Brazilian artist Cássio Vasconcellos' work Photos: Courtesy of Consulate of Brazil in Shanghai, DocBrazil Festival and Art+ Shanghai Gallery

On October 15, football fans in China will get a rare treat as the stellar Brazilian national team will come to Beijing for an exciting match with a yet-to-be-confirmed African team (either Zambia or Ghana) at the Bird's Nest stadium. But a much grander campaign of Brazilian culture that covers more Chinese cities and caters to a wider public is just around the corner.

During September, the first Brazil Cultural Month in China will see a number of events held in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macao, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Wuxi to celebrate the friendly relationship between the two countries.

The year of 2014 will mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

 "Brazil is often thought of as a land of football and carnival, so in September, we want to go beyond football and carnival and showcase in China other aspects of Brazilian culture," said Ana Candida Perez, Brazil's Consul-General in Shanghai, at a press conference last Wednesday, who added that Brazilian culture is still little known in China.

"We're bringing to China photographers, musicians, chefs, designers, writers, new feature films and documentaries," said Perez.

Feasts on the east bank

The series of events will officially kick off at the Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower on Friday, September 6 with the aroma of delicious dishes prepared by honored Brazilian chef Paulo Machado and local Brazilian restaurant Latina.

As a Brazilian culinary ambassador, the Michelin-experienced chef has participated in such international events as ExpoBrasil in Kenya, the Food and Wine Festival in Uruguay as well as the Brazilian Food Festival in Ethiopia, Bangkok and Kuwait.

From September 6 to September 8, the Revolving Restaurant in the tower will serve a variety of Brazilian dishes on its lunch (298 yuan, $48.69) and dinner (318 yuan) menus for gourmets in the city.

A feast for the eyes will also be included in the fixed-price menus, as curator Micaela Neiva has gathered 61 color photos by 15 Brazilian photographers that will be showcased in the tower to introduce the scenic beauty and the cultural vitality of the vast country.

The photography exhibition will last from September 6 to September 12 (9 am to 5 pm, 35 yuan for admission).

Meanwhile, another photography exhibition has already started at Art+ Shanghai Gallery (370-380 Beisuzhou Road, 5608-6067) featuring the first solo exhibition of Brazilian photographer Cássio Vasconcellos, who will present large-scale photographic landscapes of both natural and urban scenes.

A poster for the DocBrazil Festival

Brazil in the lens

Fernanda Ramone is also looking forward to meeting Shanghai audiences this month. Ramone established the annual DocBrazil Festival to screen Brazilian documentary films in Chinese cities four years ago, and this year eight documentaries will be shown at The Nut Club (162 Yongnian Road, 6137-5337) on September 21 and 22.

Taking Brazil in Motion as the theme of the festival, Ramone told the Global Times that she aims to reveal a reflection on the movement, mutation and mobility of Brazilian society from a Brazilian perspective.

Documentaries on view will look into the lives of skaters, cocoa farm owners, and members of a theatrical group, as well as rivers and the Amazon rainforest.

In addition to the film screenings, Ramone also invited both Brazilian and Chinese artists to participate.

There will be an interactive graffiti exhibition presented by Brazilian artist Presto (Márcio Penha), an art film co-produced with Olhar Plural, a poster exhibition co-organized with Boustead College in Tianjin and featuring Chinese designers' interpretation of Brazil and Brazilian culture, as well as a fashion show presented by students from Raffles Design Institute Tianjin College.

Posters for the films that will be screened during the Brazil Cultural Month.

Also in its fourth year is the Brapeq Brazil Film Fest presented by the Association of Brazilians in China (Brapeq).

Between September 13 and September 15, the Grand Theatre (216 Nanjing Road West, 6327-3399) will present eight screenings of six Brazilian films.

Among them are Gonzaga: From Father to Son, which was selected to open the 14th Rio International Film Festival; the animated Rio 2096: A Story of Love and Fury, which won the top prize at the 37th Annecy International Animation Film Festival; and My Sweet Orange Tree adapted from a famous children's book published in 1968.

"The focus of this year's program is on the aesthetic diversity created by breaking the barriers between fiction and documentary as well as by delving deeper into the realities of Brazilian society," Anamaria Boschi, the artistic director of the film festival said in an introduction.

Posters for the films that will be screened during the Brazil Cultural Month.

Influential cultural figures

Bossa nova icon Francis Hime, a leading figure in the Brazilian pop music scene, will visit Shanghai with his wife Olivia Hime, who is also an influential singer and lyricist.

They will present a splendid show at Qianshuiwan Creative Art Center (179 Yichang Road, 6266-1110) on September 7. Mr Hime will also give a speech at Minsheng Art Museum (Bldg F, 570 Huaihai Road West, 6282-8729) on September 8.

Also in Shanghai will be a trio featuring guitarist Marco Pereira, accordionist Bebe Kramer and bassist Guto Wirti, who will take to the stage of Shanghai Concert Hall on September 17.

Popular singer Anna Ratto (left) will perform in Shanghai this month.

Popular Brazilian singer Anna Ratto and versatile singer, composer and cellist Lui Coimbra will meet Shanghai audiences at JZ Latino (22/F,159 Henan Road South, 2321-8888) on September 27.

Brazilian writers and editors Vanessa Barbara and Leandro Sarmatz, and designers Nilton Gamba and Marcelo Rosenbaum will give lectures in local colleges during the month as well.

For the full schedule of the Brazil Cultural Month, visit brazilinchina.com.