AVANCA, one of the reference film festivals and one of the oldest in Portugal. Award-winning films almost always reach the commercial circuit and are widely shown throughout the country.

Short films are automatically considered for the SOPHIA Awards of the Portuguese Academy of Cinema.

The IFFS (International Federation of Film Societies) annually awards a prize. AVANCA is one of the few festivals that make up the restricted list of film festivals recognized by this historic world organization.

AVANCA is a festival where films are screened in rooms on the quality cinema circuit of EUROPA CINEMAS. The directors of the awarded films are normally guests of the festival. The films selected at AVANCA are invited to integrate the selection of several other international film festivals, in a system partly managed by the AVANCA Festival itself. With around 100 films on display, bringing together the largest number of WORLD PREMIERS among festivals in Portugal, Iberia and Lusophony, each year filmmakers and guests from more than 40 countries participate in person at the festival. A festival that manages the AVANCA FILM FUND whose films already produced have received hundreds of awards all over the world. 15,000 to 20,000 spectators attend AVANCA each year. AVANCA, a meeting point for films and filmmakers from all over the world.