#IThinkThereforeIResist
Last year, we celebrated the 25 years of Mix Brasil, and in our catalogue introduction we
mentioned “a conservative obscurantism wave” finishing the text with a premonitory
statement, saying that the Festival “has been and would keep on being the most consistent LGBT cultural act in our country”. It wasn’t possible by then to predict that the feeling of insecurity and the LGBTphobic rhetoric would escalate and reach not only those historically marginalized groups of our community. In this 26th edition, it’s clear that Mix Brasil role ismore important than ever.
The Resistance we talk about it today, it’s not only about Civil and Human Rights, the
acquired ones as much as the ones that were up for discussion. Culture itself is at risk.
But that’s why we are here, existing and resisting.
This year, there will be more than 100 films screened, with an emphasis on the increasing number of FEMALE directors and a lesbian film historic retrospective. Among Brazilians, who have been gaining importance year after year in the programme, we’ll debut the National Panorama, which is added to the Brazilian Competition with a total of 20 feature films, a record. We shall also highlight the powerful short films production coming from Rio de Janeiro, an artistic evidence of resistance from the city that’s been more sharpingly facing the economical crisis and the ultra conservatism effects. São Paulo keeps on being the top and more diverse production hub, and North and Northeast regions have been developing new and peculiar cinematographic languages with significant presence of LGBTQI characters and themes.
In order to show that there are many of us and we are making our presence felt in all
audiovisual areas, we open the Games axis in partnership with Abragames and
BIG Festival.
Literature returns in full force bringing debates and workshops with more than 60 essential names of the national publishing scenario.
Mix Music and Theater in Scene, as usual, make a recap of performances and names that
marked the music scene and the scenic arts.
And for a better understanding of the moment and an exchange of ideas, we’ll have our 4th Conference edition, produced in partnership with Pajubá and a number of groups to talk about Politics, Market, Health, Identities and Feminism these times.
João Nery, a symbol of courage and persistence for the global trans community who
recently passed away, is honored with the Mix Icon Award.
2018 has been quite hard, and we already know that next year will be even more
challenging. 26th Mix Brasil Festival of Cultural Diversity provides us eleven days to think
together on the smartest, most empowered and effective ways of resistance.
Just like the words of Johnny Hooker’s song, our trailer topic this year, “a new era will
overcome so that we can flourish and love, love with no fear”.
Andre Fischer, João Federici and Josi Geller