Gabriel Mascaro’s Neon Bull / Boi Neon (pictured left) was the top winner at the 17th edition of the Rio Film Festival receiving the award for Best Film. The film was also presented with the awards for Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actress.
This is the third time since 2012 that a filmmaker from the Brazilian city of Recife receives the top prize at the festival (after Kleber Mendonça Filho in 2012 and Lírio Ferreira in 2014).
Mascaro’s second feature film follows Iremar, a cowboy who works at a traditional rodeo in rural Brazil, While he's not afraid to get his hands dirty, Iremar's real dream is to design exotic outfits for dancers.
The Best Director award was presented to two filmmakers: Anita Rocha da Silveira for Kill Me Please / Mata-me Por Favor, and Ives Rosenfeld for Hopefuls / Aspirantes.
Petra Costa and Lea Glob’s Olmo and the Seagull / Olmo e a Gaivota (pictured right) was the winner for the Best Documentary award, while Maria Ramos received the Best Director Documentary award for her film Future June / Futuro Junho.
The Audience Award was presented to Roberto Berliner’s Heart of Madness / Nise – O Coração da Loucura in the fiction category, and to Victor Lopes’ Betinho – Hope on the Line / Betinho- A Esperança Equilibrista.
The 17th edition of the Rio Film Festival tool place October 1-14 in Brazil.
