THIS IS BALLROOM

Salão De Baile

Inspired by the landmark documentary Paris Is Burning, This Is Ballroom follows Rio de Janeiro’s vibrant ballroom scene—a space created by queer and non-white performers to claim visibility, dignity, and power. Today, ballroom is a high-energy world of dance, fashion, and rivalry, where contestants battle in categories like face, runway, and old way amid music, chants, and roaring crowds. In Rio, ballroom becomes both refuge and battlefield in a culture that demands excellence and punishes hesitation.

THE FILMMAKERS

Vitã is a filmmaker and screenwriter. Director of the short film "The Day I Remembered the Trip to Bicuda" (2015), producer of the feature documentary "It's Not the First Time We Fight For Our Love" (2022). Curator of Brazilian Comedy FF and of showcases on Hong Sangsoo films in four cities in Brazil. Master's degree in Audiovisual at UFF (Brazil). In the ballroom scene, they participate as an independent photographer and are a member of the Legendary House of Lauren Intl.

Juru is a researcher, dramaturgist and performing arts critic. Casting coach for the feature film "Com O Terceiro Olho na Terra da Profanação", by Catu Rizo (2017) and the short film "Sunset", by Bruno Roger (2014). Dramaturgist in the performance "Repertory n. 1", by Davi Pontes and Wallace Ferreira. Master in Contemporary Arts Studies at UFF and PhD student in Arts at UERJ.

AWARDS AND FESTIVALS

Best Documentary Feature Film — Reeling: Chicago LGBTQ+ Int’l Film Festival, US
Audience Award — Ojoloco Festival de Cine Iberoamericano de Valencia, Spain
Best First Feature Documentary — Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Australia
Best Documentary — Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival, Norway
Audience Award — NewFest: New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival, US
Best Brazilian Film — MixBrasil Festival de Cultura da Diversidade, Brazil
Best Diversity Film Prize — Afrika Film Festival Köln, Germany
Audience Award / Queer Porto — International Queer Film Festival, Portugal
Best First Feature Documentary — Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Australia
Honorable Mention; Best Editing — Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, Brazil
CPH:DOX, Denmark
Sheffield International Documentary Festival, United Kingdom
DocsMX (Mexico City International Documentary Film Festival), Mexico
Vancouver Queer Film Festival, Canada
MiX Festival Milano, Italy
TRANSlations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival, US