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Francis Ford Coppola is the latest name to be announced as one of the guests of the upcoming Estoril Film Festival. The director of the “Godfather” films and “Apocalypse Now” joins other famous personalities such as David Cronenberg (”Crash,” “A History of Violence”), Juliette Binoche (star of “The English Patient” and “Chocolat”), and David Byrne among others in the Lisbon coast for the third edition of what is becoming Lisbon’s most important film festival. This year it takes place between the 5th and 14th of November, and in three years it has been able to attract major sponsorships which in turn guarantee the organization of a big-budget world-class film festival.
Coppola will present his latest work entitled “Tetro,” while competing for the Best Feature prize will be 12 films. Many others will be screened, mainly to honor directors in retrospectives. The entire programming is already available online at the official website www.estoril-filmfestival.com, and tickets (3 euros per screening) will be available starting on November 5th at selected places in Lisbon and Estoril.
For those unfamiliar with Lisbon and its coast, Estoril is found by the beach just outside the capital, and just a short train ride away. It gained a glamorous reputation during WWII and retains a faded grandeur today. Its Hotel Palácio has always attracted celebrities, including Ian Fleming, who was inspired by the Estoril Casino next door to come up with his James Bond character.