Jornal da Mostra / 49ª mostra

In this year’s edition, British films take center stage at Mostra. As part of the 2025-26 UK/Brazil Season of Culture, the 49th Mostra showcases 25 titles within a multifaceted panorama of contemporary British productions and co-productions.

Among them are "The History of Sound" by Oliver Hermanus, "Bugonia" by Yorgos Lanthimos, "The Choral" by Nicholas Hytner, and "Mare’s Nest" by experimental documentarian Ben Rivers.

The spotlight on new directors features award-winning works from major festivals. "Urchin" by Harris Dickinson, awarded in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section; "Christy" by Brendan Canty, winner of the Grand Prix in the Generation 14plus section; "Straight Circle" by Oscar Hudson, recipient of the Grand Prix at Venice’s International Critics’ Week; and "Ish" by Imran Perretta, which won the Audience Award in the section. Also part of this group are "Mother Vera" by Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson, awarded as Best Documentary at the BFI London Film Festival; actor James McAvoy’s directorial debut "California Schemin’"; "Retreat" by Ted Evans; and Mark Jenkin’s new work, "Rose of Nevada".

The selection also includes films with strong thematic and social dimensions, exploring identity and sociopolitical issues, such as "My Father’s Shadow" by Akinola Davies Jr., winner of a Special Mention from the Caméra d’Or jury at Cannes; "Khartoum" by Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim Snoopy, Timeea Mohamed Ahmed, and Phil Cox, which portrays Sudan’s turbulent present; "Cielo" by Alberto Sciamma, a co-production with Bolivia; and "Palestine 36" by Annemarie Jacir, a historical examination of the region’s contemporary origins. "Dreamers" by Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor and "Brides" by Nadia Fall, presented at Sundance, portray the condition of women facing delicate migratory dilemmas.

The lineup is completed by productions that reflect on cinema itself as medium and language, such as "Nova ’78" by Aaron Brookner and Rodrigo Areias — a Portuguese co-production that revisits 1970s counterculture through never-before-seen footage from the legendary Nova Convention; “Films to Die For” by Lúcia Nagib, a film essay exploring how films are born from other films and become a matter of life or death for filmmakers; and "Broken English" by Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth, about singer-songwriter Marianne Faithfull, who passed away in January this year.

Short films such as "Crab Day" by Ross Stringer, "Calamity Island" by David Johnson, "Your Mountain Is Waiting" by Hannah Jacobs, and "Middle Watch" by John Stevensonn and Aiesha Penwarden are part of the 2nd Mostrinha’s program.

The Mostra also took part in the opening of the UK/Brazil Season of Culture with a screening of the silent film classic "The Lodger" (1927) by Alfred Hitchcock at Sala São Paulo, held on October 5. The film’s score, composed by Neil Brand, was performed live by the Orquestra Brasil Jazz Sinfônica.

Click here to see all the films that will be screened in the Spotlight on the UK section.