André Novais Oliveira wins top prize at Festival de Brasília

The film ‘Se eu fosse vivo... vivia’, directed by André Novais Oliveira, won the top prize at the 59th Festival de Brasília do Cinema Brasileiro. The production received the Troféu Candango for Best Feature Film, along with awards for Best Screenplay and Best Costume.

Set in Minas Gerais during the 1970s, the drama follows a couple, Gilberto and Jacira, through fifty years of marriage. The narrative shifts when Jacira is hospitalized, leading Gilberto to encounter unusual experiences. The film features notable performances by writer Conceição Evaristo and actor Norberto Novais Oliveira, both of whom received honorable mentions from the jury.

This edition of the festival, which is the longest-running in Brazil, saw a record 2,000 entries, with over 70 films selected for various showcases. Other notable winners included the film ‘Pequenas tragédias’ by Daniel Nolasco, which earned five awards, and the short film ‘Cana’, directed by Daniel Rone and Guilherme Xavier Ribeiro, which won the Troféu Candango for Best Short Film.