Special Programs

Since the inception of Kinoforum, the Special Programs have served as a window into perspectives and curated selections from across the globe and spanning all cinematic genres. Drawing from the films submitted to the festival, the programming team crafts thematic journeys that invite audiences to explore diverse subjects and worldviews. We also invite curators from other festivals and partner institutions to present their own unique selections.

This year, the submissions inspired the first three programs in this section. Eternal, Gentle Sun—a title borrowed from a verse by Cecília Meireles—presents films that view aging through a lens of acceptance. Similarly, Expressions of Masculinity brings together two programs exploring this theme, while the long-running Nocturnu showcases horror cinema for enthusiasts.

Three guest curators share their Ibero-American perspectives: the Argentine wit of Carte Blanche to Bafici; the Portuguese melancholy of PortugueseFemale Animators, For Sure—continuing a series that annually reveals the visions of women in animation from various countries; and Spanish Comedy: Humor en Corto, celebrating a festival that has spent 25 years screening comedies designed to both entertain and provoke thought.

A program dedicated to Haitian filmmaker Samuel Suffren explores his poetic take on family, migration, and belonging, while the Urban Dialogues showcase fosters a conversation about the cinematic imagery of two cities. São Paulo and Recife are the first to engage in this dialogue, each with its own distinct approach to filmmaking and presentation to the public.

We also present a collection of works created through the Kinoforum Workshops project; for
25 years, this initiative has introduced audiovisual arts to children and young people in social projects and schools, fostering a critical eye among new generations.

We invite everyone to enjoy this journey!