The Hollywood Brazilian Film Festival (HBRFest), which annually presents the best in new Brazilian independent cinema, celebrates its fifth anniversary with the 2013 edition offering more than 30 Los Angeles premieres showcasing fiction, documentaries and shorts of artistic merit, fresh from the international festival circuit, from July 31 through August 4, at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. All screenings are free of charge, except Opening Gala and Closing Night.
Dedicated to addressing the cultural and commercial exchange between Hollywood, the world film industry and the Brazilian film community, HBRFest will feature Portugal as Guest Country and will also present a night of gay-themed films amongst its offerings of fresh discoveries.
The Opening Night Gala Film will be “While my Guitar Gently Weeps,” the international premiere of a modern family drama directed by acclaimed, award-winning Anna Muylaert (“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, “Collect Call”), heralded as a beacon of a new generation of Brazilian women filmmakers. Also screening will be the Los Angeles premiere of “The Package,” Rafael Aidar’s short film drama about the passion of two teenagers from São Paulo. “The Package” received its world premiere at the 2013 edition of the Berlinale.
The festival will close with the Los Angeles premiere of Muylaert’s debut award-winning comedy “Durval Records.”
Over a dozen guest filmmakers are expected to attend the festival to present their films including Juliana Rojas, (fresh off the Cannes’ Cinefondation Residence), Sergio Andrade, director of the very first feature entirely produced in the Amazon State, and the tireless Gabriel Mascaro who has two films in the festival.
All films screening in the fiction, documentaries and shorts sections are eligible to compete in HBRFest’s “IndieBrazil Competition.” Festival Jurors include HBRFest Guest of Honor Anna Muylaert, AFI Fest and Sundance Programmer Dilcia Barrera and respected festival programmer and former LACMA film curator Ian Birnie (Fiction); Monica Chuo, former Paramount Pictures VP of Worldwide Acquisitions and Co- Productions, Paul Malcolm, film programmer for the UCLA Film & Television Archives and filmmaker Helvecio Marins Jr., winner of last year’s HBRFest grand prix “Swirl” (Documentary); and Bernardo Rondeau, film curator at LACMA, producer Rafael Sampaio and respected Brazilian journalist Mariane Morisawa, (Shorts).
Industry panels offered at HBRFest include the return of the popular “Directors’ Roundtable” panel on the creative process moderated by former Variety critic and Latin American cinema authority Robert Koehler and featuring attending Brazilian filmmakers. Also scheduled is a “Focus on Diversity” panel discussion with Deborah Calla of PGA, Kimberly Myers of WGA and Regina Render of DGA. Both panels will take place at the classic Arena Cinema, adjacent to the Egyptian.
“In our fifth year of the festival, we are thrilled to be presenting our very first world premiere in addition to some notable international premieres. We are also honored to be paying tribute to one of Brazil’s most prominent filmmakers, Anna Muylaert,” said Founder and Executive Director, Talize Sayegh.
“HBRFest is delighted to host Portugal as our Guest Country featuring eight shorts by emerging Portuguese filmmakers, curated by Guest Artistic Director Dario Oliveira, director of Vila do Conde IFF,” states Artistic Director, Sandro Fiorin.
A highlight of the festival will include a gay themed night with screenings of Allan Ribeiro’s dance feature, “This Love That Consumes” in its international premiere and Marcelo Caetano’s short “By Your Side,” a high-spirited look at love in a modern Brazilian city, where relationships come and go.
Other festival highlights include the international premiere of Joel Pizzini’s “Mr. Sganzerla” about the iconic director Rogerio Sganzerla; the North American premieres of Felippe Schultz Mussel’s documentary “A Place to Take Away” on Rio’s famed favelas and Marcos Pimentel’s documentary “Breath” on the mysteries of life and death, in addition to André Novais Oliveira’s short “About a Month,” which received a Special Mention at the 2013 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, and Leonardo Mouramateus’ “Mauro in Cayenne” which won Best Short in the influential Cinéma du Réel Festival.
