Brazilian Film Festival Coming to London - 6th to 10th September 2011

The Brazilian Film Festival of London will be returning to the capital for a third edition, starting on Tuesday 6th September with an Opening Night Screening at BAFTA before relocating to Odeon Covent Garden for four more days of new Brazilian films until the closing film – also at Odeon Covent Garden – on Saturday 10th September.

There will be 10 feature-length and 9 short films during the festival, including Henrique Dantas’ documentary Sons of João – The Admirable New Baiano World (released in Brazil in July), Claudio Torres’ Man from the Future (set to open in September) and Eduardo Vaisman’s 180 °, among other films selected by names such as Fernando Meirelles and Bianca de Felippe. The program also includes the Crystal Lens Award Ceremony, for Best Feature Film chosen by the audience, and a WFTV tribute (Women in Film and Television) to producer Paula Barreto.

Here’s the full line-up for the festival. Details of where to buy tickets are at the bottom.

Tuesday 6th September, 8.30pm

Opening Night @ BAFTA

Man From The Future (Dir: Claudio Torres)

Zero (Wagner Moura) is a brilliant and lonely scientist who believes he is unhappy because twenty years ago he was humiliated by the love of his life. When he tries to create a revolutionary source of energy, he accidentally goes back to the past and sees himself in the opportunity to meet his 20-years-younger self and “correct” the mistakes in his own life. Trying to manipulate the path of time is much harder

and confusing than what it seems.

followed by Q&A with producer Leonardo Monteiro de Barros

Wednesday 7th September, 6.30pm

Odeon Covent Garden

Short Film: The True Story Of The Ballerina In Red (Alessandra Colasanti and Samir Abujamra)

Beyond The Road (Dir: Charly Braun)

Santiago, an Argentine in his late twenties, sets out to Uruguay to claim a land inherited from his parents, killed tragically some years earlier. As he arrives, he meets Juliette, a young Belgian girl in search of a past love and a new life. What seemed to be just a simple ride turned into a brief but intense journey. Together, they visit places and meet people lost in time, sharing experiences that bring them closer in a relationship of growing affection and tenderness.

Wednesday 7th September, 8.30pm

Odeon Covent Garden

Short film: Cake (Dir: Robert Guimarães)

Head Over Heels (Dir: Roberto Santucci)

Head over Heels is a romantic comedy that examines the joys and hardships of contemporary love life: its limits, joys, fantasies and grievances. Alice, 35, is married with one son. Workaholic, her professional career steals most of her time… And virtually all her libido! In a twist of fate, she looses her husband and her job at the same time. Stunned, she decides to change radically and embrace a unique opportunity: to become a sex shop executive! In this new erotic world, she transforms herself and rediscovers pleasure and the ability to love.

Thursday 8th September, 4.30pm

Odeon Covent Garden

Short film: Beard Boy (Dir: Christopher Faust)

Sons of Joao – The Admirable New Baiano World (Dir: Henrique Dantas)

The film richly portrays the Brazilian Popular Music (MPB) scene during 60s and 70s, through the path of the innovative and revolutionary music group Os Novos Baianos. It particularly reveals the influence that Joao Gilberto had in their musical lives and his valuable contribution to the improvement of the songs composed and sung by the group. The film also illustrates a time when the members led a communitarian style of life and its impact on their final work. The film features unique and rare archival materials of the best MPB music and cameos from Tom Zé, Rogério Duarte, Orlando Senna, Moraes Moreira, Pepeu Gomes, among others.

Thursday 6th September, 6.30pm

Odeon Covent Garden

Short film: Little Ball Satellite (Dir: Bruno Vianna)

So Hard To Forget (Dir: Malu de Martino)

Julia is trying to get her life back after an intense love affair with Antonia. In this process she will find new

friends who are also experiencing loss of important things in their lives. They share the experience of pain, a feeling of solitude and, above all, a desire for better times.

