The best of Brazilian Cinematography will be for the eighth time celebrated in the land of film festivals. Southern Mirrors and Puente are proud to present the 2014 edition of BRAFFTV “Brazilian Film and TV Festival of Toronto". According to the Festival’s curator, Alexandre Ramos, this Festival is a great opportunity to see a different, dense, strong, cheerful country, but mainly a transforming one. This year’s four-day festival showcases a vibrant line-up of 17 films among features, documentaries, animation and shorts with the best recent Brazilian film productions from all genres.
*BRAFFTV’s Schedule* Tickets $ 8.00 Thursday, October 16th at 7pm * OPENING SESSION* *Until Sbornia Do Us Apart** (*Até que a Sbornia nos Separe*)* Animated / 91’ / 2013 Directed by: Otto Guerra and Ennio Torresan Jr What happens when the wall dividing a small country from the rest of the world falls accidentally? Easy-going and stuck in time, the people of Sbornia are now hit by winds of modernity coming from the big city. Conflicts caused by this violent cultural clash turn the lives of protagonists Pletskaya and Kraunus — two well-known Sbornian musicians — upside down. As a result of the continental interference in Sbornia’s deep-seated traditions, some natives wake dormant old beliefs and start rescuing their own identity. The film is based on the musical play “Tangos&Tragediesâ€, created by Nico Gomez and Hique Nicolaiewsky, which has been performed on stages worldwide to great acclaim for the past 25 years. *Screened with the short* *Ed **(Ed)* Animation / 14’ / 2013 Directed by Gabriel Garcia Meet Ed and his extraordinary life. Fifty years of an unforgettable journey. Many loves, adventures and remarkable stories. What nobody knows is why Ed wants to end it.
Friday, October 17th 7 pm *Drops of Joy *(Tarja Branca) Documentary / 79’ / 2013 Directed by Cacau Rhoden The documentary "Drops of Joy" emphasizes the importance of maintaining one’s playful spirit from childhood into one’s adult years. It explores how our success-driven society often leads adults to abandon this youthfulness and instead opt for a binary world where "work" and "play" must be kept separate. Its ironic title refers specifically to prescription drugs, which opens up a discussion about the over-medicalization of our lives. Ultimately, it suggests an alternative to these artificial remedies: naturally reuniting with the child within all of us, so as to live fully and freely. *Screened with the short * *Super *(Super) Fiction / 6’22†/ 2014 Directed by Ricardo Bueno On that day, despite being exhausted, he chose to take the stairs. The steps led to escapism, a reflection. They led him to the top. He sought his identity, his meaning. At the top, what would boost him?
9 pm *City of God – 10 Years Later *(Cidade de Deus – 10 Anos Depois) Documentary / 70’ / 2013 Directed by Cavi Borges & Luciano Vidigal Ten years after the release of the Oscar-nominated City of God, this new documentary explores the positive and negative impact the 2002 film has had on the lives of those in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood. *Screened with the short* *Son of the Crime* (Filho do Crime) Directed by Daniel Ghivelder Fiction / 18’ / 2014 The plot of "Son of the Crime" addresses in a raw realistic way the dramatic unfolding of the life of Nathan, a boy born and raised in a Rio de Janeiro slum who comes across a barbaric crime committed by a man who happens to be the security chief of the state’s communities. It is from this episode that we discover the true relationship between the characters.
Saturday, October 18th 2pm *Cecilia’s House *(A Casa de CecÃlia) Fiction / 102’ / 2014 Directed by Clarissa Appelt CecÃlia is fourteen years old and home alone for two weeks. After mixed days of solitude and joy, Lorena, a mysterious companion, shows up in the house. After her new friend's arrival, the house starts getting gradually emptier and strange events start to happen.
