July 2024

Penedo has lived an historical moment, on the last November 13th, with Cine Penedo’s reopening – the city’s first movie theater -, making a mark not only in the projections return, but also consolidating itself as an meaningful mark, specially after the municipality recent selection as an UNESCO Creative City Network.

After decades without commercial activities, since 1962, and episodic use during the Penedo Cinema Circuit first editions in the 70s, Cine Penedo was reopened during the 2023 Edition of Penedo Cinema Circuit.

The place where hundreds of people got back to see movies, receives more people next weekend with the exhibition of the biopic “Mussum, O filmis” and “The Impeachment – Setembro, 1957. Sexta-Feira 13 ”, production about the emblematic episode in Alagoas politics, noted by the shooting inside the State Legislative Assembly.”

The long film about Mussum, the famous musician and humorist from the “Os Trapalhões” group, will be exhibited in two sessions, the first on Friday, December 1st, at 6:30pm., and the next day, at 4p.m.

The documentary, however, which explores the murder of the then Governor Muniz Falcão will be shown in a special session, only on Friday night, at 8:30p.m.

Impeachment is a production contemplated with the IV Audiovisual Production Incentive Award in Alagoas, released by the State Government, through the State Secretariat for Culture and Creative Economy.

The access to all sessions at Cine Penedo is free of charge, with ticket distribution available half an hour before every session, at the cinema box office.

Originally posted by Fagner Honorato on 11/29/2023
Translated by Denner Sabino

With movies to all types of people and exhibitions in three different places, and no charging for tickets, free workshops about stop motion animations, debates with producers and artists, activities in the remaining quilombola village Tabuleiro dos Negros, exhibitions spaces for the local entrepreneur, and musical shows at Praça 12 de Abril.

During a week, Penedo Cinema Circuit created learning opportunities, promoted leisure, networking opportunities and questioning by means of audiovisual, stimulating the interest by the creative economy that made Penedo an UNESCO’s Creative City, in the cinema category.

The side activities are part of the circuit that made its 13th edition in 2023, consolidating Penedo in the most relevant events in Brazil’s cinema, with highlights to the exhibition of shorts and long films at Praça 12 de Abril, at the Conventions Center (former Cine São Francisco) and Cine Penedo, reopened at the event’s opening.

“I’m from a time when Penedo had two working movie theaters, so I grew up watching movies. Bringing it back to us is a wonderful thing.” said the psychologist Luciana Gonçalves to the reporter Maurício Santana, one of the responsibles to the journalistic covering of the 2023 Penedo Cinema Circuit edition.

There were more than 100 short films at the schedule which also had 14 long films at its schedule over seven days of event which also included a cinematographic pre-production workshop, taught by the actor and director Francisco Gaspar, and the introduction to stop motion workshop, taught by the university Professor and filmmaker Andréa Paiva, who became a director on behalf of Circuito Penedo de Cinema.

“If it weren’t for the CIrcuit, today I wouldn’t be an audiovisual creator. In2011, I was an spector. In 2016, I took part in a workshop and, in 2023, I am here, ministering workshops for the event that made me who I am today.” said Andrea to Mauricio Santana.

All of the journalistic covering of Penedo Cinema Circuit is available in the event website and also at Rádio Ufal webpage, with interviews taken by Lenilda Lima.

Video: Felipe Cavalcante

Text: Fernando Vinícius, with assisting of Penedo Cinema Circuit 

Photos: Nathália Bezerra, Kamylla Feitosa, Adriano Arantos and Bruno Vieira (Penedo Cinema Circuit)

Originally posted by Fernando Vinícius on 11/21/2023
Translated by Denner Sabino

The reopening of Penedo’s first Cinema is an historical mark at the recently selected city to be part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.

Not operating commercially since 1962, and eventual use on the firsts editions of the Cinema Circuit, in the 1970 decade, Cine Penedo resumed its film projection on this Monday, 13, Penedo’s Cinema Circuit 2023 Edition first day.