West Coast premieres include Sérgio Andrade’s award-winning “Jonathas’ Forest,” set in the Amazon; Michael Wahrmann’s layered humorous debut “Avanti Popolo” starring the iconic Carlos Reichenbach which won Best Film at Rome IFF; Caetano Gotardo’s family drama “The Moving Creatures”; Daniel Aragão’s stylish debut feature “Good Luck, Sweetheart” that premiered at Locarno FF; “Housemaids” an intriguing documentary on Brazilian housemaids by Gabriel Mascaro which premiered at IDFA; Malu De Martino’s documentary “Margaret Mee and the Moonflower” about the famed British botanical illustrator and Isabel Penoni and Leonardo Sette’s magical and intriguing short, “Enraged Pigs” which premiered at Directors’ Fortnight as well.
The Hollywood Brazilian Film Festival is presented by Riofilme. Sponsors include One Digital and Copa Airlines. Cultural support comes from the Ministry of Foreign Relations (Itamaraty), Ancine (Brazilian Cinema Agency) and the Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles.
Details of tickets and events can be found at http://hbrfest.com
Opening Night
HBRFest will open with international premiere of Guest of Honor Anna Muylaert’s “While my Guitar Gently Weeps,” a drama about a teenage girl who is struggling to find her identity and place in the world following her parent’s divorce and the Los Angeles premiere of “The Package,” Rafael Aidar’s short film drama about the passion of two teenagers from São Paulo. “The Package” received its world premiere at the 2013 edition of the Berlinale. Anna Muylaert is an internationally renowned writer, producer and director based in São Paulo. She started her career as a film critic for the Estadão newspaper and Isto É magazine. Her remarkable body of work includes the dark comedy “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, the thriller “Collect Call”, and countless collaborations with the most respected filmmakers working in Brazil today. The opening night celebration will include a reception and feature a live performance by samba group, Malandro Ana Laidley Trio and a surprise guest from Brazil.
World Premiere
HBRFest will have its very first world premiere with Rafael Todeschini’s short film “Eva Maria.”
International Premieres
In addition to Anna Muylaert’s “While my Guitar Gently Weeps,” international premieres include Allan Ribeiro’s dance film “This Love that Consumes,” Joel Pizzini’s “Mr. Sganzerla” about the iconic director Rogerio Sganzerla and Ian Abé’s short film “Open Grave.”
North American Premieres
North American premieres include Felippe Schultz Mussel’s documentary about the favelas of Rio “A Place to Take Away,” Marcos Pimentel’s documentary “Breath” about the mysteries of life and death in small Brazilian village, “Housemaids,” a documentary by Gabriel Mascaro that uncovers the complex relationship that exists between Brazilian housemaids and their employers, and the shorts “Mauro in Cayenne,” “By Your Side,” and “We Are Not Dreaming.”
West Coast Premieres
West Coast premieres include Sérgio Andrade’s lyrical “Jonathas’ Forest,” Michael Wahrmann’s layered, humorous debut “Avanti Popolo,” in which he incorporates his own experiences as a young left-wing militant, Caetano Gotardo’s “The Moving Creatures,” with three different gripping stories that show the profound meaning children bring to our lives, Daniel Aragão‘s “Good Luck, Sweetheart,” a stylish debut feature which follows one man’s search for his elusive ex-lover as he leaves the big city for the rural hinterlands, “Margaret Mee and the Moonflower,” by Malu De Martino, a documentary about the life and work of the botanical illustrator, a tireless advocate for the preservation of Brazilian flora, and the shorts “Enraged Pigs,” “Doppelganger,” “The Comforting Hand” and “Ebb & Flow.”
Closing Night
The Closing Night Film will be the Los Angeles premiere of Anna Muylaert’s award-winning debut film “Durval Records,” a comedic drama with a twist about Durval and his mother Carmita and their Durval Discos store where Durval sells old vinyl records, resisting the advance of CD’s. The film boasts a superb soundtrack.
