23/03/2017 - Ivo M Ferreira’s epistolary feature dominated the 2017 edition of Portugal’s national film awards

Letters from War [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Ivo M Ferreira
film profile] by Ivo M Ferreira has emerged as the big winner of the 2017 Sophia Awards, scooping nine of the 21 trophies delivered last night, including the most coveted awards: Best Film and Best Director.

Produced by Luis Urbano for his prolific Lisbon-based outfit, O Som e a Fúria, Letters from War also excelled in other categories such as Best Adapted Screenplay, Editing and Cinematography, among other technical sections.

Premiered at the Berlinale in 2016, Letters from War is a cinematic adaptation of the letters that Portuguese author António Lobo Antunes sent to his first wife as a young man back in the early 1970s, during the Colonial War. In the meantime, Ferreira is already shooting his new project, Hotel Império [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ivo M Ferreira
film profile], a co-production between Portugal and China set in Macau, where the director is based.

The second big winner of the night was Luís Filipe Rocha’s Grey and Black [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which earned its lead, Miguel Borges, the Sophia for Best Lead Actor. The tragic story set in the Azores also won in the Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Soundtrack categories.

Other winners included Ana Padrão, for her turn in Patricia Sequeira’s feature debut, Game of Checkers [+see also:
trailer
film profile], and Mother Knows Better [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Nuno Rocha’s comedy, which emerged victorious in the supporting performances categories, earning seasoned thesp Manuela Maria the Best Supporting Actress Award and Adriano Carvalho Best Supporting Actor.

The Sophia Achievement Award was delivered to Ruy de Carvalho, one of Portugal’s most beloved actors, who recently turned 90.

Here is the full list of winners:

Best Film
Letters from War [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Ivo M Ferreira
film profile] - Ivo M Ferreira

Best Director
Ivo M Ferreira - Letters from War

Best Lead Actress
Ana Padrão – Game of Checkers [+see also:
trailer
film profile] 

Best Lead Actor
Miguel Borges – Grey and Black [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Supporting Actress
Manuela Maria – Mother Knows Better [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Supporting Actor
Adriano Carvalho – Mother Knows Better

Best Original Screenplay
Luís Filipe Rocha - Grey and Black

Best Adapted Screenplay
Ivo M Ferreira, Edgar Medina - Letters from War

Best Cinematography
João Ribeiro - Letters from War

Best Editing
Sandro Aguilar - Letters from War

Best Sound
Ricardo Leal - Letters from War

Best Costumes
Lucha d’Orey - Letters from War

Best Artistic Direction
Nuno G Mello - Letters from War

Best Make-up and Hairdressing
Nuno Esteves Blue - Letters from War

Best Original Soundtrack
Mário Laginha - Grey and Black

Best Original Song
Sobe o Calor (Sérgio Godinho and Filipe Raposo) - Refrigerantes e Canções de Amor [+see also:
trailer
interview: Victória Guerra
film profile]

Best Documentary Feature
Mudar de Vida, José Mário Branco, vida e obra - Nelson Guerreiro, Pedro Fidalgo

Best Short Fiction
Menina - Simão Cayatte

Best Animated Short
Estilhaços - José Miguel Ribeiro

Best Documentary Short
Balada de um Batráquio - Leonor Teles

Sophia Student Award
A Instalação do Medo - Ricardo Leite

Sophia Achievement Award
Actor Ruy de Carvalho