Press Release
The 14th edition of MOSTRA, the largest Brazilian movie festival in the Midwest, runs November 4-18 at locations throughout the Chicago region as well as three venues in Indiana. The festival offers many screenings at universities and other educational and cultural institutions free of charge.
Chicago, IL (10/11/2023) — MOSTRA, the most anticipated event of the year for fans of Brazilian movies in the Midwest, returns for its 14th edition in Chicago, Evanston, and at three venues in Indiana. This year’s MOSTRA showcases documentaries and feature films about Brazilian society, culture, and politics, with shorts and feature films highlighting LGBT issues, the environment, music, and much more. The film festival is mostly free and offers several opportunities to meet directors and producers during Q&A sessions.
Considered the largest Brazilian movie festival of the Midwest, MOSTRA kicks off at Chicago’s Instituto Cervantes on November 4 with Paloma (2022), a drama about a trans woman determined to realize her dream of a traditional church wedding in a rural area. This Opening Night screening will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s co-producer Ernesto Souto and Franthiesco Ballerini, a Brazilian journalist and film critic.
Other highlights from this year’s MOSTRA festival include Closing Night feature Mars One (Marte Um, 2023), by director Gabriel Martins, winner of MOSTRA XIV Trophy 2023, the drama of a lower-middle class Afro-Brazilian family’s struggles to redefine itself during a series of challenges. This heartfelt portrait of contemporary Brazil was chosen as Brazil’s entry to the 95th Academy Awards
Both the opening and closing ceremonies, which are fundraising events, will be held at Cervantes Institute. All other screenings are free of charge. The movies will be screened from November 4-18 at universities and cultural centers across Illinois and other venues in Indiana.
Ariani Friedl, MOSTRA’s founder and director, says she is excited that this year’s festival will bring not only wonderful Brazilian movies but food for thought.
“These films entertain but also challenge our thoughts and understanding of the social issues confronted, not only by Brazil, but all over the world,” says Friedl. “We hope that our audience will leave with a desire to improve the society around them and contribute to better our world for everyone.”
Other feature films from this year’s program include Alien Nights (Noites Alienígenas, 2022), a drama about three young friends whose lives are impacted by the rising tide of organized crime in an urban Amazon community and Charcoal (Carvão, 2022), the story of a rural family that accepts a proposal to hide a mysterious foreign guest.
Highlights from this year’s documentary program include Faith and Fury (Fé e Fúria, 2019) on the cultural clash between Afro-Brazilian religions and fundamentalist Christian groups; other documentaries include a film about the globally recognized muralist Kobra (Kobra Self-Portrait, 2022); and You’ve Made My Samba (De Você Fiz Meu Samba, 2022), an intimate look at the daily lives of five widows of Rio de Janeiro’s samba legends.
All films will be screened in Portuguese with English subtitles. View the full schedule of MOSTRA XIV here for synopses, trailers, and details on Q&A sessions.
MOSTRA XIV is sponsored by United Airlines, Partners of the Americas, the Brazilian Consulate General, the universities of Chicago, Northwestern, Illinois at Chicago, Columbia, DePaul, Loyola, Cervantes Institute, and Chicago Filmmakers in the Chicago area; and Purdue, IUPUI, and DePauw in Indiana, besides many other businesses and individuals.
The festival is organized by the Illinois and São Paulo Chapters of Partners of the Americas, an NGO created in the 1950’s, during the Kennedy administration, with the objective to serve, connect and change lives in the Americas through volunteerism.
CONTACT:
Ariani A. G. Friedl
MOSTRA Founder and Director
Board Member, IL Chapter
Partners of the Americas
Phone: (708) 347-1880 (WhatsApp!)
Email: ariani@mostrafilmfestival.org
About Partners of the Americas:
Partners of the Americas’ mission is to work together as citizen volunteers from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States to improve the lives of people across the western hemisphere. The Illinois-Sao Paulo partnership is one of the 120 chapters and 60 partnerships. We have done projects in Sustainable Architecture Fruit Tree Planning, Professional and Business Exchanges, Music Education, Occupational Therapy, Green Technology, and more.
Learn more at National website: partners.net
