10th Brazilian Film and TV Festival of Toronto
Canada in Focus: Embracing the Portuguese-speaking community in Canada
Brazilian Cinema in Canada
From Oct 13th – Oct 16th, 2016 | English Subtitles | Free Admissions | Carlton Cinema
The Brazilian Film and TV Festival of Toronto, BRAFFTV, celebrates its 10th edition with a special program bringing to Toronto some of the best recent productions of Brazilian cinema.
There are six feature films, one medium-length and nine short films which present political and social historical contexts, family relationships, love and sexuality in senior years, music, poetry and even cannibalism.
The highlights are Chatô: The King of Brazil & Big Jet
“Chatô: The King of Brazil” is a biopic of Assis Chateaubriand, the first magnate of communications in Brazil and can be considered the “Brazilian Citizen Kane”.
“Big Jet” portrays, almost like a tale, the maturing of a boy in the Brazilian wilderness named Xico. He is a 15 year-old torn between helping his father at work cleaning drains and following his uncle Nelson at a libertarian radio which inspires him to write poetry. “In marvelously melancholy fashion, “Big Jet” captures the moment in the life of a 15-year-old when childhood and growing up collide” (FilmFest Munchen).
“I consider the celebration of 10 years of BRAFFTV as a rite of passage and the films selected this year deal, in different ways, with this rite. During these 10 years we followed together the strong transformations that Brazil also passed, especially the extraordinary cinematic technical development and especially with the production of a less centralized cinema, more diverse and more powerful, “explains curator Alexandre Dias Ramos.
SCHEDULE
Thursday, October 13th at 7pm
OPENING SESSION
Blurred Lines (Blurred Lines) – 4’/ 2015 – Directed by Vanessa Reuter
What are we missing? This short movie opens the space for a reflection over the reliability of the information we receive. Are we actually in a powerful position or are we tricking ourselves into thinking so. Screened with the feature.
Chatô – The King of Brazil (Chatô: O Rei do Brasil) – Fiction/ 105’/ 2014 – Directed by Guilherme Fontes
The film is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Fernando Morais, and it tells the incredible life and work story of Assis Chateaubriand. In his final delirium, Chatô sees himself in a live show broadcasted all over the country that shows the great adventure that was the construction and decay of his newspaper, radio and tv empire. A battle of love and power in a epic plot about the Brazilian communication tycoon.
Friday, October 14th
7 pm – PERNAMBUCO FOCUS
Button Eyes (Olhos de Botão) – Fiction/ 18’/ 2015 – Directed by Marlom Meirelles
The life of an elderly couple is changed when a girl is abandoned on the outskirts of their home. World isolated on a site in rural Pernambuco, the two will gradually realize that the changes brought by the child begin to drive them apart, and it may be irreversible. Screened with the feature.
Big Jet (Big Jato) – Drama / 96’/ 2015 – Directed by Claudio Assis
Xico, a boy, is torn between helping his father clean drains at work or his uncle Nelson’s company, a libertarian radio that inspires you to write poetry. Inspired by the autobiographical novel by journalist Xico Sá.
9:30 pm – Arthur’s Eyes (Os Olhos de Arthur) Drama/ 15’ /2016 – Directed by Allan Deberton
Arthur wants to be a swimmer. Maria, Arthur’s babysitter, wants to get married. Screened with the feature.
A Lone Man (Um Homem Só)
Comedy/ 88’/ 2014 – Directed by Claudia Jouvin
The film tells the story of Arnaldo, who wanting to get rid of his miserable life, seeks of a clinic that promises to clone people. With a clone occupying his place, he would take a new life. But, when having his request denied, Arnaldo has no choice but to try and change the course of his story. When he falls in love with Josie, a clerk of a pet cemetery, Arnaldo believes that he has finally found a chance to be happy. But maybe he’s wrong. A Lone Man is an urban tale that addresses the complexity of relationships, with a good dose of irony, and humor.
Saturday, October 15th
7pm
The Other Side of Paradise (O Outro Lado do Paraíso) Drama/ 100’ 2016 – Directed by André Ristum
Nando, a 12 year old boy, narrates the adventures of his father Antonio, an idealistic dreamer, during the 60s in Brazil, who leaves the inland of the state of Minas Gerais to go to Brasília, a recently inaugurated city. The desire for professional ascension and to participate in the construction of the new capital takes Antonio, his wife and three children, to travel on a truck to the nation’s capital. Moved by the political turmoil of the period and by the reforms promised by former President João Goulart, Antonio stumbles into political activism and the labour unrest. The military coup bursts out. Dreams become a nightmare overnight. It is an effervescent chapter in the history of the country told on the basis of the dreams of a family coming from the countryside of Brazil.
