Nara Normande’s beautiful animated short Guaxuma shares the story of a blossoming childhood friendship that is cut short. This award-winning film mixes several animation techniques all connected to sand and has won prizes at SXSW, Palm Springs, Hamptons, Cinequest, selected at TIFF, Annecy, LA Shorts.

Tayra and I grew up on a beach in the northeast of Brazil. We were inseparable. The sea breeze brings me back happy memories.

Writer/Director Nara Normande was born in Guaxuma and later moved to Recife, where a new generation of Brazilian directors were about to emerge. In 2014, she co-directed with Tião a live-action fiction, Sem Coração, that received the Illy Prize of Best Short Film at the Director’s Fortnight.

Producer Damien Mehgerbi and Justin Pechberty created their production company Les Valseurs in 2013, in 2018 their animated film Wicked Girl was the first animation to win the Grand Prix at Clermont-Ferrand, before winning the César. They have produced twenty short films, including QIU Yang’s She Runs (Leitz Discovery award at International Critic’s Week, Cannes 2019), Nara Normande’s Guaxuma and Yves Piat’s Nefta Football Club (Oscar-qualified for 2020, Audience Award & Best Comedy at Aspen Shortsfest, Audience Award at Clermont-Ferrand and Florida Film Festival). Their first live-action feature, Fendas, directed by Carlos Segundo will premiere at FIDMarseille in July 2019.

Guaxuma qualified to be considered for the 2020 Academy Awards after winning four top prizes at SXSW, Palm Springs, Hamptons and Cinequest.