Remodeled to be modernized, the cinema’s room relaunched with two ‘mini docs’; the first being about the Penedo’s candidacy to UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, and the second being about the relationship between Penedo’s people and Cine Penedo.

Following up, the Cinema and History Special Session exhibited the long films; Phantom Portraits – Movie selected to represent Brazil at this year’s Oscar – and The Hijacking of Flight 375.

During the reopening ceremony, Mayor Ronaldo Lopes shared the feeling of happiness of the people of Penedo who are proud of the recovery of yet another public space that strengthens the creative economy of the city that represents Brazil, together with Santos-SP, in the global network of UNESCO in the cinema category.

“We are the only city in Alagoas being part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network and the second in Latin America with Cinema seal. Penedo has it, it’s not ‘the city who had it’, or ‘the city that will have it’ anymore.” pointed out Ronaldo Lopes, thanking the support of all the institutions involved in the work. 

Given to UFAL, Cinema Penedo was recovered with resources from Rouanet Law, through BNDES, institution which also represented in the ceremony by Janaína da Silveira. She highlighted that the growth in the economy needs to be followed by the growth of cultural public policies, a situation that is occurring in Penedo.

Melina Freitas, SECULT Alagoas gestor, represented the Governor Paulo Dantas, praising the cinema’s room quality, being superior to most the majority available in the state, frising that the Cinemas reopening is a mark to the Brazilian audiovisual. “Penedo already is a development hub to culture, and the creative economy”, affirmed Melina reinforcing Paulo Dantas’ commitment to Penedo.

The same commitment with the support to the continuity of the actions developed at the city, came from the Secretary of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, Denise Pires de Carvalho. She received from Sergio Onofre’s hands the project to the creation of the School of Arts, Technology and Cinema.

The proposal of the UFAL Penedo unity, sees to the continuous use and the attached structure to the building, with seven classrooms and exclusive access, allowed by the expropriation to the building next to the Cinema which will be, already in 2024, included in the national network of University Cinema Theaters, as announced by Denise Pires.

The Dean of UFAL, Josealdo Tonholo, highlighted the resumption of investments in the federal public education and the works done in partnership with Penedo City Hall, citing the Music Festival of Penedo and Penedo Cinema Circuit.

He received an homage from Mayor Ronaldo Lopes for the support formalized in the Creative Penedo Consortium, work which counted with other partnerships, among them SEBRAE Alagoas, institution also represented at the ceremony which ended with a speech by the president of the São Francisco River Basin Committee (CBHSF), Maciel Oliveira.

One of the sponsoring institutions of the Penedo Cinema Circuit, the collegiate entity will host in Penedo, on the 14th and 15th of December – with the presence of Minister Marina Silva and other federal government authorities – the national plenary meeting of the committee, an event that reaffirms the condition of a city ready to host major events.

Originally posted by Fernando Vinícius on 11/14/2023
Translated by Denner Sabino

Penedo Cinema Circuit is coming and the city’s already feeling a great movement and the positives reflect on the tourism of this key event.

The expectation is that hotels and inns register an occupation over 70% during the circuit, with some establishments already registering 100% of its capacities between november 17th and 19th.

The work done by Penedo City Hall, through the Secretary of Tourism and Creative Economy (SETUREC), is fundamental for the growth and strengthening of tourism in the city, which is already considered a tourist destination. 

“Events Like the Penedo Cinema Circuit, in addition to reuniting  directors, actors,  producers, and lovers of the Seventh Art, also moves the local economy, and all its touristic structure. The excellent balance only reaffirms that Penedo is ready and prepared to be a stage for great and important events.” affirms Jair Galvão, the secretariat head.

The Circuit begins on the 13th, and gets to the end on the 19th, with a schedule filled with culture and knowledge. There will be over 100 movies on display, among short and long films, divided in thematic shows, all with free access to the public, just like the workshops, debates, creative fairs and musical presentations.

Originally posted by Thaciana Lima on 11/10/2023
Translated by Denner Sabino