Aussies, Aussies, Aussies! Oi Oi Oi!” I need your full attention. Are you ready for a film festival oozing with Brazilian exuberance, panache and a touch of madness? Of course you are. Vamos! Let’s go!
I’m talking about the 2026 Brazilian Film Festival, screening in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and on the Gold Coast until November 15. Gather your BFFs (best film friends) to give it some support, so that we can enjoy it every year from now on.
Fernando Vives, one of the festival’s organisers alongside Ariana Guerra, takes up the story. “This year marks the second edition of the festival, which existed in the past, though with no connection to us,” he tells My Five Romances.
“We started this project out of passion and a touch of madness, and we are working hard to turn it into one of the major ethnic film festivals in the country.”
Brazil’s film industry is blossoming
“Brazilian cinema faces structural difficulties, but at the same time, it achieves incredible feats,” notes Fernando. “Walter Salles’s I’m Still Here won Brazil’s first Oscar in 2025, in addition to accolades at the Venice Film Festival and the Golden Globes.
“This year, The Secret Agent, while not taking home any statuettes, was among the most nominated films at the Oscars, alongside awards at Cannes, the Golden Globes, the Critics’ Choice Awards, and the BAFTA.
Fernando and Ariana’s selection for the first Brazilian film festival held nationwide in Australia sounds enticing. Among them is Gugu’s World (Portuguese title: Feito Pipa), which was selected as Brazil’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards (Oscars 2027).
“We are bringing seven features that represent the best of Brazilian production in recent years,” Fernando says. “There’s also a special emphasis on the leading roles of Black filmmakers and actors.”
The festival’s magnificent seven are ….
Here, in no particular order, Fernando outlines what cinema enthusiasts can look forward to at the revived Brazilian Film Festival.
Dreaming of Lions (Sonhar com Leões), directed by Paolo Marinou-Blanco
This Portuguese tragicomedy features Brazilian actress Denise Fraga as an exceptional highlight, delivering perhaps the finest performance of the festival. The plot revolves around the right to die and assisted dying in the context of today’s savage late capitalism. A film to think about for a long time after leaving the cinema.
Gugu’s World (Feito Pipa), directed by Allan Deberton
It won two awards at the Berlinale and tells the story of a boy in the country’s deep heartland who is fantastic at football, but is boycotted by his community for having effeminate mannerisms. His world unfolds through his relationship with his grandmother, Dilma, who is battling dementia. It features Lázaro Ramos, one of the greatest Brazilian actors of this century, as Gugu’s father.
Narciso, directed by Jeferson De
One of the foremost Latin American directors today, he is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the institution behind the Oscars. The film uses the myth of Narcissus to discuss adoption and Black identity.
A Very Brazilian Heist (Assalto à Brasileira), directed by José Eduardo Belmonte
A comedy based on a true event, the heist with the highest number of hostages in Brazil’s history, set in the 1980s. The surreal escalation of the robbery feels like a meeting between Dog Day Afternoon and the surrealism of everyday Latin American life.
Little Creatures (Pequehas Criaturas), directed by Anne Pinheiro Guimarães
The hardships of a migrant mother arriving in Brasília in 1986, having to adapt to an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar logic, raising teenage children amidst a profound sense of isolation. A touching, beautiful film that will resonate deeply with immigrants in Australia.
The Nature of Invisible Things (A Natureza das Coisas Invisíveis), directed by Rafaela Camelo
One of the most touching and grounded films in the lineup. A coming-of-age drama that was the opening film of Berlinale Generation Kplus this year. It captures the transformation in the lives of young people and their search for answers through friendship within a home life strained by daily hardships.
The Closer to the Sun, the Brighter (Perto do Sol é Mais Claro), directed by Régis Faria
A beautiful reflection on starting over in old age following the death of a partner. The lead role is played by Reginaldo Faria, a historic Brazilian actor from the 1960s who delivers a moving performance at nearly 90 years of age.
Where to see them and when
The 2026 Brazilian Film Festival runs over two weekends (more precisely, Fridays to Sundays over November 6-8 and November 13-15). Check your nearest participating cinema for possible variations.
Parabéns (kudos) to the cinemas involved, namely:
- Sydney – Dendy Cinemas Newtown and Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace (Cremorne)
- Melbourne – Cinema Nova
- Brisbane – Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo
- Gold Coast – Dendy Cinemas Southport
- Canberra – Dendy Cinemas Canberra
- Adelaide – The Mercury (West End)
This is a great opportunity to binge on the modern Brazilian film scene in the comforts of a cinema and in the glory of a big screen. My Five Romances is looking at you, Dendy Coorparoo! Stock up on the pipoca (popcorn), sorvete (ice-cream) and vinho (wine). M5R