Jurors
Fiction:
Anna Muylaert – HBRFest Guest of Honor; director of Opening Night Film, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and Closing Night film “Durval records”
Ian Birnie – respected festival programmer and former LACMA film curator
Dilcia Barrera – AFI Fest Senior Programmer
Documentary:
Helvecio Marins Jr. – Brazilian filmmaker whose film, “Swirl,” won Best Fiction last year
Paul Malcolm – film programmer for the UCLA Film & Television Archives
Monica Chuo – Former Vice President of Worldwide Acquisitions and Co- Productions for Paramount Pictures
Shorts:
Rafael Sampaio – Brazilian Producer (“The Package”) and director of BrLab, a co-production forum in Sao Paulo
Bernardo Rondeau – Assistant Curator of Film at LACMA and AFI Fest Associate Programmer
Mariane Morisawa – respected Brazilian journalist
INDUSTRY PANELS
Guild Presentation – Focus on Diversity Programs
Thursday, August 1st, 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Arena Cinema – 1625, North Las Palmas Avenue (adjacent to the Egyptian Theatre)
Panelists: New to the 2013 addition, HBRFest will present a panel discussion explaining the importance of the Diversity Committee from three of the most powerful guilds in Hollywood: DGA, WGA and PGA. The mission of all three guilds is to promote diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry. The DGA and WGA have a number of minority committees representing Hispanics, gays, women, blacks, and Asians. The DGA has only one committee, the Diversity Committee, where all the subgroups fall under. For this goal, the Diversity Committee offers a number of programs and opportunities to members and non-members in education and networking. They all celebrate producers whose projects in film, TV, and the Web reflect their mission.
PGA (Producers Guild of America) – Deborah Calla
Deborah Calla is a writer/producer originally from Brazil. She is the Chair of the Producers Guild of America Diversity Committee as well as the Chair of the Media Access Awards and a member of the WGA. Amongst her many credits are producing award events featuring Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Macy, John Hawkes and Jane Lynch, among others. Her feature production highlights are “Beat the World,” “A Beautiful Life,” “Lost Zweig,” “Dream House,” and “Lehi’s Wife.” She is the writer of “Romeo & Juliet Redux” and “MOW,” now in the development for ABC Family. TV highlights include “Carnival in Rio 2003 & 2004” for the Discovery Channel and “Chicano Artists” for HBO. Deborah is a contributor to The Huffington Post and has had several books published by Putnam and Scholastic.
More info www.pgadiversity.org
WGA (Writers Guild of America) – Kimberly Myers
Kimberly Myers began her career in the film industry in New York City. After a stint at “Saturday Night Live” producing short films and as an executive at Showtime, she moved to WNET, the New York public television station, where she became Director of Drama, producing dozens of programs for the series “Great Performances” and “American Playhouse.” In Los Angeles she has worked as both a studio executive and as a producer. She served as Vice President of Program Development at Turner Network and Vice President of Movies and Mini Series at Fox. She was the producer of television films for NBC, CBS, Lifetime and TNT prior to joining the Writers Guild of America in 2007 as its Director of Diversity. Ms. Myers is a graduate of Princeton University.
More info http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=1042
DGA (Directors Guild of America) – Regina Render
Regina Render joined the DGA in 2001 as a Special Assignments Executive focusing on diversity, contracts and immigration issues. In 2010 she was promoted to Assistant Executive Director and currently serves as the Guild’s Chief Diversity executive as well as liaison to city and county government. Before joining the DGA, Render was a Business Representative at the International Cinematographers Guild and later a Senior Representative at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, where she managed key organizational functions and coordinated labor initiatives on public policy issues, multi-union campaigns, and political action. Regina has a long history of civic engagement, including being appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley to the “Neighbor to Neighbor Program,” which developed community response programs and activities after the civil unrest of the 1992 riots.
More info http://www.dga.org/The-Guild/Diversity.aspx
Director’s Roundtable – Focus on the creative process
Friday, August 2nd, 3pm – 5pm
Arena Cinema – 1625, North Las Palmas Avenue (adjacent to the Egyptian Theatre)
Moderator: Robert Koehler
Filmmakers from Brazil
Back by popular demand, attending filmmakers will participate in a special Filmmakers Roundtable moderated by Robert Koehler, former Variety critic and expert in Latin American cinema. In addition to industry, this event is open to the public and will provide great insight into the current state of Brazilian filmmaking, trends and an opportunity to meet the rising talent of Brazil.
