A journey through contemporary Latin American cinema. This is how the program of the Belo Horizonte International Film Festival (CineBH) can be described, which begins its 18th edition on Tuesday night (24). Participants will be able to watch 17 films from different neighboring countries on the continent: Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Panama, Cuba, Costa Rica and Mexico. Most of these are titles that have never been shown before by Brazilian audiences.
At the same time, some national productions will be presented for the first time. Immediately after the opening, a preview screening of the feature film “O Clube das Mulheres de Negócios” (The Business Women’s Club), by São Paulo filmmaker Anna Muylaert, who is being honored at this edition, will be shown.
CineBH has been organized annually since 2007 by Universo Produção, also responsible for the traditional film festivals in Tiradentes and Ouro Preto. In this edition, 110 national and international films (59 feature films, 49 short films and 2 medium-length films) will be shown on the screens. The program, which ends on Sunday (29), also includes discussion panels and other activities for different ages, all free of charge.
Those who are not present in Belo Horizonte will be able to access an online program that will bring together various titles, some shown only in this format, on event platform.
According to Raquel Hallak, general coordinator of the event, a new conceptual bias was taken over in 2022. “It has become a space to celebrate and reflect on Latin American cinema, putting it in direct contact with various perspectives that will be able to see the effervescence of the production that marks the territory. The proposal is precisely to create an alternative space for exhibition and reflection around these works that do not find space in the commercial circuit in Brazil”, he explains.
The theme of the edition summarizes this movement: States of Latin American Cinema. Hallak believes that supporting these productions helps to draw attention to the Brazilian exhibition market. However, he warns that this greater openness will only be sustainable with ongoing actions, such as partnerships involving distributors and movie theaters and public policies that encourage diversity in programming.
Still, she believes that the decision adopted by the coordination of Mostra CineBH generates positive effects for the visibility of these productions.
“By creating a platform for Latin American filmmakers, facilitating cultural exchange and the appreciation of local narratives, we see an increase in the interest of Brazilian audiences and critics in films from neighboring countries, resulting in more screenings and spaces dedicated to them. However, opening movie theaters to these productions still faces challenges. The Brazilian film market is dominated by large productions, often from Hollywood,” he ponders.
Of the 17 Latin American films, six are part of the Territory Showcase. This is a competitive category that seeks to introduce Brazilian audiences to a new generation of directors from Brazil and other countries on the continent, most of whom are making their feature film debuts.
“The program will reflect on the images and situations of power and fragility that characterize this Latin American universe, in which cinema is a field of constant alternation, reflecting the phases of mourning, struggle, celebration and confrontation that the countries of the region experience. Among other issues, the exhibition will be dedicated to analyzing, also based on films, how the relationships between productions and public policies shape the ability of local films to prosper and stand out before audiences in other countries,” adds Hallak.
In addition to Latin American films, Brazilian productions from 13 states and some European and African titles will be shown. Among them, the Spanish feature film The Professor Who Promised the Seadirected by Patricia Font and inspired by a book by writer Francesc Escribano. The film tells the true story of a teacher at a rural school who implemented innovative pedagogical techniques and was persecuted by the Franco regime in the 1930s. Nominated for the Goya and Feroz, Spain’s main awards, the film will be shown in Brazil for the first time.
Honored
The ceremony will also mark the presentation of the Horizonte Trophy to Anna Muylaert, director of the film What Time Does She Come Back?starring actress Regina Casé. Released in 2015, it won awards at the acclaimed Sundance (United States) and Berlin (Germany) festivals and ended up being nominated by Brazil to seek a spot at the Oscars the following year, although it was left out of the final list of best foreign films.
Among other works, the honoree of this edition of Mostra CineBH also signs the feature films Mother There is only one One (2016) and Dawn (2021).
Over the six days of the CineBH Exhibition, a complete retrospective of her career will be presented, with screenings of short and feature films. Hallak describes the filmmaker as “one of the most remarkable voices in contemporary Brazilian cinema.”
Your new movie The Business Women’s Clubwhich will be presented in a national preview session, promotes reflections on machismo, racism and corruption rooted in patriarchal culture. The narrative is set in a world where gender stereotypes are inverted: women occupy positions of power that are normally occupied by men.
Release of the film The Business Women’s Club, directed by Anna Muylaert – Disclosure
“Muylaert’s work is known for its complex and contradictory characters, which often reflect Brazilian social tensions, from the power dynamics between men and women to the relationships between employers and employees. She is a filmmaker who maintains total control over her work, also acting as a screenwriter and producer. Her importance in Brazilian cinema goes beyond the artistic quality of her films, as she also provokes deep reflections on relevant issues in society.”
Connections
The CineBH program also includes Brasil CineMundi, which is now in its 15th edition. According to the organizers, it is currently the largest market event in the country focused on cinema. The program brings together filmmakers, producers and representatives of the global industry interested in co-producing with Brazil and getting to know projects in person that often do not reach them. In other words, it is an exchange platform to enhance connections between independent Brazilian filmmakers and potential interested parties.
Every year, some projects are chosen to be presented in business rounds. Since its first edition, Brasil CineMundi has contributed to the production of more than 30 films, including titles such as Honey (2018), Nightjar (2019), Bones of Longing (2021), Paternal (2022) and Dry Bush on Fires (2022). The meeting’s program also includes masterclasses, market panels and workshops that cover a variety of topics such as launch strategies, sales planning and successful experiences.
For this year’s edition, 40 names linked to the market from 20 countries were invited, including representatives from the film industry, financing funds and streaming and television channels, as well as sales agents, distributors and programmers from international festivals. They will get to know 38 selected projects, some of which are in the post-production phase and others in development or already in the editing stage.
Prizes are awarded to the projects that receive the highest ratings from the evaluation juries.
