About Cauim

Changing lives for 47 years through... culture.

Facade of the Cauim Film Club

Our history

Cineclube Cauim is a non-profit organization, created in 1979. Since its founding, it has promoted citizenship through culture and education in Ribeirão Preto and the state of São Paulo.

During its first 20 years of existence, it worked in theater, book editing, setting up and operating film clubs, audiovisual production, and also conducted workshops and debates.

In 1999, she began a partnership that expanded her reach within the community, solidifying her work in art education.

Thanks to this project, always with the support of the Ministry of Culture – MinC, Cauim set up the space called Temple of Citizenship and reopened its movie theater in 2003, in the city center, with 900 seats.

Since Cauim was transformed into a Cultural Center of the Ministry of Culture and more recently into a State Cultural Center (a partnership between the Ministry of Culture and the State Secretariat of Culture), within the Cultura Viva program, there has been a leap in the quality of its work.

Through the Digital Culture program and the new agreement with the State of São Paulo, resources for computing, video, and sound were provided, which, added to those already existing in Cauim, supported new initiatives.

Training courses for young people (computer skills, music, capoeira, dance, toque da Lata, Banda Cauim, chess, secretarial skills, etc.) have been and are being carried out in this area, serving an average of one thousand young people per year.

Producing various materials with young people, recording and documenting the organization's actions, in addition to producing two television and internet programs: "Papo com o Dr." (Chat with the Doctor), presented by Dr. Sócrates, and "Boca Livre" (Open Mouth), presented by Odônio dos Anjos, which has been on the air for over twenty years.

Behind-the-scenes photo from the recording of "Papo com Doutor" and "Boca Livre" with Laurentino Gomes.

Cinema room at the Cauim Film Club

Over the years, in addition to the Ministry of Culture and the State and Municipal Secretariats of Culture, it has formed partnerships supporting Cauim projects with the Cooperforte Institute, the Votorantim Institute, Banco do Brasil, Petrobrás, Caixa Econômica Federal, and various companies through the ProAC and Rouanet Laws, as well as parliamentary amendments.

In the cinema, Cauim achieved its greatest reach, as since 2003, with the reopening of its cinema, now with 300 seats, more than 6 million people have attended its screenings.

The projects also included training more than three thousand teachers to use audiovisual media as a pedagogical tool.

Cauim provides free services to an average of 300,000 people per year.

Since 2003, in its cinema hall, Cauim has been developing the largest project to popularize cinema in the world, holding free screenings and promoting the inclusion of the largest segment of the population that does not have access to this cultural expression.

It is the only free cinema in Brazil, open year-round, with up to six screenings a day, including those scheduled with organizations and schools, and those open to the public. Today we welcome people from 25 municipalities in the region.

Due to these activities, Cauim was declared a public utility entity by the Ribeirão Preto City Council, through Law No. 4927, of November 3, 1986.

In 2006, it won the Citizenship Award from the National Business Foundations – PNBE, in the category "The Educational Entity We Want".

In 2007, it won the Escola Viva award from the Ministry of Culture for its work with film and education. In 2009, its work was recognized as a "Top of Mind" highlight, awarded by the Tribuna newspaper and Recall magazine. In 2010, it was recognized as a State Public Utility entity.

Fernando Kaxassa, President of Cauim, and Odônio dos Anjos, Project Coordinator, on the facade of the new headquarters – The Guarani Aquifer Memorial.

He developed several audiovisual exhibition projects such as: “The School Goes to the Cinema”, “Ribeirão Goes to the Cinema”, “Cinema Paradiso”, “POP Cine”, “Cinema and Literature”, “Cinema and Professions”, “Cine Training”, ”Cinema for Everyone”.

He organized several screenings of Brazilian and São Paulo films; he also carried out projects involving Education, Music, Theater and Cinema, as well as training an average of 400 teachers per year to use cinema as a pedagogical tool.

In 2020, its activities were paralyzed, but it managed to retain the entire team without any layoffs. In 2021, it began to resume its activities, albeit cautiously and following health protocols due to the pandemic.

In 2022, it moved to a new location and, along with other cultural entities, began establishing the Guarani Aquifer Memorial – MAG, a new cultural space inaugurated in 2023 and occupied by various other entities. Gradually, all activities returned to normal starting in 2021.

Between 2023 and 2025, it returned in full force to its new space, with projects aimed at popularizing cinema, music, and theater, with special emphasis on the projects "The School Goes to the Cinema," "Scenic Choir Meeting," "Meetings with Citizenship," "MST/CAUIM Organic Products Fair," various film screenings, and "Sound Fridays" and "Open Rehearsal." Furthermore, it continues to be a space for training young people in Culture, Education, Environment, and Creative Economy.

Our Impact

+5 million

visitors have already attended Cauim events.

+300 thousand

Children pass through Cauim every year.

+100 projects

successfully completed

+100 partners

They help Cauim

Special Testimonials

Mouzar Benedito, Writer

Born in Nova Rezende, Minas Gerais, he is a journalist, writer, geographer, and (above all) a brilliant storyteller. Author of dozens of books, he worked as a journalist and columnist for several alternative newspapers (Versus, Pasquim, Em Tempo, Movimento, Jornal dos Bairros – MG, Brasil Mulher) that marked the recent history of Brazil. And he is also the greatest expert on Saci (a mythical Brazilian creature) in the universe.

Chico Diaz, Actor

Chico Diaz is a Mexican from Rio de Janeiro with roots in Ribeirão Preto. Let me explain: the son of a diplomat, Chico was born in Mexico, raised in Rio de Janeiro, and always spent his childhood and adolescence vacationing in our city where part of his family lives. Today, Chico has one of the most brilliant careers as an actor, whether on stage, television, or film. For him, acting is always very easy and natural, which is a gift for us, the viewers and film buffs.

João Batista de Andrade, Director

João Batista de Andrade needs no introduction. Director, producer, screenwriter, and film editor. Acclaimed for his work in Brazil and abroad, he has always been connected to Brazilian culture.

Denise Fraga, Actress

A multi-media actress, she moves effortlessly between drama and comedy, shining in theater, film, and television. A simple and captivating person, that's Denise Fraga.

Sergio Mamberti, Actor

Sérgio Mamberti, it's impossible to briefly describe in a few lines the importance of Mamberti to Brazilian theater, television, and cinema. He is one of the greatest, that's all.