Films:
OPENING NIGHT FILMS
WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS 52’ – International Premiere
In this pulsing coming of age story, an irrepressible 14 year-old girl deals with her restless teen angst, and the broken aftermath of her parents’ torrid relationship, by playing an old acoustic guitar – until her fragile held life splits at the seams.
Director: Anna Muylaert
Producer: Caio Gullane
Writer: Anna Muylaert
Editor: Eduardo Hartung
Cinematographer: Barbara Alvarez
Cast: Daniela Piepszyk, Naomi Silman, Marat Descartes, Lourenço Mutarelli, André Abujamra
THE PACKAGE 18’ – L.A. Premiere
In the outskirts of São Paulo, the rush and excitement of a new love between two charismatic high-school teens, is soon threatened by the knowledge that one of them is HIV positive.
Director: Rafael Aidar
Producer: Beatriz Carvalho, Rafael Sampaio
Writer: Rafael Aidar
Editor: Pablo Pinheiro
Cinematographer: Junior Malta
Cast: Jeferson Brito, Victor Monteiro, Priscila Gomes, Thaís Oliveira, Francisco Gaspar
Festivals: Berlin IFF / Generation, Torino LGBT Film Festival, Frameline
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
DURVAL RECORDS 103’ – L.A. Premiere
Announcing the arrival of a fierce new filmmaker voice upon its release in 2002, this wickedly delicious music homage to the LP era, and vibrant 70s Brazilian sound scene, is about a middle-aged struggling record storeowner still living with his mother.
Director: Anna Muylaert
Producer: Sara Silveira, Maria Ionescu
Writer: Anna Muylaert
Editor: Vânia Debs
Cinematographer: Jacob Solitrenick
Cast: Ary França, Etty Fraser, Marisa Orth, Leticia Sabatella, Sabela Guasco, Rita Lee, André Abujamra
Festivals & Awards: IFF Rotterdam, Munich IFF, Kolkata IFF, Gramado IFF – Best Film
INDIEBRAZIL – NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
AVANTI POPOLO 72’ – West-Coast Premiere
With an uncanny moody atmosphere in part derived from found Super8mm footage locked inside a crumbling, darkly lit home, a son arrives to attempt to unearth his despondent father’s secretly lingering past.
Director: Michael Wahrmann
Producer: Sara Silveira
Writer: Michael Wahrmann
Editor: Ricardo Alves Jr., Fellipe Barbosa
Cinematographer: Rodrigo Pastoriza
Cast: André Gatti, Carlos Reichenbach, Eduardo Valente, Marcos Bertoni, Paulo Rigazzi, Maria da Penha
Festivals & Awards: Rome IFF – Best Film, FIC Unam IFF – Best Director, Edinburgh IFF
GOOD LUCK, SWEETHEART 95’ – West-Coast Premiere
In richly contrasting black & white cinematography, and infused with a sensual music ballad soundtrack thrusting the quest of Love Lost & Found narrative, a 30 year-old aristocrat envisions a woman who might pierce through his repressed identity.
Director: Daniel Aragão
Producer: Pedro Severien
Writer: Daniel Aragão, Gregorio Graziosi, Luiz Otávio Pereira
Editor: Daniel Aragão, Gregorio Graziosi
Cinematographer: Pedro Sotero
Elenco: Christiana Ubach, Vinicius Zinn, Rogério Trindade, Carlos Mossy
Festivals & Awards: Locarno IFF, Santa Maria IFF – Best Actress, Brasilia FF – Best Director
JONATHAS ́ FOREST 98’ – West-Coast Premiere
The rural Amazon may be an exotic stop to a growing number of traveling tourists but it’s where Jonathas calls home. To impress an American backpacker, he veers off and deep into the wild jungle’s un-treaded terrain, igniting a mystical, fateful journey.
