A statement sent to Lusa by Passos Manuel’s film programmer, Miguel Mesquita, notes that the series will feature screenings on Thursday nights at 9:30 pm and a Saturday matinee at 5:30 pm.

The first slot is dedicated to New Hollywood, neo-noir, and the independent film wave of the 1990s, the programmer notes. At the same time, the Saturday session focuses on “studio system classics that dared to subvert the mould.”

The goal is to program films that allow the venue to embrace the “commercial risks of a lineup situated at the intersection of mainstream and counterculture,” seeking to distinguish this offering from other cinema options in the city.

These screenings join other series hosted at the venue, such as “Passos no Escuro,” dedicated to horror and cult cinema, and “BADLANDS,” focused on music, as well as programming for various city festivals, most notably Porto/Post/Doc, which returns in November.

According to Miguel Mesquita, the program aims to revive the history of Passos Manuel itself; its Cine-Estúdio opened in 1971 and was already dedicated at the time to auteur and independent cinema.

“With ‘Era uma vez no Passos’ [Once Upon a Time at Passos], we seek to honour the venue’s historical legacy by proposing titles that evoke its original spirit, some of which may have been screened during those formative years. We jump back and forth across time and cinematic eras in this quest to define a canon linked to a specific way of watching and experiencing cinema, the ‘Passos Manuel’ way,” the statement reads.

The inaugural screening of “Era uma vez no Passos” is scheduled for 10 September at 9:30 pm, featuring Taxi Driver. Released 50 years ago, the film was directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Paul Schrader and helped propel actor Robert De Niro to stardom as Travis Bickle—a taxi driver turned vigilante.

In July, promoter António Guimarães, known as ‘Becas ’, announced he was stepping down from managing the venue, a role he had held for 22 years, and handing it over to individuals committed to continuing the mission he had been carrying out.

Beyond parties and clubbing nights, Passos Manuel has hosted various city film festivals, such as BEAST, Porto/Post/Doc, Queer Porto, and Porto Femme, as well as regular programming series like *Passos no Escuro*, performing arts events, and screenings for FITEI Digital and Festival Mula.

Located on Rua Passos Manuel, right next to the entrance to the Porto Coliseum, the venue operates under a concession from the performance hall. It includes a dance floor, an auditorium, and a bar.