Posts tagged with "festival"

Circuito Inffinito

Posted by Rachel No Comments
May 28 2010

Great news, Brazilian Portuguese fans! The Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival may be coming to your city this summer. The festival will be in New York from June 5 – 12, in Vancouver from July 15 – 18, in Miami from August 13 – 21, and in London from September 1 – 5. This is not only an excellent opportunity to get a first peek at Brazilian movies, but also to meet Brazilians and practice your Portuguese.

The New York festival coming up next week will feature films from well known Brazilian directors, including Daniel Filho and José Joffily, and includes films from other festivals, like Elvis e Madona, which was featured at the Tribeca Film Festival. There will also be several events for the opening and closing of the festival, which will be sure to have some Brazilian stars. The New York festival will also feature a special tribute to Brasilía, and MPB singer Maria Gadú will be performing at the closing night event in Central Park.

To get an idea of what it’s like, check out highlights from last year’s festival!

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Meet a Brazilian

Posted by Rachel 5 Comments
Sep 3 2009

One of the best ways to learn Portuguese is by making friends with Brazilians and making sure they speak and/or write to you on a regular basis, be it in person, on the phone, by IM, or email. Speaking and listening to a native speaker are absolutely essential tools to becoming more fluent.

So if you live in the US, I have a few suggestions for how you can meet a Brazilian this very weekend!

1. Saturday, September 5th: Brazil and Argentina’s national teams will face off in one of soccer’s greatest rivalries for a pre-World Cup qualifier in Rosario, Argentina. Head to your local sports bar or Brazilian restaurant/bar and you will be sure to find plenty of Portuguese conversation (and maybe a few expletives too–be warned!). The game starts at 8:30 EST.

2. Saturday, September 5th: In New York, baianas will take to the streets of Midtown and participate in the famous “washing of the steps” like in Salvador. There will also be a parade down 46th Street, including famous Bahian singer Carlinhos Brown and his band.

3. Sunday, September 6th: Boston’s 14th Annual Brazilian Independence Festival kicks off on the 6th, which includes music, film screenings, food, and children’s activities.

4. Sunday, September 6th: In New York, Sunday is Brazilian Day, one of the largest Brazilian events outside of the homeland, broadcast live in Brazil on Globo each year. Along with food, music, dancers, floats, and thousands of Brazilians, there will also be special performances by Marcelo D2, Victor & Leo, and other Brazilian artists. There will also be a number of Brazil after parties around the city on Sunday evening.

Watermelon Festival in Rio Grande do Sul

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Feb 17 2009

While the rest of the country gears up for Carnival, the city of Pedro Osório in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul is having a different kind of celebration: a watermelon festival.

In the eighth annual edition of the festival, watermelon producers sell fresh fruit to the public, as well as the many products that can be made from watermelon, including several types of candy, sauce, ice cream, and liquor. The fresh watermelons range from 10 to 12 kilos.

Rio Grande do Sul is the number one producer of watermelon in Brazil, but suffered this year due to a drought. As a result, there was a smaller crop, but the quality and taste of the crop was still excellent.

To watch a video about the festival, click here.

Hip Hop Festival Begins in Rio

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Nov 4 2008

Today, aside from being election day in the US, is the opening day of the Ninth Annual Hutúz Festival, a celebration of hip hop culture in Rio de Janeiro. The opening coincides with Dia da Favela, Slum Day, and as such the opening will take place in Manguinhos, the home of the Central Única das Favelas, a Rio favela organization.

The event will feature graffiti artists, skateboarders, DJs, b-boys (breakdancers), rappers, and artists. The idea of the event is not only to showcase hip hop culture in Brazil, but also to promote social responsibility, racial equality and the power of favela residents, who otherwise are considered marginalized in Brazilian society. The event will feature seminars, workshops, skateboarding and basketball games, a Brazilian rap competition, films, and live music performances by South American rappers.

For more information, see the official website.

The International Humor Festival Arrives in Rio

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Oct 23 2008

The International Humor Festival began this week in Rio de Janeiro and will run until November 23rd. The festival features expositions at two venues, Centro Cultural Correios and Espaço Cultural Oi Futuro, as well as debates and theater productions. The festival will also honor several Brazilian cartoonists, including Luís Fernando Veríssimo, Laerte and Angeli (cartoon featured below).

The expositions will feature thousands of cartoons from Brazilian artists, as well as an international section from artists abroad. Entry is free at both venues, though the doors only open in the afternoon. They are recommended for adults and for teenagers aged 14 and older.

For more information, see the official site.

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