Short film Faisão wins international award in Greece

The short film Faisão, directed by Beatriz Silvestre, a graduate of the Technical Course in Film and TV Production at ETIC_Algarve, won the Best Student Film award at the VegArtAct Film Festival, held in Athens, Greece.

This distinction recognizes the talent and cinematic sensibility of the young director, reflecting the quality of the training provided at ETIC_Algarve and the ability of its graduates to develop film projects with international impact.

The festival that brings together cinema and activism

The VegArtAct Film Festival is an international vegan film event held annually in Athens. The festival’s mission is to promote vegan cinema and veganism through works that combine cinema and activism in defense of animal rights and in solidarity with the global animal liberation movement.

It is in this context of art with purpose that the film Faisão stood out for its symbolic, aesthetic, and emotional approach.

A powerful metaphor about femininity and freedom

The short film “Faisão” uses the metaphor “pheasant hunting” to relate the female figure to the predestined life of a pheasant, an exotic bird admired for its beauty but constantly hunted.

The narrative is constructed as an allegory for the silent and systematic abuse that so many women face around the world. Like the pheasant, the protagonist lives an existence marked by exploitation and pain, masked by a charming appearance.

By resorting to this poetic figure, Beatriz Silvestre creates a visual, symbolic, and deeply emotional work that denounces historical injustice and gives it form through cinematic language.

A journey that has already earned international recognition

Before its recognition in Greece, the film Faisão had already been screened in the United Kingdom as part of the First Frame Film Festival, an international university film festival organized by Leicester University.

On this occasion, the film’s protagonist, Nicole Ribeiro, was awarded the Best Actress prize, reinforcing the impact and artistic quality of this production created at ETIC_Algarve.

Project born in the classroom

The film Faisão was created as part of the Final Project module in the first year, an essential phase in the Technical Courses at ETIC_Algarve, where students apply all the technical and creative tools acquired throughout the course, developing a real project that consolidates their training.

The direction, production, scriptwriting, and editing were led by Beatriz Silvestre, who was assisted by a team of colleagues from the Technical Course in Film and TV Production. The group demonstrated not only excellent teamwork skills, but also the maturity and competence necessary to coordinate film shooting, production, and post-production teams.

The collaboration also extended to Myllena Ferreira, from the Communication and Multimedia Design Course, who was responsible for creating the poster for the short film. This joint effort reflects the multidisciplinary spirit of ETIC_Algarve, where students are encouraged to cross creative boundaries, collaborating between courses and enriching their projects with different perspectives and skills.

“The success of the short film Faisão reflects the talent, dedication, and vision of our graduates. It is also proof that technical training can produce works with true artistic relevance and international impact.”
— Nuno Ribeiro, Director of ETIC_Algarve

Technical training that generates real results

This achievement reinforces ETIC_Algarve’s mission: to train professionals capable of creating, producing, and communicating projects that stand out both within Portugal and abroad.

The Technical Course in Film and TV Production prepares students for all stages of audiovisual production, from concept to post-production, with a focus on creating real projects. In this way, students build a solid portfolio and complete their training ready to enter the job market.

Find out more about the course at:
Curso Técnico de Realização, Cinema e TV