Carnaval 78 - Preparativos da Unidos de Bangu

Follows members of the Zulu Club, New Orleans’ first Black Mardi Gras, as they work to bring the Zulu parade back to the streets for Mardi Gras Day 2022, in the face of a global pandemic, hurricane Ida and the loss of members due to COVID and gun violence.

Sonho de um Carnaval

82 Minutos

A panorama of Brazilian popular music from the 60s and 70s through the musical group Novos Baianos. A retrospective of the community lifestyle adopted by its members and the influence inherited from singer João Gilberto.

The Mangueira slum is the scenario where Tantinho and the old samba composers remember stories about the slums and samba.

A year in the life of a samba school, from the first rehearsals to the parade on the avenue.

Carnaval 65

The making of the samba school parades, with the construction of the great cars, the decorations being spread all over the city and the hand-crafted tailoring of the costumes by apt hands that stitch together colourful and glowing materials.

A Raça Síntese de Joãosinho Trinta

The documentary talks a little about the carnival experience that Arlindo Rodrigues had during his more than 25 years of artistic life.

"É o Boi" is a documentary that narrates the origins, portrays the present and discusses the perspectives of carnival in the city of Porto Ferreira/SP. Celebrating a tradition that already is already 90 years old, the film is mainly made up of images taken during the Porto Ferreira's carnival and interviews with people who fight daily to keep this unique and at the same time typically Brazilian cultural manifestation alive. Made over almost a decade, "É o Boi" also portrays critical moments of this carnival in the countryside of São Paulo, including disagreements with public authorities that almost led to the carnival being banned and the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the organization of celebrations.

Sou Carnaval de São Salvador

This short film follows Pelé, a retired nurse who looks back on his time as a Mateus in the century-old Bumba Meu Boi group, Boi Tira-Teima. As he builds a new boi for the festival, he revisits the defining moments of his journey as a performer, carnival artist, and son of Mestre Gerson, the group’s former patriarch. The film explores how the way we carry our memories of the past shapes who we become in the present.

Documentary exploring the Carnaval de Laza, its ancient traditions and modern practitioners.

Documentary about the kolla people living in North Western Argentina.

Short by Jomard Muniz de Britto

Deixa O Samba Me Levar

Short documentary recounting the history of the Santiago de Cuba carnival.

Amid the explosion of colors, sounds, and excesses of Olinda’s 2025 Carnival, Cuceteiras VII: "Cucesniff?" dives into the behind-the-scenes of a house that becomes the epicenter of partying, chaos, and connection. A group of friends shares a roof during the most intense days of the year, living a routine filled with alcohol, drugs, unexpected guests, and catchphrases that go viral among revelers. Between laughter, hangovers, and confessions, the documentary captures the raw intensity of human connection when the masks come off — or multiply. A chaotic, honest, and irreverent chronicle of youth, freedom, and the unmistakable heat of Pernambuco’s carnival.

Alegria, Viva o Bloco Não é Não