Rio De Janeiro Film Festival Plans Tribute to John Carpenter

LONDON – This year's Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival will pay tribute to a quartet of directors: Alberto Cavalcanti, considered the most ‘international’ Brazilian director but rarely screened in his home country, a 25 year retrospective of the work of John Carpenter and screenings of the output of Portuguese veteran director Manoel de Oliveira and João Pedro Rodrigues.

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The festival runs Sept. 27 through Oct. 9 and will see 400 films from over 60 countries unspool across the city.

Organizers said guests confirmed to visit the festival include Jeremy Irons, directors Fernando Trueba, Leos Carax, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, Teresa Villaverde, João Pedro Rodrigues, Roland Joffé and the artist Marina Abramovic.

The 400 titles include Twixt from Francis Ford Coppola, Lay The Favorite directed by Stephen Frears, Magic Mike from Steven Soderbergh, Michael Winterbottom's Trishna, Michael Jackson Bad 25 by Spike Lee, In the Land of Blood and Honey, Angelina Jolie's directorial debut and Savages by Oliver Stone.

With the Olympic flag now passed from London to 2016 host city Rio de Janeiro, the historic ties between the two cities will be recognized in a tribute to British cinema with a special U.K. focus over four days.

"This is the most important film event in Latin America," says Sérgio Sá Leitão, CEO of RioFilme. "It is a great showcase for domestic production and an unequalled opportunity for the people of Rio to have the chance to engage with the best of international cinema."

It was previously announced that Brazilian director Breno Silveira’s Gonzaga - From Father To Son will open the festival in the Brazilian city.