Thursday 6th September, 8.30pm

Odeon Covent Garden

Short film: The Bizarre Friends of Ricardinho (Dir: Augusto Canani)

180 º (Dir: Eduardo Vaisman)

180 º tells the story of Anna, Russel and Bernardo, three members of the urban intellectual middle class in Rio de Janeiro. They risk it all in a game of passion involving the authorship of a book. The non-linear narrative invites the spectator to piece together an elaborate puzzle, the solution of which can be found in the

characters’ past as well as their present.

Friday 9th September, 4.30pm

Odeon Covent Garden

Short film: One Night (Dir: Daniela Santos)

Boca (Dir: Flavio Frederico)

Adapted from the autobiography of Hirohito Joanides de Moraes, the film portrays the atmosphere and life of the King of Boca do Lixo, a region of prostitution in downtown São Paulo in the 50s. Born into a family of upper-middle class, Hirohito went to Boca just as a bohemian in search of sexual adventure, until a personal

tragedy causes a change in your life. His father is viciously murdered and Hirohito is charged with the crime. Shortly thereafter, Hirohito buy two guns and moved to Boca, quickly becoming one of the most wanted criminals by the police.

Friday 9th September, 6.30pm

Odeon Covent Garden

Short film: Storm (Dir: Cesar Cabral)

Elza (Dir: Izabel and Ernesto Jaguaribe Baldan)

Elza Soares is renowned as one of Brazil’s original samba superstars whose career has spanned 50 years. A remarkable singer and show woman, Soares was known for the uniting traditional samba sounds with modern touches that leant her songs a multigenerational appeal. Directos Izabel Jaguaribe and Ernesto Baldan’s documentary Elza explores her repertoire’s diversity and presents a series of encounters with renowned Brazilian artists such as Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben Jor, Paulinho da Viola and Maria Bethania.

Friday 9th September, 8.30pm

Odeon Covent Garden

The Hour’s Home (Dir: Heraldo Cavalcanti)

VIPs (Dir: Toniko Melo)

Since childhood, Marcelo da Rocha (Wagner Moura) has found it difficult to come to terms with his own identity. His greatest pleasure is to imitate people and pretend to be someone else. Feeding the dream of learning to fly and become a pilot like his father, Marcelo runs away from his mother’s house and begins the adventure of his life. He starts to impersonate a series of different characters, until he manages to perform his highest scam. At a big party in Recife, he poses as the businessman Henrique Constantino, whose father owns airline Gol.

Saturday 10th September, 4pm

Odeon Covent Garden

3×4 (Dir: Caue Nunes)

The Supreme Happiness (Dir: Arnaldo Jabor)

The Supreme Happiness is the story of a middle class family in their quest for happiness. Set in the enchanted and marvelous Rio de Janeiro of the late 50s, the plot follows Paulo, from 10 until 18 years old of age, while he discovers the wonders of love and sex, backed up by the strong friendship he has with his

grandfather.

Saturday 10th September, 7pm

Closing Night @ Odeon Covent Garden

Special Screening of Bruno Barreto’s Romeo and Juliet Get Married as a homage to producer Paula Barreto, who will receive the WFTV Award for her outstanding contribution to Brazilian cinema industry.

Romeo and Juliet Get Married (Dir: Bruno Barreto)

Juliet, a die-hard Palmeiras fan falls in love with Romeo, die-hard fan of rival football team Corinthians. Juliet’s father would never accept such a son-in-law. Not wanting to loose Juliet, Romeo pretends to be a Palmeiras fan. The lie creates a series of hilarious twists and turns, and when the truth is revealed, the couple’s love must rise above their family sports rivalry.

OPENING NIGHT @ BAFTA TICKETS

Standard – £12

Concession – £10

Booking: 08444 771 000

195 Piccadilly London W1J 9LN

ODEON COVENT GARDEN TICKETS

Standard – £10

Standard – £8

Booking: 0781 22 44 007

135, Shaftesbury Avenue London WC2H 8AH

odeon.co.uk/fanatic/film_times/s81/Covent_Garden

brazilianfilmfestival.com/londres/2011/londres2011_en.html