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International Short Films Programme 2: Traces That Remain
Our short programmes at DFF 2025 champion new and established voices in equal measure. Curated with care, each selection offers bold craft, fresh perspectives and the pleasures of discovery, from Qatar to the wider region and beyond. Short in length, expansive in thought.
International Short Film Competition

Amid Rio’s Carnival, a street cleaner mourning his sister encounters a lost child and embarks on a journey through grief, celebration, and rebirth, where music and memory intertwine.
Set against the rhythm and chaos of Rio’s Carnival, ‘Samba Infinito’ follows a street cleaner mourning his sister’s death as he searches for meaning amid celebration and loss. When he discovers a lost child, their journey through the city’s vibrant streets becomes one of healing and renewal. The compelling short film weaves realism, music, and fantasy into a poignant reflection on resilience, joy, and the enduring human capacity to find light in even the darkest shadows cast by sorrow.

Credits

Director
Leonardo Martinelli
Screenwriter
Leonardo Martinelli
Producer
Renan Barbosa Brandão, Rafael Teixeira, Leonardo Martinelli, Lucas H. Rossi, Clara Marquardt, Justin Pechberty, Damien Megherbi
Co-Producer
Giulia Butler
Cinematographer
João Atala
Editor
Lobo Mauro
Production Company
RioFilme, CNC, France Télévisions
Sound
Victor Tigronez, Fabio Carnèiro
Music
André Mendonça, Fabio Carnèiro
Cast
Alexandre Amado
Miguel Leonardo
Camila Pitanga
Gilberto Gil

About the Director

Leonardo Martinelli
Leonardo Martinelli is a filmmaker from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His film ‘Fantasma Neon’ won the Golden Leopard for Best International Short Film at the Locarno Film Festival. His shorts have screened at festivals including Cannes, Locarno, Toronto, San Sebastián, BFI London, Clermont-Ferrand, and Palm Springs. A master’s graduate in Communication from PUC-Rio, Martinelli blends music, choreograph