the third feature film by the Argentine-born Brazilian director Hector Babenco, is a finely made, uncompromisingly grim movie about the street boys of São Paulo, in particular about Pixote - which, according to the program, translates roughly as Peewee...The performances are almost too good to be true, but Mr. Da Silva and Miss Pera are splendid. Pixote is not for the weak of stomach. A lot of the details are tough to take, but it is neither exploitative nor pretentious. Mr. Babenco shows us rock-bottom, and because he is an artist, he makes us believe it as well all of the possibilities that have been lost." The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports a positive score of 93% based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 8.8/10. Although it was accepted as the Brazilian submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film it was later disqualified since it was test marketed in Brazil before the allowable date. Filmmakers Spike Lee, Mira Nair, Harmony Korine, Martin Scorsese, and the Safdie brothers have cited it as being among their favorite films. Awards Wins San Sebastián International Film Festival: OCIC Award - Honorable Mention; Hector Babenco; 1981. Locarno International Film Festival: Silver Leopard; Hector Babenco; 1981. Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards: LAFCA Award; Best Foreign Film; 1981. New York Film Critics Circle Awards: NYFCC Award; Best Foreign Language Film; 1981. Boston Society of Film Critics Awards: BSFC Award; Best Actress, Marília Pêra; Best Film; 1982. National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA: NSFC Award Best Actress, Marília Pêra; 1982. Nominations National Board of Review of Motion Pictures (US), Best Foreign Language Film; 1981. Golden Globes: Golden Globe, Best Foreign Film, Brazil; 1982. See also Quem Matou Pixote? (Who Killed Pixote?) References External links Pixote at Film Reference Pixote film scene at YouTube Pixote: Out in the Streets an essay by Stephanie Dennison at the Criterion Collection 1980 films 1980 crime drama films 1980 LGBT-related films Brazilian crime drama films Brazilian LGBT-related films 1980s Portuguese-language films Brazilian independent films Social realism in film Films about prostitution in Brazil 1980s prison drama films Films set in Rio de Janeiro (city) Films shot in Rio de Janeiro (city) Films set in São Paulo Films directed by Héctor Babenco Films about trans women