With the sponsorship of Aliança Energia, via the Culture Incentive Law, the Short Animation Project promotes the audiovisual training of children and adolescents from the public school system and has already had its films exhibited and awarded in national exhibitions and festivals. Carried out by the Marlin Azul Institute and in activity since 2016, the project expands access to cinema and gives visibility to stories created from the communities themselves.
In recent years, Curta Animação has been held in communities around Aliança Energia’s projects, such as the Aimorés HPP, the Funil HPP, the Acauã Wind Complex and the Santo Inácio Wind Complex, where schools and community spaces have become environments for audiovisual creation.
Focused on environmental preservation through cinema, the project involves students in all stages of the creative process, with the monitoring of specialized teachers and monitors. The films are released in schools and communities, in face-to-face and outdoor sessions, and continue to circulate through exhibitions and festivals, consolidating the recognition of Short Animation in children’s, environmental and community cinema.
National highlight: “Só Rezando…”
The recognition of the project is expressed in the wide circulation of its short films in national exhibitions and festivals, with emphasis on the film “Só Rezando…” (2023), animation/documentary of 14’30”, produced by students from the Dionísio Batista da Silva Municipal School, in São Vicente/RN. The work won the Popular Jury Award for Best Documentary at Mostra CurtaDOC, after being screened in nine sessions held in the municipalities of São Pedro de Alcântara, Antônio Carlos, Santo Amaro da Imperatriz and Águas Mornas, in Santa Catarina, consolidating itself as one of the main recognitions of the project in the national circuit.
“Just praying…” it was also part of events such as the It’s All Child Festival – Children’s Film Festival, the 23rd Florianópolis Children’s Film Festival, the 10th Espírito Santo Environmental Film Festival – Cine.Ema (7th National Competitive Short Film Festival Cine.Eminha), the Vento da Tarde Festival – Ploughing Exhibition, the MAMIA Exhibition, the Caixola Exhibition, Cine Jardim – Latin American Film Festival of Belo Jardim, the Food Culture Film Festival, Cinesolarzinho, Cinecipó – Insurgent Film Festival, the Belo Horizonte Children’s Film Festival, the Tela Cariri Festival – The Northeast is a Thing of Cinema and the CurtaDOC Exhibition itself, where it received the award.
Community productions and public recognition
Other productions of the project have also obtained significant circulation and recognition throughout its trajectory. “Flores da Macambira” (2022/2023), produced in the quilombola community itself, was screened in Cinema na Praça sessions in Macambira/RN, Icapuí/CE and Ribeirão Vermelho/MG, in addition to being part of festivals such as FECSTA – Santa Teresa Film Festival/ES, the Vassouras Film Festival, the Latin American Audiovisual Festival of São Francisco do Sul – FALA São Chico, where it received the Best Film Award – Popular Jury at the Children’s and Youth Festival, FestCine Itaúna – Itaúna International Film Festival, the Free Film Festival, the Arapiraca Film Festival and the Espírito Santo Environmental Film Festival (Cine.E).
Extending the circuit with new animations
Subsequently, “O Chapéu do Zezéu” (2023) was part of the Florianópolis Children’s Film Festival, the Vento da Tarde Festival – Mostra Aragem, the Cine Jardim – Belo Jardim Latin American Film Festival, the Food Culture Film Festival, the Caixola Children’s Film Festival, the Mumia Exhibition, the Tiradentes Film Festival, CineBH – Cine-Expression, ANIMAÍ – Bahia Festival of Animation and Games, Cine Bijou – Children’s Film Festival, Tela Cariri Festival – The Northeast is a Thing of Cinema and CineOP – Ouro Preto Film Festival, expanding the presence of the project in different exhibition circuits.
Latest productions
More recent productions in the context of the project’s trajectory, such as “Bem de Perto” (2024), “Fiando Tempo” (2023), “Memories of Childhood” (2022/2023), directed by students from EMEF Manuel Pereira Ramalho, from Ribeirão Vermelho/MG, “A Abelha Uruçu” (2024) produced by students from EMEIEF Governador Lacerda de Aguiar, from Baixo Guandu/ES, and “A Vila de Itueta” (2024), developed by third-year students from the Santo Antônio Municipal School, in Itueta/MG, expanded the circulation of Short Animation in events such as the Rio Festival – Generation Exhibition, the Belo Horizonte Children’s Film Festival, the ANIMAÍ Festival, the Peripheral Exhibition – Film Festival, the CineFest Rosal, the Quadro a Quadro a Quadro Sound Exhibition, the Tela Cariri Festival – The Northeast is a Thing of Cinema, the Cinecipó – Insurgent Film Festival and the CurtaDOC Exhibition.
The consolidation of the Short Animation Project over the years is only possible thanks to the articulation between private social investment, education and culture. The sponsorship of Aliança Energia strengthens initiatives that promote social development, cultural inclusion and access to art, while the work of the Marlin Azul Institute ensures the pedagogical and creative conduct of the project in the territories where it takes place.
“It is very beautiful to see how the Short Animation Project transforms everyday stories into films full of meaning. Children and adolescents participate in the whole process, arrest, create and show that their voices and their territories have a lot of value and have to say. For us at Aliança Energia, supporting this project is believing in education, culture and the power of communities”, said Joseane Viola, Coordinator of Social Innovation and Community Relations – Aliança Energia.
Ahead of the conception and execution of the Short Animation Project, the Marlin Azul Institute has been working since 2016 to promote audiovisual as an educational tool and social transformation, valuing local stories, traditional knowledge and the role of children and adolescents in the creative process.
Throughout its history, the Short Animation Project contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda by promoting quality education (SDG 4) through audiovisual training of children and adolescents from the public network, expanding access to culture and social inclusion (SDG 10) and valuing local identities and community strengthening, in dialogue with sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11). The productions also stimulate reflections on environmental preservation, related to climate action (SDG 13) and life on land (SDG 15), made possible through partnerships (SDG 17) between Aliança Energia and the Marlin Azul Institute.
