Firmeza Fest is an independent games festival that aligns itself with the independent games development scene in Brazil. The aim is to celebrate the creative minds of game developers and their projects, be they digital games, TTRPGs (tabletop role-playing games), board games or art inspired by games.
The Objectives
Firmeza Fest was born out of a demand from independent Brazilian game developers for events that represent national game production with more plurality and celebrate our diversity. By the end of 2010's, Brazilian gaming events have slowly shifted their focus to international releases, e-sports and releases from well-established Brazilian studios, leaving a demand for an event that welcomes and showcases to the public independent game projects that are either just starting out, or have a niche interest. There was also a lack of an festival that with a focus on the exchange of knowledge between its participants.
Firmeza Fest was created with the main objective of meeting this demand, bringing to light new ideas and creations from the Brazilian scene. As an event that doesn't have the primary veneer of business or the focus on the game as a product, creators and game designers of more experimental games have a space to publicize their creations, bringing a plurality to Brazilian games.
2019 Edition
The first edition of Firmeza Fest took place on November 22, 2019, at Matilha Cultural. The event featured a games showcase and the presence of 14 games, including titles that later gained a lot of international recognition such as Unsighted and Dandy Ace, and games using alternative controls such as Pat Pat Revolution. The event, guided by the theme of Interaction, also included 7 talks by experienced professionals from the Brazilian games industry and 18 hypertalks with developers from a wide range of backgrounds. The Game Show was open to everyone free of charge and the talks had a symbolic entrance fee. We had an audience of 90 paying attendees and 500 visitors.
Firmeza Fest on the Media
- BonusCast - BonusCast #63: A volta do download ilegal?
My responsibilities as creator and organizer of the event were:
- Planning and negotiating the schedule and budget;
- Curation of the games for the exhibition;
- Planning marketing and advertising via ads;
- Graphic design for printed media and videos;
