After a year’s absence in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest outdoor film festival is back! Rocky Spirit returns to Villa Lobos Park on April 25 and 26. The outdoor film festival has been held since 2011. Its purpose is to promote healthy, outdoor living and a connection with nature.
The focus is on free screenings of short and medium-length documentaries on themes such as adventure and sports like surfing, climbing, and running. It also features productions about the environment, whether Brazilian or international.
There are a total of 55 selected documentaries, 19 of which are Brazilian productions.
This is a hybrid festival. In addition to the large screen set up on the lawn of Villa Lobos Park with a professional sound system, some screenings will also take place online. The same curated selection will be available for free for a limited time for those who were unable to attend the park over the weekend.
Inspiration from other open-air cinemas
The tradition of outdoor film screenings is long-standing and goes back to the very history of cinema. In Athens, in the early 20th century, films were already being shown in open spaces. Starting in 1920, rooftop theaters also began screening films under the open sky, especially in major cities like New York.
Another format that has gained popularity is the drive-in. This format consists of an outdoor cinema where the audience watches movies from inside their cars. The model originated in the U.S. in 1933 in New Jersey and gained popularity between 1940 and 1960.
In Brazil, records of large-scale outdoor screenings date back to the first half of the 20th century. Open-air theaters screened films in amusement parks and pavilions, bringing cinema to fairs and popular festivals.
In the 2000s, film festivals also began incorporating open-air screenings as part of their programming, following the trend already seen at major international film festivals.
What to do on the Rocky Spirit weekend?
Activities usually start at 1 p.m. In addition to enjoying concerts in the afternoon, the lawn will also host children’s workshops and recreational activities. Such as “training wheels” for children who are learning to ride a bike. It also includes a Go Outside camp .
There will also be sports clinics and free classes related to physical activities such as yoga, running, and cycling. The social areas will feature food trucks and sponsor activations.
The film screenings begin in the evening. A combination of a popular vote and a jury selects the audience’s favorite films. In recent years, films such as “Aretha on Everest” and “Footprints on Kamai” have won awards.