Brasília, Brazil – September 12, 2025 – Kleber mendonça Filho’s critically acclaimed new film, “The Secret Agent,” opened the Brasília Festival tonight, signaling a strong start to the event’s 60th-anniversary festivity. The film,a period piece reflecting contemporary Brazilian politics,is generating awards buzz and is slated for nationwide release in Brazil on November 6th.
The Brasília Festival, running through September 20th and screening 80 films, is honoring veteran actress Fernanda montenegro with a lifetime achievement award – the Candango Trophy – recognizing her early participation in the festival’s inaugural 1965 edition and her subsequent win for Best Actress that same year. The festival will also showcase historical films from its past, including “São Paulo Society” and “The Deed,” alongside new works like Mendonça Filho’s, highlighting the event’s six-decade legacy of Brazilian cinema.
Mendonça Filho, speaking at the opening, initially envisioned “The Secret Agent” as a purely historical film but discovered it resonated strongly with brazil’s recent past. “When I started ‘the secret agent’, I thought I was writing a period movie,” he said. “But I gradually understood that this period movie was about Brazil of the last ten years, it was very strong to find out about it.” He also expressed optimism about the country’s current trajectory, noting, “Fortunately we are much better now, especially with what happened this week.”
“The Secret Agent” follows Marcelo, a technology expert forced to flee Recife after receiving death threats, and is set against the backdrop of Brazil’s military dictatorship. Variety magazine recently reported the film has a strong chance of surpassing the success of Mendonça Filho’s previous work, “I’m Still Here,” in the upcoming awards season.
The film will also be featured at the Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte International Film Festivals before its official theatrical release. Notably absent from the Brasília opening was actress Areth Menezes.