The warmth, rhythm, and complexity of Brazilian life will soon fill Prague’s cinemas as the Kino Brasil Festival returns later this month. Running from Nov. 20-30, this year’s festival will explore the theme “The Faces of Brazil,” presenting a mosaic of stories that capture the country’s vibrant culture and deep social contrasts.
Now in its latest edition, the festival continues to serve as Czechia’s largest celebration of Brazilian cinematography and culture. Organized by the cultural association Saudade z. s., Kino Brasil will offer film screenings at Bio Oko from Nov. 27-30, accompanied by lectures, workshops, and live performances beginning a week earlier.
Festival project manager Petra Kawiková said the event aims to “show that Brazil is not just one face—it is a mosaic of stories, cultures, and identities.” This year’s lineup promises an engaging mix of international premieres, socially conscious storytelling, and the exuberant spirit that defines Brazilian cinema.
A celebration of cinematic storytelling
At the heart of the Kino Brasil Festival is its commitment to introducing Czech audiences to Brazilian films rarely seen outside the country’s borders. The 2025 program highlights a range of recent works that explore contemporary issues through powerful storytelling and striking visual style.
Leading the selection is The Secret Agent (pictured at top), the latest feature from acclaimed filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho, known for Bacurau and Aquarius. The film, starring Wagner Moura, earned critical acclaim at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it received awards for both Best Director and Best Acting Performance.
Another highlight, Manas, takes audiences deep into the Amazon, where it confronts the violation of women’s rights amid the tensions of modern development and traditional life. The festival also features Vitória, a crime drama set in a Rio de Janeiro favela, based on true events and featuring a celebrated performance from Fernanda Montenegro, who continues to captivate audiences at the age of 95.
Through these films, Kino Brasil brings together stories that reveal the human dimension behind Brazil’s social and political realities—portraits that are by turns joyful, tragic, and defiant.
Beyond the screen: A cultural dialogue
The festival’s cultural programming extends beyond cinema, offering Prague audiences a broader experience of Brazilian life. The accompanying events, beginning on Nov. 20, will include music and dance performances, food tastings, and discussions on topics ranging from indigenous rights to contemporary Brazilian art.
This multidimensional approach reflects the festival’s founding mission: to build a cultural bridge between Czech and Brazilian communities. According to Kawiková, Kino Brasil serves as “a platform for dialogue between Czech and Brazilian audiences,” providing both entertainment and insight into a country whose cultural expressions are as diverse as its geography.
Program director’s notes for this year’s festival emphasize the range of human experiences represented on screen—from the joyful resilience of everyday Brazilians to the darker undercurrents of inequality and corruption. These “faces of Brazil,” he wrote, embody both the light and shadow of a society where laughter and hardship coexist.
Films will be screened in their original Portuguese versions with Czech and English subtitles, making the program accessible to both local and international viewers.
For Prague’s audiences, the ten-day event provides not only a look at Brazil’s cinematic output but also an invitation to engage with its cultural identity in all its complexity—from the colorful rhythms of samba to the social realities of modern urban life.
The 2025 Kino Brasil Festival runs from Nov. 20 to 30 at venues across Prague, with film screenings at Bio Oko from Nov. 27-30. More information and a full program can be found at the official festival website.
