António Martinho

“TAKE A LOOK! TAKE A LOOK!”

The appeal came from the poet João Araújo Domingues, who defends the promotion of a “second harvest“: the one that can be collected from the colorful and full vineyards of culture and tourism.

On September 10, 2009, exactly 253 years have passed since the royal charter came into force and created Douro Demarked Region, where Douro Film Harvest will take place until September 13. This is an international cinema summit that intends to promote the second harvest and give the first step in a road that should be started. This summit has all the conditions gathered to be able to show to the country and the world the Douro potentialities. This is the Douro that has been classified as World Heritage, as a live and evolutive cultural landscape, as a touristic destiny in many parameters and as one of the 77 Wonders of Nature.

I’m entirely convinced that a region that brings together all this conditions and a cultural event such as this summit is going to distinguish in a special way the cultural marks that make Douro a more attractive touristic destiny.

Douro distinguishes itself by the richness that is based in a unity established in diversity, not only as wine-growing region but also as community. That is why Douro Film Harvest is a decentralized summit that takes place in Vila Real, Lamego, Torre de Moncorvo e Santa Marta de Penaguião. And this is also why it intends to truly correspond to this diversificated but united reality that was built by the man centuries ago, in the river hillsides that Jaime Cortesão has called “suspended gardens”.

António Martinho
Turismo do Douro President

Manuel Vaz

Douro Film Harvest is the result of an ambitious and determined challenge that was launched by Dr. António Martinho, Vila Real’s Civil Governor at the time. The goal was to attract new and striking things to the region. Two years and a lot of takes have passed since that moment.
As in cinema, Douro has a lot to tell. There is a unique combination between Douro’s nature brutality and its symphony of colors, between the strength of its tradition and the determination in writing the future. This project is based on the strength and union of wanting more, wanting the best and doing it with the existing means.
Starting is never easy but a project that everyone believes in will always be a winning project. The first decentralized cinema summit in the whole world was created in ten intense months by a devoted and passionate team and by extremely experienced direction! Vila Real, Lamego, Santa Marta de Penaguião and Torre de Moncorvo are the scenery to five days of a distinct and simultaneous program, selected by Dr. Salvato Telles de Menezes. These are also the places where Portugal honors two icons of international cinema, Milos Forman and Andie MacDowell.
A deep appreciation to all the people that, since the first moment, believed and actively contributed to make DFH a finished film...and they were a lot! A special word to the tireless team of Realizar, Turismo do Douro, Estrutura de Missão Douro, IVDP and AETUR... Without any doubt they have the leading role in a film that is expected to be long...!

Manuel Vaz
Executive Director

Salvato Telles de Menezes

Taking the responsibility of making a film selection that has as main goal be screened in a cultural event that is giving its first steps is not, as you all may agree, easy: it is indispensable to obtain support, appeal to old connections, watch a lot of films – and some of them are not very interesting – in a ran against time that, in case, was short.
Whatever it happens, we have the conviction that the selection we came at will certainly attract the attention of those who had the opportunity of knowing the different places in where Douro Film Harvest will take place: it is, in fact, the year’s harvest, a harvest that contains chosen films countlessly awarded in film international and known festivals.
It is also important to refer the presence of the director Milos Forman and actress Andie MacDowell in Douro Film Harvest that will fairly honor them by the extension and excellence of their careers.
There is, obviously, a long way to go until that a summit, as this case, can be qualified as festival, but we believe in the power of our premises. We will try not to defraud the expectations of who accompany the program and we will work to give credibility and strength to Douro Film Harvest.

Salvato Telles de Menezes
Program Director