Leonardo Martinelli

Leonardo Martinelli (1998) is a filmmaker from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His films have been selected in festivals worldwide such as Locarno, Toronto, San Sebastián, BFI London, Clermont-Ferrand, Palm Springs, Cartagena, Biarritz, Montreal and others. With the short Fantasma Neon he won the Pardino D’oro at Locarno74. His films often deal with iconography and postcolonial structures, and how they are present in Rio de Janeiro's everyday life. While doing so, he aims to think of how a larger and endemic situation in Brazil and Latin America is reflected in the microcosm. In a vote carried out by Brazilian film critics, where they considered short film directors who haven’t yet made feature films, he was listed as one of the Top 10 New Brazilian Filmmakers by Papo de Cinema. He also holds a Master's degree in Social Communication from PUC-Rio and is currently in development of his first feature film, selected for both the Locarno Residency and the ALCA screenwriting residency.

Filmography

2020 O Prazer de Matar Insetos
2021 Fantasma Neon
2023 Pássaro Memória

Selected project: "Fantasma Neon"

Production: Duas Mariolas Filmes

João Lázaro works on the streets of Rio de Janeiro as a bike delivery man in the so-called gig economy. In this contemporary musical, we follow the young man as he tries to save enough money to go back to university and fix his fathers old motorcycle. However, a series of protests organized by delivery workers begin to emerge, challenging the way in which João sees his working conditions and his role within a meritocratic system. As he gets closer to Jessyca and Felipe, two delivery workers who are participating in the protests, João has to choose what his priorities will be. A choreographed fantasy that clashes the dreams of the young into the harsh reality of inadequate wages, unempathetic customers and constant threats that surround them. A tale about inequality in contemporary labor and the cost of fighting for a decent life.