Cine Líbero Luxardo hosts the 49th São Paulo International Film Festival, from October 23 to 29

The Cine Líbero Luxardo, in Belém, will be the stage for the 49th São Paulo International Film Festival, from October 23 to 29. After passing through Manaus, the traveling version of the event arrives in the capital of Pará with a selection of ten national and international feature films, including award-winning and unreleased productions in the Brazilian commercial circuit. The curation of the festival brings a diverse program, with titles that engage with contemporary themes, experimental narratives, and bold aesthetic proposals.

Among the highlights is “The Shadow of My Father,” by British-Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr., which received an honorable mention from the Caméra d'Or jury at the Cannes Film Festival. The film, set in the Nigerian metropolis of Lagos during the electoral crisis of 1993, follows the journey of a father estranged from his children, in a semi-autobiographical tale that reflects the political and social tension of the period.

Another highlight is “Kontinental ’25,” by Romanian Radu Jude, winner of the Best Screenplay award at the Berlin Film Festival. Shot with an iPhone 15 and minimal resources, the feature narrates the story of Orsolya, a court officer tasked with executing an eviction — a mission that triggers a whirlwind of ethical dilemmas and unexpected consequences.

Also from filmmaker Radu Jude, the film “Dracula” will be screened at the festival. The work plays with metalanguage by telling the story of an actor who plays Dracula in a theme park and escapes, provoking a chaotic chase by tourists and staff. At the same time, an artificial intelligence software creates variations of the vampire myth, weaving social critiques and futuristic visions.

The drama “Six Days That Spring,” by Belgian Joachim Lafosse, awarded for direction and screenplay at the San Sebastián Festival, narrates an intimate and silent escape: during spring break, Sana decides to take her twin children to the French Riviera, secretly staying at her former in-laws' house. What would be days of rest turn out to be a turning point in their lives.

Another attraction is the film “Yunan,” by Ameer Fakher Eldin, which portrays the journey of an exiled Syrian author towards a remote island in Germany with the intention of taking his own life. The work, an international co-production, was part of the Official Competition of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.

For those interested in beatnik culture, the festival features “Nova ‘78,” a documentary directed by Rodrigo Areias and Aaron Brookner. The production rescues previously unseen footage from the historic Nova Convention — an event held in New York in 1978 that marked the return of William S. Burroughs to the United States. With original 16mm recordings, considered lost for decades, the film presents behind-the-scenes moments and performances that capture the countercultural spirit of the time.

Meanwhile, “The Last Beat,” by Ferdinando Vicentini Orgnani, is a tribute to poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a central figure of the Beat Generation. The documentary follows the friendship between the director and the poet, between Rome and San Francisco, tracing the cultural and political legacy of Ferlinghetti, who believed in the word as a form of resistance to hegemonic powers.

The luso-Angolan production “The English Papers,” directed by Sérgio Graciano and based on the trilogy The Sons of Prospero by Ruy Duarte de Carvalho, takes the viewer on a literary and personal investigation in the Namibe desert, rescuing memories and mysteries from Angola's colonial and post-colonial past.

Children's Program: 2nd Little Show

The festival also reserves space for the children's audience with the 2nd Little Show, which will feature the screening of two feature films: “Maya, Give Me a Title,” an animation created by Michel Gondry for his daughter, which explores childhood imagination and creativity; and the feature that mixes fiction and documentary “Adventures of Makunáima,” by Chico Faganello, which introduces children to indigenous legends through music, dance, and games, rescuing ancestral narratives in a magical and engaging present.

Check the schedule:

10/23 (Thursday)

3 PM: THE SHADOW OF MY FATHER, by Akinola Davies Jr. (94min)
4:50 PM: NOVA '78, by Aaron Brookner (118min)
7 PM: DRACULA, by Radu Jude (170min)

10/24 (Friday)

4 PM: THE BEAT BOMB, by Ferdinando Vicentini Orgnani (83min)
5:40 PM: YUNAN, by Ameer Fakher Eldin (124min)
8 PM: KONTINENTAL '25, by Radu Jude (109min)

10/25 (Saturday)

4 PM: MAYA, GIVE ME A TITLE, by Michel Gondry (64min)
5:20 PM: THE ENGLISH PAPERS, by Sérgio Graciano (135min)
7:50 PM: THE SHADOW OF MY FATHER, by Akinola Davies Jr. (94min)

10/26 (Sunday)

4 PM: THE ADVENTURES OF MAKUNÁIMA, by Chico Faganello (75min)
5:30 PM: MAYA, GIVE ME A TITLE, by Michel Gondry (64min)
6:50 PM: DRACULA, by Radu Jude (170min)

10/27 (Monday)

3 PM: THE ENGLISH PAPERS, by Sérgio Graciano (135min)
5:30 PM: KONTINENTAL '25, by Radu Jude (109min)
7:35 PM: YUNAN, by Ameer Fakher Eldin (124min)

10/28 (Tuesday)

4 PM: THE ADVENTURES OF MAKUNÁIMA, by Chico Faganello (75min)
5:30 PM: SIX DAYS THAT SPRING, by Joachim Lafosse (94min) 1h35
7:20 PM: NOVA '78, by Aaron Brookner (118min)

10/29 (Wednesday)

4 PM: YUNAN, by Ameer Fakher Eldin (124min)
6:20 PM: THE SHADOW OF MY FATHER, by Akinola Davies Jr. (94min)
8:10 PM: SIX DAYS THAT SPRING, by Joachim Lafosse (94min)

Service:

Cine Líbero Luxardo - Avenida Gentil Bittencourt, 650, Nazaré neighborhood, Belém
Full: R$ 12 | Half: R$ 6
Payment only in cash
The box office opens one hour before the sessions
Capacity: 98 seats. Food and drinks are not allowed in the screening room

Text by Maurício Carvalho/ Ascom FCP