Bonito CineSur – South American Film Festival – 2026
The heart of South American cinema beats in Bonito
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
Competitive screenings of new South American feature films and short films produced between 2025 and 2026;
Parallel exhibition of South American children’s animation films;
Competitive screening of environmental-themed films;
Competitive screening of films from Mato Grosso do Sul, produced between 2025 and 2026;
Awards, debates, and roundtable discussions aimed at international cooperation;
Workshops for professionals, film and audiovisual academics, and local residents;
Exchange with leading South American film festival directors.
VENUES
CMU – Bonito Convention Center and public squares.
ECOTOURISM, CULTURE AND CINEMA
In the heart of Brazil, the city of Bonito is part of the Serra da Bodoquena National Park and is one of the most important ecotourism destinations in the country.
Mato Grosso do Sul borders Bolivia and Paraguay, from where it has received strong cultural influences that shape the ethnic identity of its people.
Bonito has approximately twenty thousand inhabitants and, in this charming city, there are crystal-clear rivers, waterfalls, caves, and some of the most beautiful landscapes in Brazil’s Midwest. As a cultural hub of Mato Grosso do Sul, Bonito hosts literary and jazz festivals, as well as a winter festival.
Bonito CineSur is a space for meeting and integration of South American cinema and audiovisual production, presenting the most recent works and bringing together professionals from across the continent.
In 2025, its third edition enriched the cultural calendar of the city, the country, and the continent with the screening of 63 films from 10 South American countries, in 120 hours of free programming.
Bonito CineSur received wide coverage in local and national media, with 1,665 published news pieces, reaching more than 619 thousand people on social media. It grew in size and relevance with the participation of 60 public and private institutions, reaching 9,000 people and fostering the local creative economy through the hiring of 250 professional services, including production, technical equipment, hotels, restaurants, and transportation, generating income and visibility.
In 2026, Bonito CineSur will continue to occupy venues throughout the city of Bonito and will further consolidate the convergence between culture, environment, and tourism, promoting South American cinematic exchange, highlighting environmental issues, and internationally promoting the tourist destination of Bonito and our beloved Brazil.
TEAM
NILSON RODRIGUES – Director
Producer of the films “O Outro Lado do Paraíso” (2015) and “O Pastor e o Guerrilheiro” (2022). Nilson served as director of the Festival de Brasília do Cinema Brasileiro (1995, 1997, 1998, and 2011) and of the Brasília International Film Festival (2012 to 2017), as well as Bonito CineSur (2023 to 2026).
ANDREA FREIRE – Coordinator
Coordinator of the Bonito Winter Festival (2000 to 2006, 2015, and 2016); coordinator of the Festival América do Sul (2004, 2005, 2015, and 2016); coordinator of the Vídeo Índio Brasil Showcase (2009); of the audiovisual production course Mídias Contemporâneas Narrativas Populares (2010); director, researcher, and screenwriter of the audiovisual series EVOÉ – Dramatic Stories in Campo Grande (2021). Coordinator of Bonito CineSur (2023 to 2026).
GUSTAVO DE ARRUDA CASTELO (Cegonha) – Coordinator
Cultural producer, coordinator of Temporadas Populares (1999 to 2002); General Director of the Mato Grosso do Sul Culture Foundation (2020 to 2022); Coordinator of Bonito CineSur (2023 to 2026).
JOSÉ GERALDO COUTO – Curator
Born in Jaú, São Paulo, in 1957, he is a journalist, translator, and film critic. He worked for more than twenty years at Folha de S. Paulo newspaper and currently works at the Moreira Salles Institute. He has translated works by Henry James, Norman Mailer, Truman Capote, Martin Scorsese, and Nelson Mandela, among others.
CECILIA DIEZ – Curator
University professor and general producer of the Mar del Plata International Film Festival (2021–2023) and Ventana Sur (2022–2023).
RODRIGO FONSECA – Curator
Curator, critic, and researcher of Brazilian cinema, known for his work curating film exhibitions and festivals, as well as for his work as a journalist and professor.
LUCIANA DRUZINA – Director of Druzina Content, where for over fifteen years she has produced animated series, films, fiction, and games distributed in more than fifty countries across various platforms and channels. Curator of the children’s parallel program of Bonito CineSur (2023 to 2026).
ELIS REGINA – Curator of the Environmental Film Section Journalist, has worked as a curator at several events, including Comitiva dos Chefs Festival Movie Showcase (2019); Making Of Showcase – O Cinema Está Aqui – Festcine América do Sul (2014); A Imagem do Índio – Vídeo Índio Brasil(2014 and 2015); Comida em Movimento Festival – Cinema and Gastronomy (2023); and the Bonito CineSur South American Environmental Film Festival (2023 to 2026).
MARCOS PIERRY – Curator of the Mato Grosso do Sul Film Section
Journalist, critic, audiovisual curator, screenwriter, short film director, and film professor. He holds a Master’s degree from USP and a PhD from UFMG. Member of the Brazilian Association of Film Critics (Abraccine). Curator of the Mato Grosso do Sul film section of Bonito CineSur (2024 and 2026).
BONITO CINESUR – South American Film Festival
Production – Associação Amigos do Cinema e da Cultura – AACIC
The Associação Amigos do Cinema e da Cultura – AACIC is a private, non-profit organization founded in 2007, which has been developing cultural, educational, and training projects for over fifteen years.
The association’s experience and technical capacity to develop and carry out activities in the field of cinema, as well as in education, training, and culture in general, have been officially recognized by the Education, Health, and Culture Commission of the Legislative Chamber of Brasília and by the University of Brasília.
