29th SAO PAULO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Festival runs October 22nd to November 4th.

For the 29th year the BR Film Festival – São Paulo International Film Festival brings to the Brazilian public a selection of the best films of the world's cinema. Nearly 350 films will be shown from more than 50 different countries. Homage to cinema's great names such as Manoel de Oliveira, Roberto Rossellini and Victor Sjöström and retrospectives and special exhibitions are also part of the program.

In addition, The Italian actress Isabella Rossellini toasts the 29th São Paulo International Film Festival paying a double homage. The first one to her father, with the short-film My Dad is 100 Years Old, which celebrates the centennial of Roberto Rossellini. The other one is the Film Festival itself as she signs the commemorative poster and chose to represent the kiss. A symbolic act of love and one of the most recurrent scenes of cinematic history.

Retrospectives:
Manoel de Oliveira

The Portuguese Manoel de Oliveira, the longest-lived filmmaker in action, comes to São Paulo to be honored by the 29th BR Film Festival – São Paulo International Film Festival. He will attend the exhibition of his most recent film Magic Mirror , and he will follow the exclusive retrospective of his complete filmography.

The Film Festival will also be launching the book Manoel de Oliveira , about the filmmaker, with interviews and analysis of his works. The book is the result of the partnership of São Paulo International Film Festival with the Cosac Naify publisher.

The 29th BR Film Festival – São Paulo International Film Festival also brings to Brazil an exclusive and unprecedented retrospective of the Swedish Victor Sjöström, considered by Bergman one of his inspiring masters. With an extensive filmography, Sjöström also worked in many films. It is as an actor, as a matter of fact, his only work in the screen to be shown in Brazil , as Professor Isak Borg, leading man of Wild Strawberries (Smultronstället) , by Ingmar Bergman.

Homage
Roberto Rossellini

Roberto Rossellini is one of the honored of this festival edition. The Film Festival anticipates the celebration of his centennial – he would be 100 years old in 2006 – and makes special exhibitions of the film Roma, Città Aperta , preceded by the short film My Dad is 100 Years Old. The short film is directed by Guy Maddin, and it's written and performed by Isabella Rossellini, who pays a moving homage to her father. The film Viaggio in Italia , made by the filmmaker in 1953 and which has become one of the myths of the modern cinema, also will be exhibited.

It's Isabella Rossellini who signs the art of the commemorative poster of the 29th Film Festival, with cubist portrayal of the kiss, one of the most recurring scenes of the cinema's history. The actress is the new name in this gallery, enriched by posters already signed by great filmmakers like Aleksandr Sokúrov, Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini, Abbas Kiarostami, Takeshi Kitano, Akira Kurosawa and Emir Kusturica; and great artists such as Angeli, Guto Lacaz and Tomie Ohtake.

Victoria Abril

The Spanish cinema muse Victoria Abril is a special guest of the Film Festival and honors the public of São Paulo with the show of her first CD, “Putcheros do Brasil”, a homage to the Brazilian music.

In this single performance in Brazil, Victoria Abril sings the songs of her debut album, completely dedicated to successes composed by Chico Buarque, Tom Jobim, Caetano Veloso, and others. The show will be on the 28th of October, at the Sesc Pinheiros theater.

To honor Victoria Abril, the Film Festival will exhibit a selection of films in which she has acted. Among them, Kika and Sin Noticias de Dios.

Workshops and Discussions
São Paulo International Film Festival will promote and support, in this edition, workshops with national and international filmmakers and producers.

The enterprise is a way of approaching the public interested in the cinematographic technique and production of talented cinema's professionals.

To minister direction and production workshops, that will take place at FAAP, institution that supports the event, the 29th International Film Festival brings to São Paulo the celebrated filmmaker Danis Tanovic and the awarded producer Cedomir Kolar, director and producer of L'Enfer, which will be exhibited in this edition.

The Bosnian Danis Tanovic became worldwide famous in 2001, when his first film, No Man's Land was awarded in the main international film festivals . No Man's Land won the prizes of Best Screenplay, in Cannes , the Golden Globe and the Academy Award of Best Foreigner Film, among others. The film was exhibited at the 25th São Paulo International Film Festival and won the Public Prize.

Cedomir Kolar produces feature films and television series for more than 20 years. He has produced films as Arizona Dreams , by Emir Kusturica, Before the Rain (18th Film Festival), by Milcho Manchevski, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. He also produced Train of Life, by Radu Mihaileanu, winner of the Public Prize at the 22nd São Paulo International Film Festival, besides No Man's Land , 11'09''01 - September 11 e L'Enfer, in which he worked with Danis Tanovic.