"I try to make the audience engage all the senses and experience Brazil firsthand," revealed Bára, event manager of Kino Brasil.

This time, the Kino Brasil team interviewed Bára, Kino Brasil's event manager. Which accompanying events can you look forward to this year and how can you find your way around them? You can read all this and much more in our article.

This year's edition of Kino Brasil is in the spirit of interesting changes. For the first time, the film festival will not last 4 days, but several weeks. But there are film screenings just like in previous years. So what is different this year and why?

[Barbora] The festival will start on October 15th, films will be available from October 29th to November 3rd. Last year we celebrated 10 years and that forced us to think about what to do next. A lot has changed over the years, most of us have children or live abroad and we have less and less time, so we have to work more efficiently. We decided to take the festival to the next level and got help from the Holek z marketingu (Marketing Girls Academy). I have to say that the outside view was just what helped us go in the right direction. We had a strong logo created that reflects our identity and, based on recommendations, we established cooperation with businesses in Prague 7, where the film festival is traditionally held. Then came the idea of ​​accompanying events outside the time of the film festival, which would serve to promote the festival earlier, to expand our audience and at the same time our offer of events for our loyal viewers. The idea that people would tune in to Brazil earlier and be able to fully devote themselves to the films during the film festival was great for us, because cramming all the events into four days was always exhausting.

Where did you get your inspiration?

[Barbora] I had a lot of ideas from the beginning. I studied Portuguese studies and Ibero-American studies, I know Brazil as well as many Brazilians and people who are devoted to Brazil and live in the Czech Republic. I created a list of possible actions, presented it to the team and immediately started to find out who is interested in cooperation.

There are really many events. Are you organizing all this? Where do you get the funding for so many accompanying events?

[Barbora] I honestly did not expect that there would be so many events. I thought I would contact twenty people and five of them would show interest. To my surprise, almost everyone showed interest. The trickier part of organizing our side events is that I'm working on a very tight budget. So I often have to involve creativity and think about what to offer so that the event makes sense for our co-organizers as well. There are also cases when events are already on sale and we contact the organizers to see if we can include them in the program. If we have costs, this means that there must be an entry fee for the event. The problem is sometimes that viewers choose events at the last minute and we don't know until the last moment if the event will take place. I admit that the idea of ​​working for free every day for several months and still having to reach into my own pocket is quite unpleasant. We can only hope that the events are interesting enough that people will come to them.

Concert 450 CZK, tasting 975 CZK, workshop 450 CZK. These are not small amounts when you consider that one should visit more events. Aren't you worried that people will spend money on side events and then stop coming to the movies?

[Barbora] We try to communicate events well in advance, and not all events will ever interest everyone. In my opinion, more expensive events can also be a great birthday or anniversary gift. We have tried to negotiate special prices for several events (e.g. forró workshop CZK 50, cafe quiz CZK 40) and some events are free as part of cooperation (capoeira and samba workshop, festival party, Brazilian coffee tasting, children's events) ). I wish all side events could be free, but we would have to work with completely different finances, or we would have to cut our rich side-program and leave only free events, but that would be a shame. In addition, people will have the opportunity to win a movie ticket in each accompanying event. And until October 14th, viewers can buy movie tickets at a special price. I realize that the expenses during our festival can be higher, but we really try to come up with an attractive offer of events and the best possible prices.

Is there something complicated about organizing events for you?

[Barbora] Two things immediately come to mind. The first is definitely the time requirement. One lives in the illusion that one exchange two e-mails with someone and it will be done. But when you've been arranging the event for two months and there are easily fifty e-mails with one person, I sometimes wonder if I overestimated myself. Arranging an event is one thing, promoting and selling it is another (and I'm also responsible for social media and the website). The second thing that sometimes bothers me is the unpleasant feeling that we don't have money for events. I appreciate people's work, I'm a photographer myself and I know how annoying it is when someone wants your services more favorably. And so I empathize with other people and do everything to make their work for the festival worthwhile, I look for opportunities and work even more, even if I personally don't get anything financially from it.