*Screened with the short* *The Sun Can Blind (**O Sol pode Cegar)* Fiction / 16' 44†/ 2014 Directed by: Toti Loureiro Paulo lost his virginity with Maria, the maid who lives in his house. Amid the chaos and nerves of youth the social differences appear when he tells that to his friend. 4pm *The Sound of the Drum and the Maestro *(O Som do Tambor e o Maestro) Documentary / 71’ / 2014 Directed by: Natasha Pravaz
Maninho is a gifted musician who was raised in one of the cradles of samba: Ilha do Governador, Rio de Janeiro. He rose to become a star performer in many of Brazil's most popular acts. Fate has transplanted him to Toronto, where he strives to create a musical group, Batucada Carioca, that is true to the Afro-Brazilian roots that nurtured him. He is followed not only by passionate Anglo-Canadians, but also by transplanted immigrants like him, who have found in Batucada a means towards social adaptation as well as a map of their own identity. “Sound of the Drum and the Maestro†provides a glimpse into the dreams, accomplishments and frustrations of local and diasporic musicians as they give shape to the multicultural realities of a twenty-first century cosmopolitan city. *Screened with the short* *Tokyo Village* (Jardim Tókio) Fiction / 15’ / 2014 Directed by Rodrigo Grota Yuki, a young woman who has just returned from Japan, is divided between her family, studies and nightlife. *6:30pm* *Triunfo *(Triunfo) Documentary / 84’ / 2014 Directed by Caue Angeli and Hernani Ramos Nelson Triunfo’s story is unique in Brazil. He is currently well-known as one of the main promoters of black music and as “the father of the hip-hop†in Brazil. Until he achieved this position, he faced several difficulties, such as prejudice and police repression (especially during the military dictatorship), when his dance style was rated as “subversive.†The story of Nelson Triunfo’s life is now a reference in contemporary Brazilian culture. Nowadays, besides living from his art, “the danceâ€, he is also head of the House of Hip-Hop in Diadema City. There, he keeps a very important social project along with the local community, rescuing teenagers from sad and violent scenarios and showing them four hip-hop elements: Graffiti, Dance, DJ, and Mc.
*Screened with the short* *Black or White! *(Preto ou Branco!) Fiction / 15’ / 2013 Directed by Alison Zago Brazil, 1970. During the Brazilian military dictatorship, the journalist Eduardo Pena will discover that his conscience can be his worst enemy. 9pm *Love, Plastic, and Noise (Amor, Pástico e Barulho)* Fiction / 87’/ 2013 Directed by Renata Pinheiro Meet Shelly, a young dancer who dreams of becoming a singer, and Jaqueline, an experienced singer who has already scored some hits but is bitterly seeing her career decline. They are companions in the music band Brega, within a romantic and sensual music scene from the Brazilian suburbs. Placed in a nightclub and local TV program show business where everything is disposable, including success, love and human relationships, they seem to form a single path of life, where Shelly is Jaqueline’s possible past and Jaqueline is Shelly’s likely future.
*Screened with the short* *Severino’s Dream *(Severo: Um Sonho Severino) Fiction / 9’50†/ 2014 Directed by: Danilo Baracho Severo lives a harsh live. His brother is a thief and his mother doesn't want her children to go to school. She prefers that they hit the streets to help out financially. He has dreams of playing soccer for the national team, but the opportunities he has been given in life already dictate his future. Sunday, October 19th 4pm *Learning to Read to Teach My Fellows* (Aprender a Ler para Ensinar meus Camaradas) Documentay / 84’ / 2014 Directed by João Guerra The film follows two Angolan musicians who travel to Bahia, Brazil, on a journey in search of traces of lost ancient roots. Besides participating in a major concert, they meet other musicians and investigate elements of their own identity, coming across interesting discoveries. This musical documentary addresses African inheritance out of Africa, which is found thanks to music *Screened with the short* *Huntsman* (Caçador) Fiction / 19’ / 2014 Directed by Rafael Duarte and TaÃsa Ennes Marques After the untimely death of his father, the young huntsman struggles to defend the borders of his territory. The encounter with the Other can be much more difficult than it seems.
CLOSING SCREENING - October 19th at 6 pm *June – The Riots in Brazil* (Junho – O Mês que Abalou o Brazil) Documentary / 72’ / 2014 Directed by João Wainer In the month of the Brazil World Cup, the documentary shows how the demonstrations against an increase in public transportation fares in São Paulo in June of 2013, evolved to national scale, reaching hundreds of cities. The movement took over one million people to the streets and it became an uprising against corruption, the lack of public services and the copious spending on the World Cup. The film proposes a reflection on the changes conquered by protesters and asks the question: will tomorrow be bigger? *Screened with the short* *Rhythms of Resistance* (Ritmos da Resistência) Documentary / 29’ / 2014 Directed by Jason O’Hara As Rio de Janeiro prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, the city introduces a controversial new policing program (Pacifying Police Units - UPPs) in the slums (favelas). Shortly after the police invade the favela of Cantagalo, lifetime resident and acclaimed samba composer - Cathola - is gunned down by the UPP and nearly dies. As Cathola recuperates, his samba composition wins the championships and is selected to be performed at Rio's most prestigious Carnaval parade. Cathola's story weaves together with the intimate personal stories of other artists who are resisting against police brutality and social exclusion through their music and performance art. The artists question the rhetoric of pacification and debate to what extent the arrival of UPPs are intensifying the criminalization of poverty in Rio.
*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 seven years, BRAFFTV presented over 300 films and brought over 60 filmmakers to Toronto. The 2014 edition will bring North American and Canadian premieres. The Festival will be held from *October 16th to October 19th, 2014* at *Carlton Cinema *(20 Carlton Street). www.BRAFFTV.com <http://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. (Barbara de la Fuente* BRAFFTV press@brafftv.com)