Alex Mello

First-time filmmaker Alex Mello wrote, directed and stars in this thoughtful, romantic, funny and visually inventive 25-minute short about the experiences of a Black gay Brazilian artist living in Germany. The film explores his intimate artwork, his anxiety about being fetishized by the white gay community over his racial features and the touching moment when he finally met his one true love.

Maximilian Moll's first feature roams with its two unequal heroes around Rio de Janeiro, a city in which life's ease and its difficulty go side by side. Edu, a successful author, falls in love with 21-year-old hustler Fabio. Their relationship is wild and passionate. Their sex is unprotected and, to Edu, much too dangerous. He discovers what it means to live for the moment.