Bate e Volta Copacabana wins the Arthouse Cinema Award at Cinélatino Toulouse • CICAE

During the Cinélatino Toulouse festival, the film Bate e Volta Copacabana by Juliana Antunes and Camila Matos received the Arthouse Cinema Award in the Films in Progress section, dedicated to supporting independent Latin American films still in post-production.

Presented by the International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas (CICAE), the awards recognise outstanding films with strong potential for the international arthouse circuit. Each year, the prize highlights works that combine artistic vision with the ability to reach independent cinemas and connect with audiences beyond the festival context.

The jury, with Alicia Hernanz representing CICAE, alongside Marie Foulon (Paname Distribution, France) and Jakub Duszynski (Gutek Film, Poland), commented:

"We would like to present the Award of European Distributors and Exhibitors to Bate e Volta Copacabana, a vibrant new voice from Brazil, distinguished by its rare audacity and disarming sincerity.

This film, still a work in progress, already carries within it the promise of a kind of cinema that unsettles, captivates, and above all, leaves no one indifferent. Through the power of its imagery and the freedom of its perspective on youth and sensuality, it charts a singular and courageous path."

Bate e Volta Copacabana follows Paulinha, who lives a tough life in a slum in inland Brazil. During a scuffle, she meets Michelle, a girl fleeing both the police and criminals, who becomes her best friend.

Their lives are further complicated when Michelle falls for Gabi, the person Paulinha secretly loves. The trio embarks on a trip to Rio de Janeiro, and as desire misleads them, both the journey and their relationships take unexpected turns. They must confront new challenges and navigate unknown paths on the way home.

Directors: Juliana Antunes & Camila Matos

Juliana Antunes

Born in 1989, Juliana Antunes is a director and screenwriter. Her debut feature, Baronesa (2017), screened at 100 festivals and won 25 awards, including FIDMarseille, La Havana Film Festival, IndieLisboa, and DOC Montevideo. She has also written and directed short films Control Plan and Tropic of Capricorn, both screened at major festivals including NYFF and VIENNALE.

Selected Filmography:

2017 – Baronesa (feature film)
FID Marseille – Audience Award, Renaud Victor Award, Marseille Espérance Award
Mar del Plata – Best Latin American Feature Film
IndieLisboa – Grand Prize of the City of Lisbon

2019 – Plano Controle (short film)
Mar del Plata – Best Film
FIC Valdivia – Special Jury Prize

2020 – Trópico de Capricórnio (short film)

Camila Matos

Camila Matos is a director, screenwriter, and editor based in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. She graduated from the Vila das Artes Public Film School in Fortaleza. Together with Juliana Antunes, she co-directed Bate e Volta Copacabana (post-production) and is currently working on Superb, selected for awards at the Brasil Cinemundi Market (Belo Horizonte, 2025).

Selected Filmography:

2026 – Bate e Volta Copacabana (work in progress)
Superb (in development)