‘The Riverbank’ and ‘Elza’ Crowned at Rio Film Festival

Enock Carvalho and Matheus Farias’s feature debut, “The Riverbank,” captured Best Fiction Feature Film at the Rio Film Festival, while Eryk Rocha’s documentary “Elza” took home Best Documentary Feature Film. The awards were presented during a ceremony held at the historic Odeon cinema in Rio de Janeiro.

Set in Recife, “The Riverbank” centers on Izaquiel, a young cleaner played by Caique Copque, whose nighttime quest for connection draws him toward Jeremias, a charismatic fisherman portrayed by Ítalo Martins. As danger mounts, the pair ventures into the mangroves, where the boundary between reality and myth blurs to reveal the hidden power dynamics shaping their lives. The directors’ first collaboration arrives shortly after Farias received a Platino Award for editing Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Oscar-nominated film “The Secret Agent.”

“Elza” serves as a follow-up to Rocha’s “The Falling Sky,” which was well-received at the Directors’ Fortnight. The documentary offers an extensive look at the life of legendary Brazilian singer Elza Soares, utilizing rare archival footage and intimate interviews conducted with Soares during her final years. It chronicles her seven-decade career and explores the person behind the public persona. The production is backed by prominent partners including Aruac Filmes, Maria Farinha Filmes, Globo Filmes, RAI Cinema, and Gullane+.

Several other notable Brazilian releases also claimed top honors this year. Gabriel Martins’s “On Behalf of My Son,” which premiered at Toronto, won the Fiction Feature Audience Award and the prize for Best Director in Fiction. Victor di Marco and Márcio Picoli’s Venice-selected “London” and Ricardo Alves Jr.’s “The French Teacher,” recently shown at San Sebastián, also scooped key distinctions.

The Premiére Brasil jury was led by veteran producer Esther García, known for “La Bola Negra.” The panel included Jacqueline Lyanga, co-director of programming at the Berlinale; French producer Sophie Erbs; composer Flavia Tygel; and casting director Marcela Altberg.

Other juries included the New Trends panel, presided over by director and editor Karen Harley, along with screenwriter Maira Oliveira, producer Dora Amorim, and director-screenwriter Guto Parente. The Felix Jury, dedicated to LGBTQIA+-themed cinema, was headed by lawyer Ericka Gavinho and featured director-screenwriter Clara Anastacia, cultural critic Guilherme Terri (also known as Rita Von Hunty), filmmaker Vita, and cultural programmer Rodrigo Gerace.