ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT PRESENTS

Beyond the Screen: Fractais Tropicais (Tropical Fractals) at REDCAT

Wednesday

,

October

14

,

2026

6:30 pm, Reception

8 pm, Screening | RT 72 min

9:30 pm, Conversation

$12 Tickets | Use code ALUMPIRONDI26 for 20% off

Join the School of Film/Video and fellow CalArts alumni for an evening at REDCAT featuring a screening of Fractais Tropicais (Tropical Fractals) ! The night will begin with a preshow reception, followed by the screening and a post-show conversation with filmmaker Leonardo Pirondi (Film/Video BFA 22 and MFA 24) and actor Ivo Müller, moderated by Jheanelle Brown.

If you need any special accommodations to participate in this activity, kindly email us at alumni@calarts.edu.

Tickets

Photo: Courtesy of Leonardo Pirondi. Still from Fractais Tropicais (Tropical Fractals)

About the Film

Fractais Tropicais (Tropical Fractals) depicts environmental collapse and a vision of the post-apocalyptic world. On an interstellar journey, an intelligent system named Museo records the crew’s diaries as Brazilian archivists transport Earth’s last living remnants and their digitized copies. This fractured history of humanity is contrasted with a lone wanderer, perhaps the last man on Earth (played by Ivo Müller), who roams the ruined landscape as it slowly recovers.

Shot in Super 16mm, the debut feature film by Leonardo Pirondi (Film/Video BFA 22 and MFA 24) crafts a textured analog visual world in contrast to slick, digitally rendered science fiction visual tropes.

About the Filmmaker

Leonardo Pirondi (Film/Video BFA 22 and MFA 24) is a Brazilian-Portuguese filmmaker and artist. His works create and inhabit alternate worlds that blur the lines between reality and fiction, challenging conventional storytelling structures. His films have screened internationally at festivals such as the Toronto, Tiger Short Competition, Viennale, Slamdance, Mar del Plata, IndieLisboa, FICUNAM, BFI London, Nouveau Cinéma, Edinburgh, Oberhausen, and Media City among others. His work has been presented in art centers such as the Museum of Modern Art Rio de Janeiro, CCCB, Wexner Center for the Arts, and REDCAT. He has had solo shows at Galeria Mola in Portugal and Spectacle Theater in NYC.

Some of his films live in the Cinematheque of the MAM Rio, UCLA Film & Television Archive, James Baldwin Library, and The Film-Makers’ Coop. He holds BFA and MFA degrees in Film from CalArts. Pirondi was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, is a Sundance Institute Fellow, and was awarded a MacDowell Fellowship in 2025. His short and feature films have been supported by the Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual of Portugal, Locarno Residency, Projeto Paradiso, and the Tim Disney Prize for Excellence in the Storytelling Arts.

About the Film

Fractais Tropicais (Tropical Fractals) depicts environmental collapse and a vision of the post-apocalyptic world. On an interstellar journey, an intelligent system named Museo records the crew’s diaries as Brazilian archivists transport Earth’s last living remnants and their digitized copies. This fractured history of humanity is contrasted with a lone wanderer, perhaps the last man on Earth (played by Ivo Müller), who roams the ruined landscape as it slowly recovers.

Shot in Super 16mm, the debut feature film by Leonardo Pirondi (Film/Video BFA 22 and MFA 24) crafts a textured analog visual world in contrast to slick, digitally rendered science fiction visual tropes.

The CalArts Footprint Throughout LA

Cattern House

Cattern House is one of the five original homes built on Oaklawn Avenue in South Pasadena. Built in 1907 and designed by architects Dennis & Farwell, also known for The Magic Castle, Cattern House has a long association with the arts, hosting private performances by chorales and string quartets and treating guests to murals gracing the upstairs ceilings. Now it has been revitalized into a vibrant center for creativity and artistic expression. As CalArts’ newest performance and exhibition space, it joins the Institute’s growing presence in Los Angeles County alongside REDCAT and CalArts at the REEF.

CalArts at the Reef

CalArts at The Reef is a new extension of the Institute, giving CalArts students and recent graduates a dedicated presence in Downtown Los Angeles. Housed within The Reef, an 860,000 square-foot building and creative hub at the corner of Broadway and Washington, CalArts’ presence significantly expands its footprint in LA proper. The development of this space was made possible through the generous support of an anonymous individual donor.

REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater)

REDCAT, CalArts' downtown center for contemporary arts, is a dynamic multidisciplinary venue for visual, performing, and media arts located within Frank Gehry's iconic complex that includes the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Since opening in 2003, REDCAT has presented groundbreaking performances, exhibitions, screenings, and public programs that showcase adventurous artists and new ideas from Los Angeles and around the world.

As CalArts' public-facing home in downtown Los Angeles, REDCAT extends the Institute's experimental spirit beyond campus. Designed by Frank Gehry as an adaptable, industrial-inspired creative space, it serves as a professional laboratory where artists push boundaries, challenge conventions, and explore new intersections across disciplines. Situated in the heart of the city's cultural corridor, REDCAT connects CalArts' educational mission with the broader artistic community, fostering innovation, collaboration, and bold creative expression.

Speakers

Erin Hildebrant

Erin Hildebrant will be speaking about their experience working as an event marketer.

Blair Doster

Blair Doster will be speaking about their experience as an art director and organizer of design events.

Simone Andrews

Simone Andrews will be speaking about their experience as a film producer.

This event may be photographed and filmed by CalArts.

By attending this event, you consent to the use of your image or likeness by CalArts for all purposes.

If you have any questions, please contact us at alumni@calarts.edu.