9:30 pm
Walter (Walter do 402) – Comedy/ Drama/ 2016 – Directed by Breno Ferreira
The subject matter discussed – with tones of comedy and tragedy – is loneliness at an old age in Copacabana. The film tells the story of Walter, an old grumpy man who suffers from loneliness and sees suicide as the only way out. On the other hand, his also lonely neighbor, Vera, wants to get to know Walter, hoping he will become the company she needs. Between the two, there is Zeinho, a young Don Juan doorman, who sees no problem in living on his own. Screened with the feature.
Seeing You (De Onde Eu Te Vejo) – Romance/Comedy / 90’/ 2016 – Directed by Luiz Villaça
Seeing You tells the love story of a couple through their separation. Among the ongoing change and cultural effervescence of São Paulo City, Ana Lúcia and Fábio get divorced after 20 years of marriage, and he moves to an apartment across the street from her.
They will have to learn how to live in their new reality – the separation, a job crisis, their daughter’s change of city – and will realize that in the middle of modern life’s confusion, it is possible to reinvent another way to love.
Sunday, October 16th
5 pm – BRAFFTV SHORTS
Stories of Samba (Dá Licença de Contar)
Drama / 17’ / 2016 – Directed by Pedro Serrano
This short recreates the universe of songs from Adoniram Barbosa, placing the artist in his work. A man with a hat, a bow tie and a mustache tells a young waiter the hilarious stories of his youth, when he experienced these “stories” together with his two friends at the pub.
Rosinha (Rosinha) – Comedy / 14’ / 2016 – Directed by Gui Campos
At the dawn of existence, a rose blooms with the caresses of the last sun ray. Rosinha is a short story about love and sexuality in the old age, and the struggle to overcome social conventions.
Happy Widow (Viúva Alegre) – Comedy / 12’ / 2016 – Directed by Luis Antonio
Did she find a new husband? Or did she never become a widow? Why is Sofia so happy?
Salt (Sal) – Drama / 15’ / 2016 – Directed by Diego Freitas
Two men on a date. Sérgio and Márcio got connected through an internet ad, and what seemed to be just one private dinner unfolds a strange fantasy.
Afonso Is On Fire (Afonso é uma Brazza)
Documentary / 24’ / 2015 – Directed by Naji Sidki & James Gama
Afonso Brazza became a fireman out of love for the profession. Also driven by passion he became a filmmaker and actor. With eight feature films produced, acting and directing in all of them, Brazza became one of Brazil’s most original producers. This documentary was shot before his death and shows our hero fighting fires in real life and villains in his films; he was a dreamer and his story is both entertaining and emotional.
Till China (Até a China) – Drama / 14’ / 2015 – Directed by Marão
I went to China with hand luggage only. In China motorcyclists wear their coat backwards and the restaurants serve fish heads, crayfish and eels. The woman who works at the event studies film and like Kung Fu. I bought vacuum-packed chicken legs.
7pm – CLOSING SCREENING
The Amazing Art-Tricks of the Gypsy Cloud (As Incríveis Artimanhas da Nuvem Cigana) Documentary / 82’ / 2016 Directed by Claudio Lobato & Paola Vieira
The Amazing Art-Tricks of the Gypsy Cloud is about the artistic action of Gypsy Cloud collective during the 70’s in Rio de Janeiro. The film forms a poetic portrait of a generation matured under the shadow of the military dictatorship in Brazil (1964-1958).
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ABOUT BRAFFTV
BRAFFTV – Brazilian Film and TV Festival brings the best of recent Brazilian cinematography to Toronto. Featuring documentaries, workshops, animated, feature and short films, BRAFFTV creates a space where Canadian and Brazilian film industry professionals can exchange knowledge. In the past nine years, BRAFFTV presented over 400 films and brought over 70 filmmakers to Toronto. The 2016 edition will bring North American and Canadian premieres.
The Festival will be held from October 13th to October 16th, 2016 at Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton Street). www.BRAFFTV.com
ABOUT SOUTHERN MIRRORS
Southern Mirrors is a Toronto-based company that brings you the best in international culture. It strives to present projects that contain universal themes that transcend cultural and geographic boundaries, such as: Nelson Rodrigues Festival, Upto3’, Expressions of Brazil at Harbourfront Centre, among others.
ABOUT PUENTE
Puente is a Brazilian company specialized in creating, producing and promoting festivals and events in Africa (Tanzania), South America (Chile) and Canada. It is a door to the Brazilian market, helping Canadian and North American companies to find the right people and to create tools to improve their businesses in Brazil.
For additional information and complete event listings, the public may visit www.brafftv.com or contact Marcelo Paolinelli – mpaolinelli@gmail.com.
