This year's festival opens Friday, August 30, with the romantic comedy Magal & Magali when real-life singer Sidney Magal falls for Magali, a woman he must win over in 1979. The film follows a cocktail reception and will feature a post-screening discussion with director Paulo Machline and producer Joana Mariani. Continuing on that theme, the festival features a concert by Brazilian pop icon Fernanda Abreu at the intimate open-air Miami Beach Bandshell on Saturday, August 31. The dual events demonstrate the musical influence on Brazilian culture and promise two unforgettable nights.
The festival returns to O Cinema Miami Beach for the rest of the week with an offering of contemporary Brazilian cinema. Carefully curated by a team of programmers, the nine competitive features screening Sunday through Friday showcase the depth and diversity of Brazilian cinema this year. From the sci-fi-tinged rom-com Traces of Love to the gritty crime drama Great Sertão, the selection of films captures the gamut of emotions.
Female filmmakers are front and center this year with Dandara Ferreira and Lô Polti's My Name Is Gal, Susana Garcia's My Sister and I, and The Sound of Night by Eva Pereira. Films like Aunt Virginia, Heavier Is the Sky, The Highjacking of Flight 375, and Cheers to Life! round out the main program and give a fleshed-out vision of today's Brazilian cinema. One of the festival's greatest attributes is the pairing of a short film to accompany each feature. For those looking for an even more comprehensive catalog of Brazilian cinema, the festival offers an online collection of films.
Turn It Up, It's Rock 'n' Roll is inspired by the true story of Maldita FM, the iconic radio station of Brazilian rock music.
Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival photo
In an ever-increasingly competitive world market, festivals like this one strive to spotlight the creative work of a single country. The founders of Inffinito, Adriana L. Dutra, Claudia Duta, and Viviane B. Spinelli, have crafted one of Miami's most enduring film festivals fueled by "the satisfaction of seeing Brazilian cinema gain recognition both in Brazil and globally." Last year, the Brazilian government passed the Le de Cota del Telas or screen quota law as a guardrail to preserve "the presence of national cinema," and now the work of the Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival expands the reach of this vital commercial cinema the people of Brazil and beyond.
Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival. Friday, August 30, through Saturday, September 7, at various locations; brazilianfilmfestival.com/miami. Tickets cost $25 to $150.