Director: Sérgio Andrade
Producer: Sérgio Andrade, Sidney Medina
Writer: Sérgio Andrade
Editor: Fábio Baldo
Cinematographer: Yure César
Cast: Begê Muniz, Francisco Mendes, Viktoryia Vinyarska, Chico Dias, Ítalo Castro, Socorro Papoula
Festivals & Awards: Rio de Janeiro IFF, IFF Rotterdam, Taipei IFF, Amazonas IFF – Best Actor
THE MOVING CREATURES 97’ – West-Coast Premiere
An extraordinary poignant drama exploring the grief over the sudden tragic loss of a loved one. The audaciously musical sequences, in which the women sing their wounded hearts, is organically threaded with an outstanding ensemble performances, all which power this feature debut striking and moving.
Director: Caetano Gotardo
Producer: Sara Silveira e Maria Ionescu
Writer: Caetano Gotardo
Editor: Juliana Rojas
Cinematographer: Heloisa Passos
Cast: Cida Moreira, Andrea Marquee, Fernanda Vianna, Rômulo Braga, Wandré Gouveia, Henrique Schafer
Festivals & Awards: Gramado IFF – Best Actress, Miami IFF, IndieLisboa IFF, ParisCinema
THIS LOVE THAT CONSUMES 80’ – International Premiere
This lyrically rendered slice of life is about a dance company and its struggle for sustainable artistic creation in the bustling Rio’s Lapa neighborhood. Captured in soulful verite style, with a visceral approach, it is a perfectly pitched Ode to dance as Performance Art.
Director: Allan Ribeiro
Producer: Ana Alice de Morais
Writer: Allan Ribeiro, Gatto Larsen
Editor: Ricardo Pretti
Cinematographer: Pedro Faerstein
Cast: Gatto Larsen, Rubens Barbot
Festivals & Awards: Brasília FF, Tiradentes FF, Salvador IFF – Best Film, Curitiba IFF – Audience Award
INDIEBRAZIL – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
A PLACE TO TAKE AWAY 80’ – North-America Premiere
The images of slum-littered mountainsides have unfairly become Brazil’s chief representation. This documentary explores foreigners’ perverse fascination with this area of social class distress, enabling an industry which co-opts them as tourist attractions in the largest and most visited favela in Rio, Rocinha.
Director: Felippe Schultz Mussel
Producer: Angelo Defanti
Editor: Felippe Schultz Mussel, Eva Randolph, Marcelo Pedroso
Cinematographer: André Lavaquial, Pedro Urano, Rodrigo Graciosa, Thiago Lima
Festivals: Forumdoc Belo Horizonte, Tiradentes, Málaga IFF, Brussels IFF, Distrital IFF
BREATH 73’ – North-America Premiere
Shot on glorious 35mm, Breath is a profound audiovisual meditation on the fleeting harmony of human existence among the pristine majesty of Mother Nature.
Director: Marcos Pimentel
Producer: Luana Melgaço
Writer: Marcos Pimentel, Ivan Morales Jr.
Editor: Ivan Morales Jr.
Cinematographer: Matheus Rocha
Festival: Visions Du Reel / Nyon – Official Selection.
HOUSEMAIDS 76’ – North-America Premiere
Questioning the blurry class divide in the relationship between family and employee, director Gabriel Mascaro zooms in via seven adolescents who film their surrogate mothers/maids, giving us a glimpse into their world and revealing colorful, engaging and hard worn people.
Director: Gabriel Mascaro
Writer: Gabriel Mascaro
Editor: Eduardo Serrano
Cinematographer: Alana Santos Fahel, Ana Beatriz de Oliveira, Jenifer Rodrigues Régis, Juana Souza de Castro, Luiz Felipe Godinho, Perla Sachs Kindi, Claudomiro Carvalho Neto
Cast: Dilma dos Santos Souza, Flávia Santos Silva, Helena Araújo, Lucimar Roza, Maria das Graças
Festivals & Awards: IDFA, Cartagena IFF, Buenos Aires IFF, Cachoeira Doc FF – Best Film
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/64992795
MARGARET MEE & THE MOONFLOWER 80’ – West-Coast Premiere
Meet Margaret Mee, an unassuming British botanical artist deeply inspired by the wonders of the Amazon forest. Interweaved with lush photography of the wild, Margaret recounts her numerous expeditions in search for the rarest flower of them all.
