…A powerful new documentary [that] has revolutionized cinema… – SPIN magazine

…A worthy contender for best documentary feature… – The New York Times

…Authentically Inspiring… – The Village Voice

…Daring and Emotional… – The Hollywood Reporter

…Embued with Passion… – The New York Times

…Undeniably seductive. Poetic and compelling.  Captures both the horror and the beauty.  Startling… – The Boston Globe

…Vibrant, memorable and significant.  High energy.  Remarkable story of human transformation… – The LA Times

…Engrossing.  Extraordinary… – The Guardian

…Heartening. Poetic…  – The Observer

…Arresting. Fast-paced. Well-informed… – Time Out

…An important reminder of how human beings can unite to effect grass-roots social change… – BBC

…bound to leave an impression… – Hollywood Reporter

…what an inspiring story…The conclusion is so shocking that a viewer has no choice but to conclude that God is on this man’s side… – Hartford Courant

…A welcome companion to City of God… – Total Film

…Uncompromising, inspiring, tremendous… – Uncut magazine

…Unforgettable. Stunning… – Hot Dog magazine

…A truly inspirational story…  – Empire

…An extremely watchable addition to a growing movement of ghetturista movie-making… – Esquire magazine

…Startling. Poetic…pulsing…feverish… – Boston Globe

…Full of vibrant energy… – Sunday Times Culture

…Magnetic…haunting…beautiful…inspirational…moving…A welcome step into an often forgotten world… – Houston Chronicle

…Stirring! Impossible not to admire… this documentary offers proof positive that music and dance don’t just enhance or improve lives ––they can also save them… – San Francisco Chronicle

…The story of Favela Rising is one of overcoming the odds and escaping the vortex of poverty and crime that swirls in the densely packed favelas… proof of just how far a little poise, vision, commitment, pride and some borrowed drums can get you…. – Hartford Advocate

…Favela Rising is an award-winning documentary with a charismatic hero, a vibrant setting, a galvanising message, and an edge-of-your-seat structure to match those of any fictional film… And there’s a heart-stopping, tear-jerking twist in the closing minutes which no screenwriter would have dared to invent… – The Independent

…A worthy contender for best documentary feature, Jeff Zimbalist’s inspiring film Favela Rising examines the murderous lifestyle of teenage drug dealers in the slums of Rio de Janeiro and finds hope in the flowering of the Afro-reggae movement, which redirects the energies of gangsters into dance, theater and percussion-driven reggae bands… – The New York Times

…Astounding… Using a visual style that leaps off the screen, Zimbalist and Mochary offer an unforgettable portrait of the favelas, where young men openly polish their machine guns and a bullet-riddled body may lie around any corner… – Kansas City Star

…Electrifying.  Hopeful.  Moving… – The Dallas Morning News

…Anderson Sa's journey from angry young man to a veritable Gandhi with a samba beat is inspirational. Moving. Magnetic… – The Fort Worth Star

…Never doubt,' Margaret Mead famously said, ‘that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.' A vibrant documentary, Favela Rising, makes the case for that philosophy in the strongest possible terms… – LA Times