go hand-in-hand in Porto

This will be the fourth edition of IndieJúnior Allianz Film Festival, which take splace in Porto from 28 January to 2 February, under the theme "A Viagem" ["The Voyage", free translation].

This year's child and juvenile festival lasts for six days in the Invicta, featuring the most creative and original feature and short films to be screened at Rivoli Theatre, Almeida Garrett Municipal Library, Casa das Artes and the rectory of the University of Porto.

Take this journey through new worlds, in and out cinema walls. This edition spotlights the work of Norman McLaren, one of the most relevant Scottish filmmakers and a pioneer of cinematographic animation techniques.

Norman McLaren, who was born in Scotland, developed his work with the support of the National Cinema Secretariat of Canada (NFB).

After completion of his degree at the Glasgow Fine Arts Faculty in 1932, McLaren rapidly grew interest into the silver screen. He kicked off his career in 1934 and both national and international acknowledgment were almost immediate.

For the festival, the organization chose seven short films, made in Canada.

Alongside the festival programming, there is also an international competition for feature and short films, with around 50 recent films (fiction, documentaries, and animations).

Some of the films competing for the awards are selected by pre-school and high school students in Porto, in the scope of the "I programme a film festival!" initiative, organised in partnership with the Parallel Program of the Municipal Theatre of Porto.

Check here for further information.