Created in 2021 by Porto/Post/Doc, in partnership with Filmaporto – film commission, Working Class Heroes has established itself as a space for cinematic creation and reflection on Porto and its multiple human, social, and urban dimensions. With the involvement of the platform CaixaForum+ of the “la Caixa” Foundation and the collaboration of BPI, the programme strengthens its reach and sustainability. More than a production grant, it is a platform where cinema meets the city, inviting filmmakers to engage with the lives, stories, and faces that shape contemporary Porto. Through a €75,000 grant, Working Class Heroes supports the development of new films and promotes an ongoing dialogue between creation and community.

Open to all Industry-accredited participants.

God Forgives, I Don’t
Deus Perdoa, mas eu não 
Pedro Neves
PRT

Synopsis
In the body lies the family that disappeared. Entire neighborhoods that were demolished can be seen, knives, pistols, eyes that weep, hands gripping bars, handcuffs, a judge’s gavel, a machine gun, a knife, a joint, a broken heart, a bird flying toward freedom, the words “God forgives but I don’t” tattooed on the body. There are voices that were never heard and believe they have nothing to say. Voices that know darkness much better than light, and it is within it that they move best — in the invisibility of their days.

Bio
Pedro Neves is a Portuguese filmmaker and producer from Leiria whose work lies at the intersection of documentary cinema and social reflection. His films explore themes such as memory, labour, and the political and cultural transformations of contemporary Portugal. After completing postgraduate and master’s studies in Culture and Communication, specialising in Documentary, at the University of Porto, he attended the International Film and Television School of Cuba. In 2008, he founded the production company Red Desert, from which he has built a filmography screened at festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand, Guadalajara, Doclisboa and CPH:DOX, and on channels including RTP, Canal+ France, and TVCine. Among his notable works are “Os Esquecidos”, “Água Fria”, “Hospedaria”, “Acima das Nossas Possibilidades” and “Tarrafal”. His most recent film, “Sonhos de uma Revolução”, continues his reflection on the continuities and ruptures of collective history.

Porto Circular
Porto Circular · Porto Circular
Vlad Petri
ROU

Synopsis
A lyrical journey through the city of Porto, where poetry and reality intertwine, driven by the city’s constant movement and vibrant pulse.

Bio
Vlad Petri is a Romanian filmmaker, cinematographer, screenwriter, and producer whose work moves between documentary and fiction, exploring the boundaries between personal narrative and collective memory. He holds a degree in Cinematography from the National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest and a master’s in Visual and Media Anthropology from Freie Universität Berlin. His filmography is marked by a critical and deeply human gaze on political and social realities, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. His debut feature, “Where Are You, Bucharest?” (2014), premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, followed by shorts such as “The Deer Passed in Front of Me” (2020) and “The Same Dream” (2021), presented at Jihlava IDFF and Sarajevo FF. His second feature, “Between Revolutions” (2024), premiered in the Berlinale Forum and won the FIPRESCI Prize, establishing him as one of the most relevant voices in contemporary Romanian cinema.

Vigil
Vigília . Vigil
Elena López Riera
ESP

Synopsis
In 2026, in Porto, a choral investigation uncovers the legend of Henriqueta — a famous courtesan who, in 1867, kept the head of her deceased lover — tracing her story through archives and living memory up to All Saints’ Night, when a vigil at the Prado do Repouso cemetery brings together sex workers and neighbours who still maintain the cult of this cannibal love.

Bio
Elena López Riera is a filmmaker and visual artist whose work moves between the real and the imaginary, exploring desire, myth, and the everyday through a cinematic language of rare sensitivity. She holds a PhD in Audiovisual Communication and has lived in Switzerland since 2008, where she teaches film and comparative literature at the University of Geneva and the Haute École d’Art et Design. Co-founder of the collective lacasinegra, she has developed research and experimentation in audiovisual creation. Her short films include “Pueblo” (2015), premiered at Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes; “Las vísceras” (2016), presented in Locarno; and “Los que desean” (2018), winner of the Pardino d’Oro. Her first feature, “El agua” (2022), premiered at Directors’ Fortnight and was nominated for the Goya Awards. In 2024, she returned to Cannes with “Las Novias del Sur”, awarded the Queer Palm, the César, and the Quartz Award.