INAUGURAL EDITION – 2026
The 1st International Cine Portal Film Festival of Canavieiras, held between April 30th and May 1st, concluded its historic inaugural edition establishing itself not only as the first international film festival on the Cocoa Coast, but as a tool for social transformation. With an estimated audience of 600 to 700 people, the festival mobilized the Cocoa Coast with the support of major names in cinema, such as Wagner Moura and Maria Marighella, who sent messages of admiration and encouragement to the city.
PROGRAMMES AND SCREENINGS
The 1st edition featured sessions organised across the following programmes:
- Municipal Competitive Programme – Portal da Juventude
- Portal Rios e Marés
- Portal Baiano
- Portal Nacional
- Portal Brasil no Mundo
- Portal da Estreia
Several sessions were followed by audience discussions, encouraging dialogue, exchange of experiences and critical thinking.
Support from Giants and Stars on the Red Carpet
The event gained national visibility through support videos recorded by icons such as actor and director Wagner Moura and cultural producer Maria Marighella.
The prestige continued in person with the participation of influential figures from the sector:
- Rogério Sagui: Director whose works were highlights of the programme.
- Pisit Mota: Actor who actively participated in debates and seminars.
- Lula Oliveira and Elson Rosário: Filmmakers who brought their experience to discussions on audiovisual as an educational tool.
Education and Youth: The Heart of the Festival
One of the highlights was the strong participation of public school students. On the first day, the CMOB Auditorium became a classroom and cinema simultaneously.
“Seeing the spark in young people’s eyes as they walked the red carpet at Porto dos Milagres shows that Cine Portal is a movement of occupation”, say the festival’s founders, the Braig Brothers.
The closing night was marked by the glamour of the awards ceremony for young filmmakers from Canavieiras, complete with a red carpet at Porto dos Milagres.
JURY – YOUTH COMPETITIVE PROGRAMME
The defining feature of this edition was the prestige of its jury, which brought evaluation standards from the world’s greatest festivals to the local reality. The jury was composed of:
Mariette Rissenbeek (Former Executive Director of the Berlinale and Producer)
Alex Saporetti (Jury President, Cultural Producer and Mentor)
Mônica Demes (Award-Winning Director and Screenwriter)
Yasmine Evaristo (Researcher, Film Critic and Golden Globe Voter)
Ingrid Ranieri (Actress and Tupinambá Activist)
Youth Protagonism and Competitive Exclusivity
While film programmes from across Brazil and the world — including productions from all five Brazilian regions and Brazilians abroad — filled the schedule, the only competitive category was the Cine Portal da Juventude, dedicated exclusively to young filmmakers up to 29 years old from Canavieiras.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION – 1st EDITION
The closing night of the 1st International Cine Portal Film Festival celebrated the emergence of talented local filmmakers. Beyond the titles, the winners received unique pieces of art: the trophies were handmade by the Artesãs em Movimento collective, highlighting the craftsmanship and identity of Canavieiras.
The Main Winners:
- Gabriel Reis: Awarded Best Film for “I sailed every day of my life thinking you’d return”.
- Rafaele Caetano: Swept the categories with the film “The colour of absence”, winning Best Acting, Best Screenplay, and the Audience Award.
Sebrae Award: Sebrae, a key partner in supporting the creative economy, presented special awards for:
- Best Film (“I sailed every day of my life thinking you’d return” by Gabriel Reis)
- Audience Award (“The color of absence” by Rafaele Caetano)
- Audience Prize: A special giveaway for a lucky member of the crowd, highlighting the festival’s commitment to its community.
CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND TOURISM IMPACT
The 1st International Cine Portal Film Festival of Canavieiras operated on multiple fronts:
- Nurturing the development of young local audiovisual talent;
- Promoting Bahian, national and international cinema;
- Valorising public spaces as sites of cultural gathering;
- Strengthening Canavieiras’ image as a creative and cultural city;
- Generating direct impact on local commerce, tourism and services.
The professional audiovisual documentation of the event will be used as ongoing promotional material, expanding the city’s tourism visibility throughout the following year.
