Escola Apecatu

Cultures of Resistance Awardee — Brazil

Apecatu Association is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that aims to develop early childhood education and culture on the outskirts of Itapevi, São Paulo, Brazil. Since its founding, the association has created projects that help to transform the lives of local children and young people in the municipality. The founders are film and television professionals who, in partnership with the community, have created a socio-educational experience recognized for quality and excellence: Escola Apecatu, or the Apecatu School.

In addition to the school, the association also maintains a community library and a cinema room. The Cinema for All project holds film screenings for children, youth, and adults in a region where there are no movie theaters and most people have never had the opportunity to watch a movie on a big screen. The program includes fiction, animation, and documentary films, and the organization also uses this space to promote discussions and debate after the sessions. It believes in the power of cinema not only as entertainment but also as a transformative and mobilizing agent. 

Escola Apecatu received a Cultures of Resistance Award (CoR Award) in 2022 and is using the award to purchase a projector, screen, and sound system.

Follow them on Instagram here or Facebook here to learn more about their work.

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