The 2015 Rio Film Festival to Celebrate the City’s 450 Years

By Shalina Chatlani, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Festival do Rio, Rio de Janeiro’s International Film Festival, will commemorate the 450th anniversary of the city by showcasing a selection of six films within the non-competitive section of Première Brasil. The films will highlight different aspects of the city’s history, culture, and daily life.

For example, one film called “São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro” directed by Juliana de Carvalho, will be presented for the first time at the festival. The ninety minute film will tell the story of the city’s urban formation, from the archaeological remains of its first inhabitants, and the struggles in the conquest of the Rio’s land, through the historical events, reforms, and urban interventions that have shaped the city’s design.

“We decided to make a film that tells the story of Rio through the geographical point of view, so that all the evidence would make Rio the protagonist,” said Carvalho. “It is a journey through time.”

The other five films also show interesting aspects of the city’s foundations, including stories told from the viewpoint of journalists, interviews with urban workers, and a look into the life of the foreigner community in the city.

This year marks the 17th edition of Festival do Rio. Events began on October 1st and will be running through October 14th. The festival, in addition to Première Brasil, will showcase hundreds of international and national films in theaters throughout the city.

There will also be RioMarket, a part of the festival that will include seminars and workshops about the film industry. It is important to note that the headquarters of the RioMarket and additional Festival do Rio activities will move this year from the Armázem in the city’s Port Zone to the Colégio Brasileiro de Altos Estudos/UFRJ (Brazilian College of Advanced Studies), located in Flamengo.

For more information about the Festival do Rio and for a complete schedule of events, locations and times, see their official website.