The 15th edition of Hollywood Brazilian Film Festival, taking place Monday, November 6 through Saturday, November 11, in Los Angeles will open with Pictures of Ghosts directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, which is also the official selection to represent Brazil for Best International Feature at the upcoming Oscars®. The Opening Night screening will take place at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
“We are pleased to present another year of a carefully selected film lineup,” said Talize Sayegh, the festival’s founder and executive director. “We are dedicated to showcasing the exceptional talent of Brazilian filmmakers and providing audiences with an authentic and powerful glimpse into Brazilian life through cinema.”
The year’s program was meticulously curated by Thiago Macêdo Correia, producer of award-winning “Mars One” and one of the founders of the Brazilian production company Filmes de Plástico. “This year’s program truly represents the richness and diversity of Brazilian culture through cinema. We are thrilled to be able to showcase these films for Angelenos to enjoy,” said Macêdo Correia.
The festival exhibits “O Estranho” by Flora Dias and Juruna Mallon and “Propriedade” by Daniel Bandeira, both selected by Berlinale; “Estranho Caminho” by Guto Parente, which won awards at Tribeca and Rio Festival; and “Saudade Fez Morada Aqui Dentro” by Haroldo Borges, also an award-winning film at the Rio Festival. More films should be announced this week.
On Friday, November 10 the festival will present “For Your Consideration: Brazil Night,” a special evening dedicated to Brazilian films eligible for consideration for the Oscars® shortlist. During the event Brazil’s greatest shaman and spokesperson for the Yanomami people, Davi Kopenawa, will provide remarks. “Mãri Hi – The Tree of Dreams,” a documentary directed by Yanomami filmmaker Morzaniel Ɨramari and based on Kopenawa’s book “The Falling Sky,” will be screened during the event. In addition, the festival will also screen the feature-length documentary winner of the É Tudo Verdade festival, “Incompatible with Life” directed by Eliza Capai and the live-action short Big Bang by Carlos Segundo. The event will take place at the Linwood Dunn Theater located at the Pickford Center.
The Closing Ceremony will feature the film “Tudo o Que Você Podia Ser” directed by Ricardo Alves Jr., which won in the Rio Film Festival the Jury Special Award and Best Director at the Mostra Novos Rumos.
The festival proudly launches the “HBRFF Diversity & Inclusion Initiative” program in collaboration with SPCINE, a state company affiliated with the City of São Paulo’s Department of Culture, dedicated to promoting the audiovisual sector. As part of this initiative, the program will bring seven indigenous, Black, and/or LGBTQIA+ filmmakers to participate in the festival, providing them with mentorship from local film industry professionals. In Brazil, 57% of the population identifies as Black; however, only 2% of entertainment industry professionals are Black. This partnership was developed to support and provide a platform for Afro-Brazilian filmmakers to make their mark in Hollywood.