Masterclass at Lusófona University

"Innovation and Horror: Techniques and Trends with Gabriel Abrantes"

Gabriel Abrantes is a Portuguese filmmaker with a distinguished and very interesting career in the context of cinematographic and artistic production. Born in 1984, he studied in New York, Paris and at La Fresnoy in Tourcoing, France.

His films, both short and feature-length, have been shown at the most important film festivals in Europe and around the world. These include the Directors' Fortnight and Critics' Week in Cannes, the Locarno Film Festival, the Venice Biennale and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

In the week in which his latest feature film, "The Seed of Evil", premieres in Portugal, Gabriel Abrantes is coming to Lusófona University to give a masterclass entitled "Innovation and Horror: Techniques and Trends with Gabriel Abrantes".

"The Seed of Evil" is a psychological thriller starring Brigette Lundy-Paine (from the American series "Atypical"), Carloto Cotta, Anabela Moreira, Alba Batista and Rita Blanco.

In this masterclass, Gabriel Abrantes will discuss special effects techniques and their application to both cinema and social media. Viral videos will be discussed, as well as the techniques used by enthusiasts who, through their horror videos, have become internet phenomena and caught the attention of Hollywood, examples of which are "The Host" or "Lights Out".

The influences behind Abrantes' horror film will also be explored - from literary classics such as "Dracula", "Frankenstein" and "Oedipus the King" to more contemporary works of horror such as "Hereditary" and "It Follows", as well as 70s classics such as "The Shining" and "Suspiria".

Gabriel will show exclusive behind-the-scenes content from "The Seed of Evil", along with a detailed analysis of the visual effects of other of his films.

The masterclass will include a section dedicated to the 'anatomy of a jump scare', where three fundamental steps to creating an effective scare will be explained.

This masterclass will take place on January 17, at 6:30 p.m., in the Fernando Lopes Room. The film "The Seed of Evil" opens in Portugal on January 18th in a wide range of theaters, including our Cinema Fernando Lopes.

This is a unique opportunity to meet and get to know one of Portugal's leading national and international directors.

Trailer of the film here.