'Phobia' nabs 5 Brasilia Fest prizes

Mockumentary wins best feature at film festival

By MARCELO CAJUEIRO

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Kiko Goifman's controversial "FilmeFobia" (FilmPhobia) nabbed five Candango kudos at the 41st Brasilia Film Festival, which wrapped Nov. 25 in the country's capital. The principal Brazilian fest dedicated to local pics awards coin prizes totaling 410,000 reais ($200,000).

"Phobia" received the feature kudo, as well as the actor nod for Jean-Claude Bernardet, the critics prize and several others. The experimental pic is a mockumentary about phobias, including fear of airplanes, spiders and needles.

The jury, comprising local helmers Sergio Machado, Vladimir Carvalho, Carlos Reichenbach and Murilo Salles; actresses Maria Flor and Sandra Corveloni; and journalist Artur Xexeo, presented a special Candango for Evaldo Mocarzel's "On the Fringes of Sao Paulo: Garbage." The doc has also received the cinematography (for Gustavo Hadba and Andre Lavenere) and aud kudos.

Mocarzel's documentary, revolving around impoverished garbage collectors in Sao Paulo, is the third of a series that also includes docs about squatting and the homeless.

Geraldo Sarno's "Tudo isto me parece um sonho" (It All Seems a Dream) nabbed the director and scriptwriter Candangos. The docudrama is about general Abreu e Lima, a Brazilian who fought against Spain in the wars of independence of Colombia, Venezuela and Peru.

Rosemberg Cariry's fiction feature "Siri-Ara" drew the supporting actor kudo (for Everaldo Pontes), as well as the actress and supporting actress Candangos, both given to the pic's entire female cast.

The third Brazilian Locations Seminar, gathering local film commission and government reps, was held during the fest. The film commissions' association Abrafic launched a guide to locations and production services in Brazil, compiling practical and regulatory info for lensing in the country.

Winners:

Film: "FilmPhobia"

Director: Geraldo Sarno ("It All Seems a Dream")

Actor: Jean-Claude Bernardet ("FilmPhobia")

Actress: female cast of "Siri-Ara"

Special Jury award: "On the Fringes of Sao Paulo: Garbage"

Supporting actor: Everaldo Pontes ("Siri-Ara")

Supporting actress: female cast of "Siri-Ara"

Scriptwriter: Geraldo Sarno e Werner Salles ("It All Seems a Dream")

Cinematographer: Gustavo Hadba and Andre Lavenere ("On the Fringes of Sao Paulo: Garbage")

Art director: Cris Bierrenbach ("FilmPhobia")

Score: musicians depicted in the doc "Saint Luzia's Miracle"

Sound: Fernando Cavalcante ("Nande Guarani")

Editing: Vania Debs ("FilmPhobia")

Critics: "FilmPhobia"