Chicago-based MOSTRA: Brazilian Film Festival Returns with a Fresh Lineup of Compelling Films
Chicago, IL (October 2024) – The 15th edition of the MOSTRA: Brazilian Film Festival, the largest Brazilian film event in the Midwest, runs from November 2 to November 16, 2024, showcasing an exciting selection of feature films and documentaries from Brazil. This year’s festival expands its footprint to include venues across Chicago and several cities in Indiana, providing audiences a unique window into Brazil’s culture, politics, and social issues through the power of film.
Opening and Closing Nights at Instituto Cervantes in Chicago
MOSTRA XV kicks off on November 1st at 6:15 pm (reception begins at 5:00 pm) with a screening of Pictures of Ghosts (Retratos Fantasmas) at Instituto Cervantes in Chicago. This evocative documentary by internationally acclaimed director Kleber Mendonça Filho, which explores the changing landscape of Recife’s downtown through its historic cinemas, was an Official Selection at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
The festival’s closing night is on November 16th with Aunt Virginia (Tia Virgínia), a 2022 film directed by Fabio Meira that follows the life of a 70-year-old woman navigating complex family dynamics as she prepares for an emotionally charged Christmas gathering with her sisters.
Screenings Across Illinois and Indiana
This year’s screenings will take place at various educational and cultural institutions across Chicago and Indiana, with free access to the public (except for opening and closing nights). Highlights include Servitude (Servidão), a documentary look at contemporary slave labor in Northern Brazil, on November 6 at Loyola Chicago, Stories of Samba (Saudosa Maloca) on November 12th at the Indianapolis Arts Center, is a biopic about Brazilian samba singer Adoniran Barbosa, who rose to national fame in the 1950’s.
Films will also be shown at Purdue University in Indiana. Check mostrafilmfestival.org/xv for the full lineup.
Feature films, documentaries, and shorts
This year’s program showcases a diverse range of feature films and documentaries. The much-anticipated Grande Sertão, directed by Guel Arraes, will be among the feature films. An epic adaptation of Guimarães Rosa’s classic book, the film explores themes of love, loyalty, and survival in the harsh backlands of Brazil’s Northeast. The Battle (A Batalha da Rua Maria Antônia), directed by Vera Egito, recounts a pivotal moment during the Brazilian dictatorship of 1968, when students clashed violently with military forces in São Paulo.
Other documentaries during the film festival will cover themes ranging from modern Brazilian art to contemporary labor issues. A must-see documentary is Daniela Broitman’s film on legendary Brazilian musician Dorival Caymmi, offering a sensory journey into the heart of Bahian culture. Fictional and documentary shorts will also be shown.
Since its inception, MOSTRA has been a platform in Chicago for promoting Brazilian culture through cinema, reflecting the richness of Brazil’s social and political landscape. The festival has grown to become a cornerstone event for the Brazilian community and for movie lovers in the Midwest.
But the MOSTRA film festival is about more than entertainment, says MOSTRA’s founder and director Ariani Friedl. “We are thrilled to celebrate our 15th year, with another edition of MOSTRA in Illinois and Indiana. Our films this year are engaging and entertaining but also provide important commentary on the social challenges that Brazil and many other countries face today,” says Ariani.
The festival is supported by United Airlines, the Brazilian Consulate General in Chicago, several universities, including DePaul, Loyola, Northwestern, Purdue, University of Chicago, UIC, and other cultural and educational institutions. MOSTRA XV is organized by the Illinois and São Paulo chapters of Partners of the Americas.
For more details, including the full schedule of films, visit: mostrafilmfestival.org/xv
Contact
Ariani A. G. Friedl
MOSTRA Founder and Director
Cell: (708) 347-1880
E-mail: ariani@mostrafilmfestival.org
