# Leonardo Pirondi

Leonardo Pirondi is a Brazilian film director from São Paulo. Pirondi's work explores the intersection between fiction and non-fiction filmmaking using non-conventional structures of documentary, experimental, and narrative modes. In his films he explores contemporary sociopolitical issues and collective anxieties as a lens to look into history, imagination, myth, and technology.

## Education

He studied filmmaking at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in a 16 mm and analog focussed film program with an avant-garde/experimental film tradition.

## Career

His films have been presented at the Toronto International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, New York Film Festival (Currents), Vienna International Film Festival, Mar del Plata International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Festival du nouveau cinéma, Slamdance, Melbourne International Film Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Centre de Cultura Contemporànea de Barcelona, and REDCAT.
Some of his films exist in the UCLA Film and Television Archive, The Film-Makers' Cooperative in New York, and were deposited at the Cinematheque of the Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro after the 4th edition of the 1666 Festival Internacional de Cinema 16mm. He has had solo and retrospective showings of his films at the Spectacle Theater in New York City, and Galeria Mola in Portugal. He took part in the 2023 Sundance Ignite X Adobe Fellowship.
Pirondi's first co-authored project, the 2023 short film titled When We Encounter the World, was co-directed with Zazie Ray-Trapido and it premiered at the 32nd Curtas Vila do Conde followed by the North American Premiere at the 62nd New York Film Festival, the Austrian Premiere at the 61st Viennale, and selected to additional exhibitions at 15th CROSSROADS by the San Francisco Cinematheque, San Diego Underground Film Festival among others. The film was also shown alongside an interactive exhibition at Galeria Mola in Portugal.
Pirondi's 2024 short film, Potenciais à Deriva [Adrift Potentials], premiered at the 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam as part of the Tiger Short Competition, with a North American premiere at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival (Wavelengths) and selected to the 62nd Viennale, 53rd Festival du nouveau cinéma, 49th Mar del Plata International Film Festival, 33rd Curtas Vila do Conde, and 77th Edinburgh International Film Festival.

## Filmography

| Year | Original Title | English Title | Length | Country | Notes |
| 2019 | This is Mine, This is Yours | This is Mine, This is Yours | 3 minutes | Brazil  USA | Short film |
| 2020 | Benning's Dream | Benning's Dream | 2 minutes | USA | Animated short film starring James Benning |
| 2020 | Earth had issues Loading... | Earth had issues Loading... | 9 minutes | Brazil  USA | Short film |
| 2021 | In Search of Mount Analogue | In Search of Mount Analogue | 4 minutes | Brazil  USA | Short film |
| 2021 | If a Tree Falls in a Forest | If a Tree Falls in a Forest | 15 minutes | Brazil  USA | Short film |
| 2022 | Effulgent Gleam | Effulgent Gleam | 7 minutes | Brazil  USA | Short film |
| 2022 | Visão do Paraíso | Vision of Paradise | 16 minutes | Brazil  UK  USA | Short film English title: Vision of Paradise |
| 2023 | Seja Bem-Vindo ao Lar | Welcome Home | 4 minutes | USA | Short film |
| 2023 | When We Encounter The World | When We Encounter The World | 11 minutes | Portugal  USA | Short film Co-directed with Zazie Ray-Trapido |
| 2024 | Potenciais á Deriva | Adrift Potentials | 11 minutes | Brazil  USA | Short Film |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Result | Event | Category/Award | Work |
| 2024 | Nominated | Mar del Plata Film Festival | Competencia Estados Alterados | Potenciais à Deriva |
| 2024 | Nominated | Festival du nouveau cinéma | Les nouveaux alchimistes Competition | Potenciais à Deriva |
| 2024 | Nominated | Edinburgh International Film Festival | Experimental Shorts | Potenciais à Deriva |
| 2024 | Nominated | Curtas Vila do Conde | Experimental Competition | Potenciais à Deriva |
| 2024 | Nominated | European Media Art Festival | International Competition | Seja Bem-Vindo ao Lar |
| 2024 | Nominated | International Film Festival Rotterdam | Tiger Short Award Competition | Potenciais à Deriva |
| 2024 | Nominated | Slamdance Film Festival | Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize | Visão do Paraíso |
| 2023 | Nominated | Curtas Vila do Conde | Experimental Competition | When We Encounter The World |
| 2023 | Won | Brooklyn Film Festival | Best Experimental Award | Visão do Paraíso |
| 2023 | Nominated | Vienna Shorts | FIDO Competition | Visão do Paraíso |
| 2023 | Nominated | Guanajuato International Film Festival | International Documentary | Visão do Paraíso |
| 2023 | Nominated | DokuFest | International Short DOX | Visão do Paraíso |