In 1998, The Museum of Modern Art's comprehensive Cinema Novo and Beyond retrospective brought New York audiences up to date on the ever-changing Brazilian film scene. Since then, with the increased popularity of the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival (the sixth largest cinema fest in the world), the Brazilian film industry has grown ever stronger, witnessing the emergence of several new talents as well as making it possible for many of its veteran directors to continue working. Now MoMA introduces the first of what will be an annual film presentation, Premiere Brazil!, whose title is drawn from the name of a section of the Rio festival that presents the most original and accomplished new films coming out of movie-happy Brazil.

This brief view into the creativity and diversity of contemporary Brazilian cinema was selected by Jytte Jensen, Associate Curator, Department of Film and Media, The Museum of Modern Art; Ilda Santiago, Director, Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival; Claudia Dutra, Brazilian Film Festival of Miami; and in consultation with Fabiano Canosa.