Now in its fourth year, this annual series continues to introduce New York audiences to original and accomplished new films by Brazilian filmmakers. In any given year, film production in Brazil is graced by a wide variety of filmmaking practices. Emerging or established talents tease out edgy subject matter or give new life to traditional themes. Both popular and more experimental formats are shown, but whether documentaries, shorts, or fiction films, these works are unmistakably Brazilian—and most of them premiere at the popular Rio Film Festival. This year, Premiere Brazil! gives in to the seductive impulses of bossa nova, samba, and Carnival by presenting Marcel Camus’s Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus), restored to its original eye-popping, Eastmancolor splendor. Augmenting that program is an illuminating portrait of the extraordinary man who wrote the play on which it is based, Vinicius de Moraes, a poet, songwriter, and diplomat. In addition, Breno Silveira’s Two Sons of Francisco is given a special weeklong run. All films are in Portuguese with English subtitles. Most first screenings are introduced by the directors.
Premiere Brazil! is made possible by George Gund III and Iara Lee and by The Ministry of Culture - Secretaria do Audiovisual, Brazil.
Additional support is provided by The International Council of The Museum of Modern Art, The Consulate General of Brazil in New York, Marjorie Andrade, and Richard Kandel. Special thanks to LOTUS, KUSH, PORCAO Churrascaria New York, and Leblon cachaça.