Setting the agenda for much top Brazilian cinema bowing over 2022-25, Globo Filmes has boarded 20 new Brazilian movies, powering up by far the biggest production slate of any company in Brazil.
New titles from many of Brazil’s good and great range from Cinema Novo veteran Zelito Viana to Oscar-shortlisted Cao Hambuger. The production slate features obvious big commercial plays for domestic audiences such as “Tô de Graça, o Filme,” a movie spin-off from the hugely popular sitcom franchise.
The lineup, however, displays a far larger auteurist edge than in the past, with awaited new movies from young female auteurs such as Juliana Rojas and Beatriz Seigner and battling Black filmmakers Jeferson De, Grace Passo and Sabrina Fidalgo.
The slate also features big crossover titles which bid fair to feature at some of the biggest film festivals around the world, such as Hamburger’s “School Without Gates,” “Macunaíma 21,” from Felipe Bragança and Zahi Guajajara, a contemporary reinvention of the Brazilian modern classic novel; and “Tale of a Certain Orient,” an immigration tale set in early’ 50s Manaus, deep in the Amazon.
New movies join already announced Globo Filmes titles which include many of the most ambitious movies currently being readied out of Brazil: Alê Abreu’s “Perlimps,” set to world premiere at Annecy;“The Business Woman’s Club,” from “The Second Mother’s” Anna Muylaert’s, unveiled at last year’s Cannes; Sergio Machado’s animated feature “Noah’s Ark,” sold handsomely by CMG; and Karim Aïnouz’s “Destiny Motel,” marking the “Invisible Life” director’s return to Brazilian filmmaking.
“We are trying to have more diversity in our slate of films. We have some very commercial films, some based on Globo’s IPs such as ‘DPA4,’ and some arthouse films, with both rising talents and acclaimed directors” Simone Oliveira, head of Globo Filmes from January 2020, said at Cannes.
Total investment in the 20-pic slate is $12 million, she added.
Globo Filmes is a Brazilian industry kingmaker.
Co-producing all titles with independent producers in Brazil, it not only brings finance to the table but the huge marketing clout of the biggest media company in Latin America.
Globo Filmes is able to promote titles via not only direct airtime advertising but a broad range of programs from newscasts to magazines, entertainment shows, and even Brazil’s version of “Big Brother,” Oliveira observed.
This exposes art movies to a potentially huge free-to-air audiences still commanded by Globo, the media giant’s flagship TV channel, she added.
Globo Filmes is also stepping up its ambitions in other ways, said Oliveira.
“We want to make relevant films, whether commercial or art-house, and make sure they really impact in cinema theaters, as well as in the other windows”, said Oliveira.
Globo Filmes also aims to up international co-production, bringing on overseas production companies on its Brazilian titles. “Extra partners are important so that people get to know know the quality of Brazilian cinema, international co-producers open up new opportunities for a title and allow us to have another take on a film,” Oliveira enthused.
A quick breakdown of Globo Filmes’ new titles:
“Aba,” (“Aba ye sua banda,” Humberto Avelar)
A kids animated adventure feature set up at Frahia Produçoes, behind smash hit “Vai Que Dá Certo” and “Veronica.”
“Adelaide & Virginia,” (“Adelaide e Virginia,” Jorge Furtado)
A doc feature from Porto Alegre-based Furtado (“The Man Who Copied”), one of Brazil’s great, wide-ranging, genre-bending critics of class, capitalism and much more. Produced by Casa de Cinema de Porto Alegre.
“Agora É Que São Elas,” (Pedro Antonio)
A road movie comedy with two suburban female leads (Cacau Protásio and Fabiana Karla) who have left their families to pursue their dream. Directed by Pedro Antonio (“Um TIo Quase Perfeito”) with artistic consultancy from Jorge Furtado.
