Happy Birthday
| Happy Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Happy Birthday poster | |
| Directed by | Paulo Leão |
| Written by | Paulo Leao |
| Starring | Paulo Leao |
| Color process | black and white |
Production company | OlharFilmes/Samsara Film |
| Distributed by | OlharFilmes/Samsara Film |
Release date | 2015 |
Running time | 11 |
| Country | Brazil |
| Language | Portuguese |
Happy Birthday is a 2015 Brazilian film written and directed by Paulo Leão . [1]
With a notably international career, Happy Birthday has the impressive record of Official Selection at more than fifty international film festivals, in addition to several nominations and awards. In recent years it has been present in more than twenty countries, on five continents. [2]
In the best independent film style, the film stars the director himself, due to the location and conditions faced at the time of filming.
In this production the motto was 'a camera in hand and an idea in the head', [3] the same used by Glauber Rocha.
Cast
[change | change source]- Paulo Leão as The Man[4]
- Mariana Levenhagen as The Daughter
- Vitor Levenhagen as The Son
- Rayanne Rocha as The Girl Friend
Synopsis
[change | change source]A lonely man awaits the arrival of guests for his birthday celebration. During this wait, his anxiety increases, causing a mixture of memories and delusions. [4]
Release
[change | change source]The film was completed en 2015 and released in 2016 in Spain at the Barcelona Planet Festival. [2]
Official selections: [2]
- Barcelona Planet Film Festival (trailer) - 2016 - Spain
- The Montly Film Festival (trailer) - 2016 - USA
- Headline International Film Festival - 2016 - USA
- GoldenSun Short Film Festival - 2016 - Malta
- North American Film Awards - 2016 - USA
- TOFF Film Festival - 2016 - Online
- Los Angeles Cine Fest - 2016 - USA
- 2nd Taxco Iberoamerican Film Festival - 2016 - Mexico
- Latino Awards - Cine de Oro - 2016 - Spain
- Ozark Shorts - 2016 - USA
- Golden Frames - 2016 - India
- All Lights India International Film Festival - 2016 - India
- TIF Video Challenge - 2016 - Cyprus
- Ekurhuleni International Film Festival - 2016 - South Africa
- Indie Wise - 2016 - USA
- Kinosmena Short Film Festival - 2016 - Belarus
- Allucinema Film Festival - 2016 - Mexico
- GRAND OFF - WORLD INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS - 2016 - Poland
- BLOW-UP · Chicago International Arthouse FILM FEST - 2016 - USA
- Festival de Cortometrajes Jose Francisco Rosado - 2016 - Spain
- Grand IndieWise Convention - 2016 - USA
- Indie Wise FREE Virtual Festival - online - 2017
- United King Screen One International Film Festival 2017 (trailer) - Scotland
- Miami Epic Festival 2017 - USA
- AM Egypt Film Festival - 2017 - Cairo, Egypt
- Cinema of the World - 2017 - India
- Quarzazate International Film Festival - 2017 - Berlin - Germany
- Cardiff International Film Festival - 2017 - Wales - United Kingdom
- AFC Global Fest 2017 - Kolkata - India
- STIFF - San Marino Torinese International Film Festival - 2018 - Italy
- Grand IndieWise Convention 2018 - Miami, Florida - USA
- Miami Epic Festival 2018 - USA
- San Mauro Film Festival 2018 - Turin, Italy
- InShort Film Festival 2018 - Lagos - Nigeria
- Lift-Off Global Network 2023 - Filmmaker Sessions at Pinewood Studios - UK and Raleigh Studios - Holywood. Berlin, Tokyo, Manchester, Austin, New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Paris
- Serbest International Film Festival (SIFF) - 2023 - Moldova
- Cinema Of The World (CWIFF) - 2023 - UAE, India, USA
- Black & White Film Festival (trailer) - 2024 - Toronto, Canada
- WideScreen Film & Music Video Festival - 2024 - Toronto, Canada
- ShortVerse - 2024 - Streaming
- Black & White Film Festival (film) - 2024 - Toronto, Canada
- Festival for Trailers Monthly - 2025 - Los Angeles, USA
- WILDsound Daily Festival (trailer) - 2025 - online
- Kuala Lumpur International Film Academy Awards - 2025 - Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
- Lift-Off Filmmakers Sessions - 2025 - England
- WideScreen Film & Music Video Festival - 2025 - Canada
- Films That Move - 2025 - Jamaica
- Today's Film Festival - Best of DRAMA Shorts Festival 2026[5] - Canada/online
Awards, nominations and highlights
