Brazil Documentary Film Fest Begins: Daily

By Chesney Hearst, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Screenings for the documentary films that make up the Brazilian Competition of the É Tudo Verdade (It’s All True) International Documentary Film Festival began in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, April 6th.

The festival which consists of 82 films from 26 countries is running concurrently in four theaters in Rio de Janeiro and five theaters in São Paulo until April 14th with free screenings of all films to the public.

In São Paulo the film “Paulo Moura – Brazilian Soul”,a tribute to the career and life of musician, composer and conductor Paulo Moura, opened the festival on Thursday, April 4th. While in Rio, the international première of “Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself” opened the festival on Friday, April 5th.

For the Brazilian competition for Long and Medium-length Films, seven never before seen Brazilian documentaries are in competition. Nine films are also competing for the Brazilian Competition for Short Films with five of the films making their world première.

The International Selection of the festival which features 41 films, is divided into two categories: competitive and informative. Films include; the world première of “Before and After Dinner” by American Cindy Kleine; “First Cousin Once Removed” by American Alan Berliner and a special screening of “Philip Roth, Without Complexes”, a French entry by William Karel and Livia Manera.

There will also be an International Retrospective that honors Soviet filmmaker Dziga Vertov and a Brazilian Retrospective focusing on the 1984 Silvio Tendler film “Jango and the Path to 64.”

Founded and directed by critic Amir Labaki, the É Tudo Verdade festival is celebrating it’s 18th anniversary this year. “For a festival to come of age with 18 editions is a milestone to celebrate. But it is also a renewed challenge,” Labaki stated in a press release. “Never before has the documentary occupied such a central role in contemporary culture, Brazilian and international. Our adulthood also implies a new level of responsibility. ”

For a complete list of films, screening times and theater locations, see the festival’s website here.

Read more (in Portuguese).

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