Portuguese Film Awards spotlight "Grand Tour"
Rodrigo Areias’s The Worst Man in London also stood out, collecting four awards at Portugal's Sophia Awards
The 2025 Sophia Awards, hosted by the Portuguese Academy of Cinema on Sunday at Casino Estoril, celebrated Grand Tour and The Worst Man in London as the evening’s major winners.
Directed by Miguel Gomes, Grand Tour took home the top prizes for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Editing.
Producer Filipa Reis accepted the awards on behalf of Gomes, who is currently in Brazil preparing his next project.
In her speech, Reis advocated for stronger financial support for Portuguese cinema and urged national broadcaster RTP to continue backing the industry.
Grand Tour, which previously won accolades at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, tells the story of a British civil servant who embarks on a solitary journey through Asia in 1918, fleeing his fiancée—who follows him across the continent.
Inspired by Somerset Maugham, the film stars Gonçalo Waddington and Crista Alfaiate.
Rodrigo Areias’s The Worst Man in London also stood out, collecting four awards including Best Costume Design, Art Direction, Makeup and Hair, and Best Actor for Albano Jerónimo.
In acting categories, Rita Cabaço won Best Actress for The Wind Whistling in the Cranes, while Teresa Madruga and João Arrais earned awards for Best Supporting Actress (Your Face Will Be the Last) and Best Supporting Actor (Revolution (Without) Blood), respectively.
The animation Percebes, by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves, won Best Animated Short, and Truth or Consequence, a documentary by Sofia Marques on director and actor Luís Miguel Cintra, was awarded Best Documentary.
Matilha, a series produced by Edgar Medina and directed by João Maia for RTP, won Best Television Series.
The Sophia Student Award went to Rogéria, a documentary short by Salvador Gil highlighting the life and struggles of Rogéria Maia, a Romani woman confronting discrimination.
Veteran producer Paulo Branco, known for collaborations with Manoel de Oliveira, Wim Wenders, and David Cronenberg, received the Lifetime Achievement Award, reflecting on his career with humility: “A career award is the last one you want to receive, because it means you’re closer to the end than the beginning. I’ll try to learn how to age.”
Background
The Sophia Awards are Portugal’s most prestigious film honors, created in 2012 by the Portuguese Film Academy to celebrate excellence in national cinema.
Often compared to the Oscars, the awards recognize achievements in categories such as Best Film, Director, Actor, Screenplay, and more.
Named after Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, one of Portugal’s most renowned poets, the awards aim to promote and celebrate Portuguese cinematic talent both domestically and internationally.
Held annually, the Sophia Awards shine a spotlight on the creativity, diversity, and quality of Portuguese filmmaking, while also advocating for the continued growth and support of the country’s film industry.