“Waste Land,” “Winter’s Bone” Highlight 7th Amazonas Film Festival

The Amazonian rainforest will once again host the film industry for the 2010 Amazonas Film Festival, running from November 5-11 in the Brazilian city of Manaus. The Voo no Florestra (Flight Over the Jungle) trophy is at stake as a slate of 35 films are set to compete under three different categories: International Features, Brazilian Short Films, and a shorts competition specially dedicated for films produced in the Amazonas region. Screenings will be held at the Teatro Amazonas, the famous opera house which served as the inspiration for Werner Herzog’s “Fitzcarraldo.”

Several of the films in the International Features Competition are arriving to the festival with a favorable reputation. Debra Granik’s “Winter’s Bone,” winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, will be competing alongside Lucy Walker’s documentary “Wasteland,” audience award winner at both the Sundance and Berlin Film festivals this year. The Chinese box-office hit “After Shock” rounds out the category along with a handful of films from Latin America and the U.S.

The rest of the festival serves as a showcase for regional and national filmmakers. A total of 27 selections comprise two different short film competitions, highlighting filmmakers from Amazonas and the rest of Brazil. Artistic Director of the Cannes Film Festival Critic’s Week, Jean-Christophe Berjon, is heading this year’s jury.

More information on this year’s Amazonas Film Festival is available through their Facebook page.