Brazilian film festival kicks off

Documentary and fiction, full length feature or short film. The Brazil Film Festival brings film highlights from 2009-2010.

With four award-winning films on the programme, the festival at Utopia cinema kicks off tonight, October 24, and runs until October 27 with one film shown every night at 8pm.

First on the bill is 5x Favela, a collection of five short films shot in Rio de Janeiro's favela slums.

Dzi Croquettes, a documentary about a theatre troupe in defiance of the Brazilian regime of the 1970s, will air on Tuesday. Through talent, irony and humour the group transformed performance culture and revolutionised the gay movement at the time.

The line-up continues with another documentary, Tamboro, which deals with environmental concerns in Brazil, as deforestation continues to threaten Amazonian tribes.

The final film of the festival will be Lula, o Filho de Brasil. This bio-pic presents an account of ex-president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva's upbringing and life.

Brazil has a rich film history, but its cinematic triumphs have always paled in international comparison. One of the last films to cause a stir from Brazil was the Oscar nominated City of God from 2002.

The festival aims to promote Brazilian film culture and give a taste of the riches it has to offer.

All films are shown in Portuguese with French subtitles. Tickets are available at Utopia.