Director: Malu De Martino
Producer: Elisa Tolomelli
Writer: Malu De Martino
Editor: Pedro Rossi
Cinematographer: Julia Equi
Cast: Patrícia Pillar
Festivals: Rio IFF – World Premiere, São Paulo IFF, Washington DC Environmental IFF.
MR. SGANZERLA 90’ – International Premiere
A dazzling re-appropriated and recreated assembly of underground pop film imagery narrated in first person by the iconoclast Rogerio Sganzerla, the iconic Brazilian experimental filmmaker – whose last film, “The Sign of Chaos,” was about Orson Welles’s failed attempt to make a film in Brazil in the 1940s.
Director: Joel Pizzini
Producer: Itaú Cultural
Writer: Joel Pizzini
Editor: Felipe Rodrigues, Cláudio Tammela
Cinematographer: Luís Abramo
Cast: Arrigo Barnabé, José Mojica Marins, Jorge Loredo, Bruno Napoleão, Helena Ignez
Festival: It’s All True IFF – Official Competition
INDIEBRAZIL – SHORT FILM COMPETITION
ABOUT A MONTH 23’ – North-America Premiere
André and Elis have started to date recently. In real life and in dreams.
Director: André Novais Oliveira
Producer: Thiago Macêdo Correia
Writer: André Novais Oliveira
Editor: Gabriel Martins
Cinematographer: Gabriel Martins, Bruno Risas
Cast: André Novais Oliveira, Élida Silpe
Festivals & Awards: Cannes Directors’ Fortnight – Special Mention, Curitiba IFF – Best Film
BY YOUR SIDE 20’ – North-America Premiere
The night and solitude are full of the devil. This is where people who like to watch and be watched roam.
Director: Marcelo Caetano
Producer: Marcelo Caetano, Beto Tibiriçá
Writer: Marcelo Caetano
Editor: Eva Randolph
Cinematographer: Andrea Capella
Cast: Lukas Peralta Filho, Ronaldo Serruya
Festivals & Awards: Clermont Ferrand IFF, Mix Brasil Film Festival – Best Film & Director
DOPPELGÄNGER 25’ – West-Coast Premiere
Silvia is a young teacher at an elementary school. One day, her class is interrupted when the students notice her double walking on the other side of the street.
Director: Juliana Rojas
Producer: Max Eluard
Writer: Juliana Rojas
Editor: Manoela Ziggiatti
Cinematographer: Flora Dias
Cast: Sabrina Greve, Gilda Nomacce, Majeca Angelucci, Sara Silveira, Henrique Rabello
Festivals & Awards: Cannes Critics’ Week – Special Mention, Gramado IFF – Best Actress
EBB & FLOW 28’ – West-Coast Premiere
Rodrigo is a young deaf man from Recife, Northeast Brazil, who works installing car stereos in a small dealership on the outskirts of town. Despite his deafness, sound penetrates his day-to-day life and he harnesses its vibrations, allowing it to pulse through his veins.
Director: Gabriel Mascaro
Producer: Rachel Ellis
Writer: Gabriel Mascaro
Editor: Eduardo Serrano
Cinematographer: Gabriel Mascaro
Cast: Márcio Campelo de Santana
Festivals & Awards: IDFA, Oberhausen IFF – Official Competition, Recife IFF – Jury Award
ENRAGED PIGS 10’ – West-Coast Premiere
After they find out that their husbands have mysteriously transformed into raging pigs, the women of the Kuikuro village decide to take action.