[change | change source]| Year | Award | Category | Status | Resultado | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | HeadLine International Film Festival Canada | Best Film | Finalist | Won | [6] |
| North American Film Awards USA | Best Director | Finalist | Won | [7] | |
| North American Film Awards USA | Best Director | Nominée | - | [7] | |
| Grand Indie Wise Convention USA | Best Film | Finalist | Nominated | [2] | |
| 2017 | United King Screen One International Film Festival Scotland | Best International Trailer | Finalist | Nominated | [2] |
| Allucinema Fest 2017 México | Best Film | Semi Finalist | - | [2] | |
| Miami Epic Trailer Festival USA | Best International Trailer | Semi Finalist | - | [2] | |
| 2018 | Grand IndieWise Convention 2018 USA | Best Film | Finalist | Nominated | [2] |
| San Mauro Film Festival Turin Italy | Best Film | Finalist | Nominated | [2] | |
| STIFF - San Marino Torinese International Film Festival 2018 Italy | Best Film | Semi Finalist | - | [2] | |
| Miami Epic Festival 2018 USA | Best Film | Finalist | Nominated | [2] | |
| 2023 | Serbest International Film Festival (SIFF) Moldávia | Diversas | Semi Finalist | - | [2] |
| Cinema Of The World International Film Festival India | Diversas | Finalist | Nominated | [8] | |
| Cinema Of The World International Film Festival India | Great Talent Award | Finalist | Won | [9] | |
| 2024 | WideScreen Film & Music Video Festival Canada | Honorable Mention - Trailer | Finalist | Won | [10] |
| WideScreen Film & Music Video Festival Canada | Honorable Mention - Filme | Finalist | Won | [2] | |
| Black & White Film Festival - Canada | Best Experimental Film | Finalist | Won | [11] | |
| 2025 | Festival for Trailers Monthly - February 2025 - Los Angeles, USA | Best Cinematography | Finalist | Won | [12] |
| WideScreen Film & Music Video Festival 2025 - Canada | Best Film | Quarter-Finalist | - | [13] | |
| Films That Move 2025 - Jamaica | Honorable Mention | Finalist | Won | [14] | |
| 2026 | Best of Drama Shorts Festival 2026 | Best of Drama | Finalist | Won | [15] |
| Festival for Drama Film & Writing Festival 2026 - Canada | Best Short Film | Finalist | Won | [16] |
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Happy Birthday". AdoroCinema. December 17, 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Happy Birthday". Filmfreeway. December 17, 2024.
- ↑ "Cinema Novo: "uma câmera na mão e uma ideia na cabeça"". Instituto de Cinema. December 17, 2024.
- 1 2 "Happy Birthday". Mubi. December 17, 2024.
- ↑ "Wattch today's FREE Festival: Best of Drama Shorts". WildSound.ca. May 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Headline International Film Festival 2016 WINNERS - Honorable Mentions, Happy Birthday". thehiff.com. December 17, 2024. Archived from the original on October 29, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- 1 2 "Awards Archive North American Film Awards 2016, Happy Birthday". nafilmawards.com. December 17, 2024. Archived from the original on November 7, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ↑ "Cinema of The World International Film Festival, Congratulations, Happy Birthday". www.cwiff.co.in. December 17, 2024.
- ↑ "Cinema of The World International Film Festival, Results - Season 10, Great Talent". www.cwiff.co.in. December 17, 2024.
- ↑ "Trailer Happy Birthday". filmfreeway.com. December 17, 2024.
- ↑ "September 2024 – BLACK & WHITE Film Festival, Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today. Audience Award:Best Experimental Film: HAPPY BIRTHDAY". Black and White Film Festival. December 17, 2024.
- ↑ "February 2025: Movie Trailers Genre Festival, Audience Awards, Happy Birthday". Festival Reviews. February 28, 2025.
- ↑ "Trailer Happy Birthday". filmfreeway.com. April 28, 2025.
- ↑ "Happy Birthday". filmfreeway.com. February 25, 2026.
- ↑ "WildSoundFestivalTV - Watch Today's FREE Festival: Best of DRAMA Shorts Festival - HAPPY BIRTHDAY... Directed by Paulo Leao, A lonely man waiting some people to celebrate his birthday". WildSound. June 5, 2026.
- ↑ "WINNERS: May 2026 DRAMA Festival, Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today. Audience Award Winners:Best Short Film: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, directed by Paulo Leão". June 17, 2026.[permanent dead link]
Other websites
[change | change source]
| Media from Commons |
| Data from Wikidata |
