Brazil’s Nicho54 Institute is launching Cinemateca Negra (Black Brazilian Cinematheque in literal translation), an original publication that consolidates data about Black films in Brazil. Launching globally from the Marché du Film in Cannes, the publication maps over a thousand films made by Black filmmakers between 1949 and 2022, featuring a wealth of criticism, interviews, and data aimed at combating the historical erasure of Black creatives in the country, as well as incentivizing public policies to support Black filmmakers.
“Despite still facing deep historical inequalities when it comes to investment and visibility, the research [we conducted] demonstrates the strength of Black creativity over seven decades,” said Fernanda Lomba, filmmaker and founder of Nicho 54, a collective organization dedicated to strategically strengthening the presence of Black people in the Brazilian audiovisual industry through talent development, research and institutional support. “Our hope is to establish partnerships that can help us promote the preservation of this memory and these films, as well as stimulate healthier business for the next generations of Black filmmakers,” Lomba added.
Lomba will attend the Marché alongside curator Bethania Maia and producer Rubian Melo. Nicho54 is also at Cannes to amplify its internationalization efforts and will launch the fifth edition of Sala 54, a digital platform restricted to the international industry and exclusively dedicated to promoting arthouse films directed by Black Brazilian filmmakers. The announcement of the latest edition of Sala 54 will mark a first-time partnership between Nicho 54 and the Pavillion Afronova at Cannes, dedicated to promoting creatives from the African continent and diaspora.
