The film First Date, by Luís Filipe Borges and produced by Advogado do Diabo and MiratecArts, received the Best Azorean Short Film award at the CURTA Açores festival, held in Ribeira Grande.

The 16th edition of the CURTA Açores festival took place at the Teatro Ribeiragrandense, in the city of Ribeira Grande, and showcased films from several countries, with a strong presence from Portugal and Brazil. The Career Award was presented to actor Ricardo Carriço, while the Platinum Award went to director Rosa Coutinho Cabral. CURTA Açores is the longest-running film festival still active in the Azorean archipelago.

First Date, the debut film by Luís Filipe Borges, premiered in January 2025. Over the course of 11 months, it has been selected by 50 festivals in 16 countries and, with the CURTA Açores distinction, has now amassed a total of 18 awards.

Film critic Victor Rui Dores wrote that the film is “a short film that is a feast of laughter,” of “undeniable quality,” praising its “intelligent humor” and noting its “laborious and scrupulously constructed plot.”

The romantic comedy, filmed entirely on the island of Pico, continues its international journey this December, traveling as far as the Himalayas (India) and the “concrete jungle” of São Paulo, Brazil. The final screening of the year is scheduled for the director’s home island, Terceira. On December 28, at the Recreio dos Artistas in Angra do Heroísmo, First Date will be shown for the first time on what becomes the fourth Azorean island to host the film.

From Press Release

We thank the Luso-American Education Foundation for supporting PBBI-Fresno State.