Rio Film Festival Crowns ‘The Riverbank’ and ‘Elza’ as Top Winners!

The Rio Film Festival concluded with an imposing ceremony at Rio de Janeiro’s legendary Odeon cinema, where Enock Carvalho and Matheus Farias’ “The Riverbank” was honored with the Best Fiction Feature Film award. Eryk Rocha’s “Elza” secured the Best Documentary Feature Film award, marking significant recognition for Brazilian cinematic talent.

“The Riverbank,” set in Recife, is the directorial feature debut for Carvalho and Farias. It follows young cleaner Izaquiel (Caique Copque) and fisherman Jeremias (Ítalo Martins) as their nightly search for intimacy leads them into the depths of the mangroves. The film explores the intertwining of reality and myth, exposing the invisible structures of power amidst closing violence. Co-director Matheus Farias recently won a Platino Award for his editing work on Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Oscar-nominated “The Secret Agent,” adding to the duo’s burgeoning accolades.

Eryk Rocha’s “Elza” is a comprehensive documentary about the iconic Brazilian singer and public figure, Elza Soares. The film, a follow-up to Rocha’s acclaimed “The Falling Sky,” traces Soares’ seven-decade career. It draws on rare archival materials and intimate conversations with Soares during her final years, revealing the multifaceted woman behind the legend. The project benefited from the backing of high-caliber partners including Aruac Filmes, Maria Farinha Filmes, Globo Filmes, RAI Cinema, and Gullane+.

Beyond the top honors, several other major Brazilian films received awards. Gabriel Martins’ Toronto-selected “On Behalf of My Son” and Victor di Marco and Márcio Picoli’s Venice-selected “London,” along with Ricardo Alves Jr.’s San Sebastián-bowing “The French Teacher,” were among the acclaimed productions recognized at the festival.

The Premiére Brasil jury, responsible for selecting many of the main awards, was presided over by veteran “La Bola Negra” producer Esther García. Other esteemed members included Berlinale co-director of programming Jacqueline Lyanga, French producer Sophie Erbs, composer Flavia Tygel, and casting director Marcela Altberg. The New Trends jury was led by director and editor Karen Harley, alongside screenwriter Maira Oliveira, producer Dora Amorim, and director/screenwriter Guto Parente. The Felix Jury, dedicated to LGBTQIA+ themed films, featured lawyer Ericka Gavinho, director/screenwriter Clara Anastacia, cultural critic Guilherme Terri (Rita Von Hunty), filmmaker Vita, and cultural programmer Rodrigo Gerace.

A full list of Premiére Brasil winners includes: “The Riverbank” for Fiction Feature Film (dir. Enock Carvalho, Matheus Farias) and “Elza” for Documentary Feature Film (dir. Eryk Rocha). The Short Film award went to “Santo” (dir. Maria Luísa Alves). Gabriel Martins won Best Director – Fiction for “On Behalf of My Son,” while Camila Valença received Best Director – Documentary for “Cão Sem Plumas.” Victor di Marco was recognized as Best Actor for “London,” and Best Actress was shared by Isabel Teixeira for “Diário do Fogo” and Grace Passô for “The French Teacher.” Supporting Actor went to Pedro Goifman for “The French Teacher,” and Supporting Actress was shared by Renna Costa (Artia) and Ísis Broken for “The Riverbank.”

Additional technical and special awards in Premiére Brasil included: Screenplay for “On Behalf of My Son” (Gabriel Martins); Editing ex aequo for Cristina Amaral, Fabio Meira, and Juliano Castro (“A Extraordinária Vida de Vera Valdez”) and Cristiane Oliveira and Tula Anagnostopoulos (“Foi Ali Guardar o Coração na Geladeira”); Cinematography for Luciana Baseggio (“The Riverbank”); Art Direction for Ana Paula Cardoso (“Funk”); Costume Design for Samy Sill (“London”); Sound Design for Moabe Filho, Guma Farias, Daniel Turini, and João Victor Coura (“The Riverbank”); and Original Score for Florencia Di Concilio (“The French Teacher”). The Jury Award was presented to “O Filho da Puta” (dir. Erica Maradona, Tania Anaya, Otto Guerra, Sávio Leite). Audience Awards went to “Fui Olhar Você Dormir” (dir. Anna Azevedo) for Documentary Feature and “On Behalf of My Son” (dir. Gabriel Martins) for Fiction Feature.

The Novos Rumos (New Trends) category honored “Não Estamos Sonhando” (dir. Ulisses Arthur) as Best Feature Film and “Ondas de Silêncio” (dir. Caio J. Bonfim) as Best Short Film. Thais Fujinaga won Best Director for “Talismã,” Nina Prado was Best Actress for “O Deserto de Luiza,” and Pedro Leão was Best Actor for “Não Estamos Sonhando.” A Special Jury Award was given to Cas from “Um Domingo” (dir. Maíra Bühler, Rô Albuquerque), and the Audience Award for Best Feature Film went to “O Deserto de Luiza” (dir. Alan Minas).

The Felix Awards, celebrating LGBTQIA+ themes, recognized “The Riverbank” (dir. Enock Carvalho, Matheus Farias) as Best Brazilian Film, “À voix basse” (dir. Leyla Bouzid) as Best International Film, and “Father, Father” (dir. Jake Witzenfeld) as Best Documentary. A Special Jury Award went to “Morfeu e Caronte” (dir. Jocimar Dias Jr, Luiz Ulian), with an Honorable Mention for “Elephants in the Fog” (dir. Abinash Bikram Shah).

Further special distinctions included the TV Globo Acquisition Award for “Maria Vitória” (dir. Mário Patrocínio), the Telecine Acquisition Award for “Six Months in the Pink and Blue Building” (dir. Bruno Santamaría Razo), and the Foreign Correspondents Association Award for “Let Us Be” (dir. Viviane D’Avilla), with an Honorable Mention for “144 – Apocalipse Não” (dir. João Paulo Cuenca). The FIPRESCI Award for Best Latin American Film was given to “Six Months in the Pink and Blue Building,” and for Best Brazilian Film to “London.”