Ayla wakes up in a mountainous landscape, surrounded only by vegetation and a river. Driven by curiosity and a desire to get to know the place, she goes on a journey of discovery and diving. As she discovers where she is, she also discovers herself.
English title: How A River Is Born
Original title (portuguese): Como Nasce Um Rio
Duration: 8 minutes e 33 seconds (with credits)
Genre: fantasy, experimental, LGBTQ+
Animation technique: 2D digital
Country of production: Brazil
Year: 2025
Produced by: Anomura Filmes and Mulungu Realizações Culturais
Alternative titles: (es) Como Nace Un Río, (de) Wie ein Fluss entspringt, (fr) Comment Naît Une Rivière.
FESTIVAL SELECTIONS
• 24th Tribeca Film Festival — NY, USA
• 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival — United Kingdom
• 68th DOKLeipzig — Germany
• 46th Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano — Cuba
• 24th Anifilm — Czechia
• 14th Chilemonos Festival Internacional de Animação — Chile
• 28th Festival Internacional de Cine Guanajuato — Mexico
• 14th Rio LGBTQIA+ International Film Festival — Brazil
• 16th Anibar Animation Festival — Kosovo
• 17th Weird Market Int. Animation Short Films — Spain
• 37th Vancouver Queer Film Festival — Vancouver, Canada
• 38th Out On Film: Atlanta's LGBTQ Film Festival — Atlanta, USA
• 43th Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival — Chicago, USA
• 20th ANIM’EST International Animation Film Festival — Romania
• 15th Animage - Festival Int. de Animação de Pernambuco — Brazil
• 25th Cinanima - Festival Int. de Cinema de Animação — Portugal
• 23th Fantoche International Animation Film Festival — Switzerland
• 29th FAM - Festival Int. de Cinema Florianópolis Audiovisual Mercosul — Brazil
• 18th Animasyros International Animation Festival — Greece
• 13th Pixelatl — Mexico
• 15th Supertoon International Animation and Comics Festival — Croatia
• 36th Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival — Hong Kong
• 33th Festival MixBrasil de Cultura da Diversidade — Brazil
• 30th QueerCineMad, Madrid International LGBTI+ Film — Spain
• 20th Panorama Internacional Coisa de Cinema — Brazil
• 15th Bengaluru International Short Film Festival — Índia
• 10th Turku Animated Film Festival — Finland
• 19th For Rainbow — Brazil
• 22th OutfestPerú Film Festival LGBT+ — Peru
• 15th Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest — United Kingdom
• 13th Curta Brasília Festival Internacional de Curta-Metragem — Brazil
• 10th Festival Internacional de Cine de Quito — Ecuador
• 32th Long Beach QFilm Festival — USA
• 17th Some Prefer Cake - Lesbian International Film Festival — Italy
• 25th Melbourne International Animation Festival — Australia
• 24th CURTA-SE Festival Iberoamericano de Cinema de Sergipe — Brazil
• Primeiro Plano Festival de Cinema de Juiz de Fora e Mercocidades — Brazil
• 11th REX Animation Film Festival — Sweden
• 18th Festival Taguá de Cinema — Brazil
• 4th Mostra Arder em La Frontera — Brazil
• 10th Festival de Animación AJAYU — Peru
• 2th Cine dos Campos - Festival de Cinema de Ponta Grossa — Brazil
• 6th Queer Wave - The Cyprus LGBTQIA+ Film Festival — Chipre
• 11th Recifest - Festival de Cinema da Diversidade Sexual e de Gênero — Brazil
• 16th Mostra Cinema Conquista — Brazil
• 4th Queer Voices: New York City Film Festival — USA
• 9th Mostra Quelly de Cinema de Gênero e Sexualidade — Brazil
• 3th Cine RO - Rondônia Film Festival — Brazil
• 4th Mostra da Diversidade Sexual no Sertão do Pajeú — Brazil
• 1th Mostra Luminosa — Brazil
• 1th + Festival Originalidades — Brazil
• 1th Mostra Tarrafa — Brazil
AWARDS
• Best International Short Film (Official Jury) — 13th Pixelatl
• Honorable Mention for Best International Short Film (Official Jury) — 22th OutfestPerú
• Honorable Mention for Best International Short Film (Official Jury) — 10th Quito International Film Festival
• Honorable Mention for Best Latin American Short Film (Official Jury) — 11th BITBANG Festival Internacional de Animación
• Best Lesbian Short Film (Official Jury) — 14th Rio LGBTQIA+
• Best Screenplay (Official Jury) — 33th MixBrasil Festival
• Best Brazilian Short Film (Official Jury) — 20th Panorama Internacional Coisa de Cinema (Brazil)
• Best Brazilian Short Film (Membership Jury - BRADA, API and GAMA) — 20th Panorama Internacional Coisa de Cinema
• Best Brazilian Short Film (Official Jury) — 11th Recifest Festival de Cinema da Diversidade Sexual e de Gênero
• Best Short Film (Audience Award) — 17th Some Prefer Cake - Lesbian International Film Festival
• Honorable Mention for Best Short Film (Official Jury) — 24th CURTA-SE Festival Iberoamericano de Cinema de Sergipe
• Best Short Film (Audience Award) — 24th CURTA-SE Festival Iberoamericano de Cinema de Sergipe
• Best Soundtrack (Official Jury) — Primeiro Plano Festival de Cinema de Juiz de Fora e Mercocidades
• Best Short Animation (Official Jury) — 3th Levante - Festival de Curtas-Metragens de Pelotas
• Best Short Film (Audience Award) — 7th Itabaiana International Film Festival
• Best Animation Short Film and Best Sound Design (Official Jury) — 3th Cine RO - Rondônia Film Festival
• Jury Special Award — 3th Revoada Festival Internacional de Cinema de Maceió
• Prêmio Diversidade na Animação — 7th Animaí Festival Baiano de Animação e Games
• Honorable Mention for Best Short Film (Official Jury) — 1st Mostra Luminosa
• Artistic Contribution Award (Official Jury) — 1st Mostra Tarrafa
CREW
Written and directed by: Luma Flôres
Executive Producer: Flávia Santana
Line Producer: Alana Barros
Animation Directors: Alana Barros e Luma Flôres
Art direction: Luma Flôres
Concept Art and Colorscript: Ana Maria Sena
Character design and Backgrounds: Maíra Moura Miranda
Art Assistant: Carolina Albuquerque
Assistant Director: Clara Flores
Storyboard: Maíra Moura Miranda
Animatic: Danielly Romero
Rigging: Vitoria Batista
Animation: Bia Peres, Camila Vianna, Fernanda Costa, Janaína Zanusso, Larissa Rangel, Mateus Di Mambro, Kelvin Lima, Ambrósio Pentú, Atmo, Guilherme Zabu, Henrique Ferreira, Louise Bonne e Sofia Travassos
Setup: Alana Barros
Composition: Alana Barros e Camila Correia
Editing: Karol Azevedo
Voices: Andrea Martins e Rana Tosto
Sound design, Music, Sound mixing and Mastering: Andrea Martins
Legal Advisory: Naila Trindade
Acessibility and Deliveries: ETC Filmes
Produced by Anomura Filmes and Mulungu Realizações Culturais
Presented by Prefeitura Municipal de Salvador