Directors: Isabel Penoni & Leonardo Sette
Producer: Carlos Fausto, Takumã Kuikuro
Writer: Isabel Penoni e elenco
Editor: Leonardo Sette
Cinematographer: Leonardo Sette
Cast: Aulá Kuikuro, Aunalu Kuikuro, Jauá Kuikuro, Kehesu Kuikuro, Messa Kuikuro, Milu Kuikuro
Festivals & Awards: Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, Glasgow Short IFF – Bill Douglas Award
EVA MARIA 12’ – World Premiere
On the Aracajú beaches, Eva Maria, the enigmatic girl in white who appears during sunset, is a well-known myth. One whose vision defies her most firm believers.
Director: Rafael Todeschini
Producer: Sofia Barros
Production Company: Oblíquo
Writer: Rafael Todeschini, Erika Martins
Editor: Mônica Frota
Cinematographer: Bianca Halpern
Cast: Mariah Teixeira, Jefferson Antonio
MAURO IN CAYENNE 18’ – North-America Premiere
Mauro is the uncle who emigrated illegally to French Guyana, and whose silhouette sometimes reminds the young filmmaker’s mother of her son.
Director: Leonardo Mouramateus
Producer: Leonardo Mouramateus
Writer: Leonardo Mouramateus, Salomão Santana
Editor: Leonardo Mouramateus, Salomão Santana
Cinematographer: Leonardo Mouramateus
Cast: Marcos, Junior, Albaniza, Leonardo, Mauro, Godzilla
Festivals & Awards: Festival dei Popoli, Cinéma du Réel – Best Film.
OPEN GRAVE 20’ – International Premiere
Roberta travels on the Trans-Amazonian highway looking for someone more tormented than her. When she comes across a girl in need of help, Roberta will experience real fear of death.
Director: Ian Abé
Producer: Ramon Porto Mota
Writer: Ian Abé
Editor: Ramon Porto Mota
Cinematographer: Jhésus Tribuzi
Cast: Paula Coelho, Larissa Santana
Festival: Tiradentes FF – World Premiere.
THE COMFORTING HAND 19’ – West-Coast Premiere
At her only child’s 9th birthday, Estela, a telemarketing operator, plans a party that has minimal chances of success.
Director: Gabriela Amaral Almeida
Producer: Rodrigo Sarti Werthein And Rune Tavares
Writer: Gabriela Amaral Almeida
Editor: Marco Dutra
Cinematographer: Matheus Rocha
Cast: Luciana Paes, Antonio Camargo
Festivals & Awards: Brasilia FF – Best Film, Istanbul International Short FF
WE ARE NOT DREAMING 12’ – North-America Premiere
Yes, we will build a world. We are not dreaming. Fight by fight, piece by piece, bit by bit, we will. We are not dreaming.
Director: Luiz Pretti
Producer: Caroline Louise
Writer: Luiz Pretti
Editor: Luiz Pretti
Cinematographer: Clarissa Campolina
Cast: Luiz Pretti
Festivals & Awards: Rome IFF – World Premiere, Semana dos Realizadores – Special Mention
PORTUGUAL SPOTLIGHT – All North American Premieres
ARENA 15’
Director: João Salaviza
Producer: François d’Artemare, Maria João Mayer
Script: João Salaviza
Cast: Carloto Cotta, Cláudio Mota, Rafael Sardo, Rodrigo Madeira
MORNING OF SAINT ANTHONY’S DAY 25’
Tradition says that on June 13th, Saint Anthony’s Day – Lisbon’s patron -, lovers must offer small vases of basil with paper carnations and flags with popular quatrains as a token of their love.
Director: João Pedro Rodrigues
Producer: João Figueiras, BLACKMARIA, Produção Audiovisual Le Fresnoy
Script: João Pedro Rodrigues
Photography: Rui Poças
Editing: Mariana Gaivão
Sound: Nuno Carvalho
Cast: Alexander David, Lydie Bárbara, Maria Leite, Mariana Sampaio, Miguel Nunes
NORTH ATLANTIC 15’
An isolated air-traffic controller in an island of the Azores archipelago receives a transatlantic emergency signal from a lost plane. As the engagement with the lone pilot unfolds, it emerges that their new found friendship will not last through the night.