As you say, like other team members, you also work voluntarily. It's obvious that you really put a lot of energy into the festival this year. So why are you doing all this, under these conditions?

[Barbora] I've been used to doing things I enjoy since I was a child. The feeling of enjoying something is more important to me than money. Of course, you have to make a living, but this year I decided to dedicate all my free time (during parental leave, so there isn't much left, but still 4-6 hours a day) to the festival. I love Brazil and I really enjoy working with our team. I really admire how everyone manages it and how dedicated they are to the festival. You can see that it's everyone's favorite and that's why it's worth it to them, even if there are sometimes unpleasant scenarios that, God forbid, we'd have to pay extra for all the work done if not enough people came to the cinema. This is an image I honestly never want to experience. I really hope that this year will be a success and that all our accompanying events and films will be sold out! The goal may be high, but it is not unrealistic. When a person already works for free, they must still feel that their work has meaning. And it makes sense to me.

It certainly takes a lot of work to think through and organize everything. Will you have the energy left for the accompanying program during the festival itself?

[Barbora] I want to believe so. Ideally, I would like to be at every event, take visual materials, see that everything works as it should, in short, enjoy what I have been working on for those months. But I already know that I won't be able to be everywhere in person. And it is one thing to have the strength to be at the events in person, and another thing is to constantly communicate with our viewers on social networks so that they do not miss important information about the events. I'm not very good at delegating work, but I'm learning! Zuzka on social media and Adilson and Carol on the website are really helping me this year. In the same way, we take turns at the events so that we have enough strength and can enjoy them.

What collaboration are you most happy about this year?

[Barbora] Personally, I have the greatest joy from working with Mr. Mnislav Zelený-Atapana, who will be in Bio Oko on October 26th, to the premiere of a film about the Indians of the Brazilian Amazon and a subsequent lecture. But we will have many interesting personalities this year, be it Veronika Lálová, Miloš Vacík, Ricardo Hoineff, Devanil Santos and Brian Macedo, Vinicius Cantuária,... but I'm also looking forward to the fact that the festival party will take place again after a few years just a few steps away from the cinema - at Cafe Kolektor - and also for the fact that I organized a tasting of Brazilian food and Brazilian coffee. I try to make the audience engage all the senses and experience Brazil firsthand. They can enjoy listening to Brazilian music in several versions, but also try playing the Brazilian drums for themselves. Watch a dance performance, but also try to dance Brazilian dances or learn the martial art of capoeira. Hear a story from the Brazilian carnival, but also get closer to the indigenous ethnic groups of the Amazon. Enjoy Brazilian food and coffee while learning about coffee growing and importing. Have a lot of fun with friends at the cafe quiz and at the party. Involve your children in the program prepared by the Brazilian parents' club Clubinho Aquarela and the Portuguese kindergarten Escolinha Portuguesa. And thanks to these events, experiences and feelings, in the end they will enjoy Brazil even more on the cinema screen, in quality films, and thus understand even better what they see in the films.

Lectures, workshops, tastings, concerts... that's a real load of Brazilian culture. How to find your way in all this and choose?

[Barbora] I must say that there are really many events. We try to communicate them gradually on social networks, but I understand that someone can be overwhelmed by this. The entire program is already on the website, I would recommend taking a pen and paper, make a coffee, read about the events and write down the ones that interest you. Then look at the calendar and when you are free, write down what is happening and when! But you can also simply purchase the events straight away, so you know what you can look forward to. :)

I believe that everyone will find something for themselves. Try to choose actions based on the senses - for example, one for thinking, one for movement, one for listening, one for inspiration, one for satisfying your taste buds. If you still can't decide, write to me on Instagram and I'll be happy to advise you.

Did any of the events interest you? Check out the full festival program here.