The 16th Hollywood Brazilian Film Festival (HBRFF) will run from October 29th to November 2nd in Los Angeles, showcasing a diverse lineup of Brazilian films.
This year’s festival will open with I’m Still Here, directed by Golden Globe and BAFTA-winning filmmaker Walter Salles. Set in Brazil, 1971, the country is under the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. Eunice Paiva, a mother of five children is forced to reinvent herself after her family suffers a violent and arbitrary act by the government. The film has been selected by the Brazilian Cinema Academy as Brazil’s official submission for Best International Feature at the upcoming Oscars®. The film, written by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega, won Best Screenplay at the Venice Film Festival, and is set to be released by Sony Pictures Classics later this year.
Following the Opening Night screening, there will be a Q&A session with actress Fernanda Torres.
“Brazilian cinema is experiencing an extraordinary moment, with filmmakers creating bold and original works that capture the spirit of our culture. We are thrilled to bring this year’s diverse lineup of films to Los Angeles,” said Talize Sayegh, the festival’s founder and executive director. “We aim to amplify the voices of filmmakers who bring unique and underrepresented perspectives to the screen.”
The festival’s film slate includes Cidade; Campo, directed by Juliana Rojas, which won Best Director at Berlinale’s Encounters; Sundance favorite Malu, directed by Pedro Freire; and Baby, directed by Marcelo Caetano, winner of the Cannes Critics’ Week Prize.
A special free screening of the complete HBO original series City of God: The Fight Rages On (Cidade de Deus: A Luta Não Para) will be held on November 2, presented by the American Cinematheque at Aero Theatre, followed by a Q&A with director Aly Muritiba. This series serves as a continuation of the celebrated 2002 film City of God, originally adapted by Bráulio Mantovani from Paulo Lins’ novel and directed by Kátia Lund and Fernando Meirelles. The series stars Alexandre Rodrigues, Thiago Martins, Roberta Rodrigues, Sabrina Rosa, Edson Oliveira, Marcos Palmeira, and Andréia Horta.
The festival will also present the second edition of its “Think Cinema Think Brazil Lab – Diversity & Inclusion Initiative,” in collaboration with SPCINE, which supports six Indigenous, Black, and LGBTQIA+ filmmakers with mentorship from leading Hollywood industry professionals. This initiative reflects HBRFF’s commitment to providing opportunities for underrepresented talent and aims to address the gap in representation within the Brazilian entertainment industry, where only 2% of professionals are Black, despite 57% of Brazil’s population identifying as such. Last year, the initiative led to numerous successes. Participants, including Tatiana Lohmann, secured an opportunity to pitch her series to NBC, Alicia Marcone won a scholarship to the Stella Adler Academy, and Belize Moefeli was able to pitch her romantic comedy to Film Land.
This year, the festival will continue fostering emerging talent through its filmmaking lab. The lab winner will receive exclusive representation from the acclaimed APA Agency, a critical step toward expanding their career in Hollywood, and assistance with the O-1 visa process, enabling them to bring their unique stories to a global audience.
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