Director: Bernardo Nascimento
Producer: Bernardo Nascimento, CARAVANA FILMES, MONOCLE STUDIO
Script: Bernardo Nascimento
Photography: Carlos Catalan
Editing: Sérgio Vega Borrego
Music: Jon Opstad
Sound: Luis Fernandes Garcia, Raul Dias
Animation: Zsolt Balogh
Cast: Clive Russel, Francisco Tavares, Grant Masters, Guilherme Mendonça
THE SONG OF THE NIGHTINGALE 19’23”
The stories, adventures and misadventures of Alfredinho Rocha, a fado singer, a Karate fighter, a former drug dealer, an owner of a cafe in Fontainhas, Oporto, a nutter, a dancer, a nightingale and a whole family.
Director: Helvécio Marins Jr.
Producer: Nuno Rodrigues, Curtas Metragens C.R.L.
Script: Helvécio Marins Jr.
Photography: André Cepêda
Editing: Marina Meliande
Music: Raul Rocha (Rouxinol)
Sound: Vasco Pucarinho
Production Manager: Raquel da Silva
Cast: Alfredo Rocha, David Rocha, Fernando, Marisa Rocha, Rosa Maria Rocha, Tiago Rocha
THE GRAVEDIGGER 14’
A story of a child who was born a monster, narrated under the moonlight.
Director: André Gil Mata
Producer: Rodrigo Areias, Bando à Parte
Script: André Gil Mata
Photography: Jorge Quintela, Paulo Abreu
Editing: Karen Akerman
Music: Pedro Augusto
Sound: Pedro Augusto, Gustavo Bacelos, Vasco Carvalho
Animation: André Gil Mata
Animation Technique: Pixilation
Cast: Carlos Monteiro, Valdemar Santos, David Almeida, Paula Guedes, Adelaide Teixeira, André Gil Mata, Miguel Cardoso
AS THE FLAMES ROSE 26’
At dawn on August 25th, 1988, Portugal wakes up with the largest fire ever since the Great Earthquake of 1755. In Lisbon, Chiado district burns. Across the city, away from the smoke and fire, Francisco receives an unexpected phone call and flames from the past burst though his bedroom, suffocating his life.
Director: João Rui Guerra da Mata
Producer: João Figueiras, BLACKMARIA, Produção Audiovisual
Script: João Rui Guerra da Mata
Photography: Rui Poças
Editing: Mariana Gaivão
Sound: Nuno Carvalho
Cast: João Pedro Rodrigues
BIRD OF PREY 25’
After finishing his MA in Anthropology, Hugo spends his days giving his brain a rest from the endless reading of texts by unknown authors. His only company is Luisa, the cleaning lady, with whom he plays cat and mouse. To escape the sleep of reason – which creates monsters -, Hugo exercises his lyrical vein by writing, with his friend Manuel, songs about their neighbourhood. The quiet dilettantism of our protagonist is shaken by Catarina, a young and beautiful translator who’s starting her professional life as a freelancer.
Hugo is hooked and wavers. High above, a kestrel falcon hovers.
It’s not the only bird of prey that can do it.
Director: João Nicolau
Producer: Luis Urbano, Sandro Aguilar, O Som e a Fúria
Script: João Nicolau
Photography: Mário Castanheira
Editing: João Nicolau, Miguel Gomes
Sound: Miguel Martins
Cast: Hugo Leitão, Márcia Breia, Lia Ferreira, Manuel Mesquita
SIGNS OF STILLNESS OUT OF MEANINGLESS THINGS 28’
According to the perpetual lunar calendar: “When the embers or fire sparks catch to the pot of water, it signifies wind. When the hills echo very loudly and the sea creates great noise, it signifies tempestuous winds and storms at sea. When, at dawn, dense fog is formed, it signifies serenity for two days.” Let’s wait and see.
Director: Sandro Aguilar
Producer: Sandro Aguilar, Luis Urbano, O SOM E A FÚRIA
Script: Sandro Aguilar
Photography: Rui Xavier
Editing: Sandro Aguilar
Sound: Pedro Melo
Details of tickets and events can be found at http://hbrfest.com