“Alucinaçao,” (Renato Terra)
Written and directed by Terra (“Narciso em férias,” “Uma noite em 67”), a vision of Brazil’s ‘70s generations, backed by tracks from 1976 album of the film’s title, from Belchior,
“The Blue Flamingo” (“O Flamingo Solitário,” Beatriz Seigner)
Co-produced by Thierry Lenouvel’s Cinésud Promotion in France and pitched at Rome’s MIA Market in 2020, a drama about a boy, 11, travelling to a largely abandoned beach town to meet his father for the first time. Seigner’s fiction feature follow-up to the multi-prized “Los Silencios.”
“Cancer and Scorpio Rising,” (“Cancer com Ascendente em Peixes,” Rosane Svartman)
Produced by Rio-based Raccord, the latest from Svartman (“How To be Single in Rio,” “A Life Worth Living”), inspired by the breast cancer blog of Raccord producer Clélia Bessa.
“Carolina,” (Jeferson De)
The latest from Black Brazilian cinema activist Jeferson De whose 2010 feature debut “Broder” played Berlin. Raccord and Maria das Graças produce.
“Cidade; Campo,” (Juliana Rojas)
The awaited next film from one of the doyennes of Brazilian auteur genre cinema, co-director of Locarno winner “Good Manners.” A two-part feature telling two immigration stories between city and countryside, with fantasy elements, used in a different way to her previous works, she told Variety. Sara Silveira produces for Dezenove Som e Imagens. Germany’s Sutor Kolonko (“Rojo”) co-produces with Canal Brasil and Telecine.
“DPA 4,” (“DPA 4 (“Detetives de Prédio Azul 4”), Mauro Lima)
Next movie instalment in Globo’s long-running film/series kids fantasy adventure franchise. From Conspiraçao Filmes.
“Deaf Love 1500,” (“Amores Surdos 1500,” Grace Passô)
Written and to be directed by Passó, a playwright, director and actress, a movie that delivers a trenchant family metaphor for Brazil. Produced by EntreFilmes, behind Un Certain Regard winner “The Dead and the Others,” and Rachel Daisy Ellis’ Desvia Produções, whose credits include major Latin American arthouse hits such as “Divine Love” and “Rojo.”
“Macunaíma 21,” (Felipe Bragança, Zahi Guajajara)
One of the big international titles on Globo’s slate, a contemporary road movie reimagining of the celebrated novel mixing indigenous heritage and humble big city outskirts. Bragança, whose “Don’t Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl!” played Sundance and Berlin in 2017, directs with poet-actress Guajajara. Produced by Duas Mariola. France’s Promenade Films co-produces.
“Marília Pêra,” (“Viva Marilia,” Zelito Viana)
The latest from indefatigable Cinema Novo producer and director Viana (“Villa-Lobos: A Life of Passion”) and Mapa Filmes, established by Glauber Rocha, Viana and Walter Lima in 1965.
“Una Mulher de Outro Mundo,” (César Rodrigues)
Next from Rodrigues, king of Brazilian comedy, both series and films, such as “Vai que cola,” “Minha mãe é uma peça 2” and “Os Roni.” Produced by Formata.
“School Without Gates,” (“Escola Sem Muros,” Cao Hamburger)
One of two education-focused movies from Hamburger set up at Gullane, which produced his Oscar-shortlisted “The Year My Parents Went on Vacation.” “School” turns on real-life figure Braz Nogueira, who transforms a school – and with it whole community – in São Paulo’s Heliopolis favela.
“Tale of a Certain Orient,” (“Relato de Um Certo Oriente,” Marcelo Gomes)
The awaited next from Gomes, whose movies have played Cannes (“Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures”) and Berlin (“Joaquin,” “The Man of the Crowd”). A meeting of two worlds tale, set in the early ‘50s, portraying Lebanese immigrants settling in the Amazon’s Manaus. Matizar’s Mauricio Andrade Ramos (“Central Station”) produces with Gullane and Eliane Ferreira’s Muiraquitã Filmes and Ernesto Soto and Gomes’ Misti. Italy’s Kavac Film co-produced with Canal Brasil.
“This is Pretty Much My Life,” (“Isso e Muito Minha Vida,” Vitor Brandt)
Next from Brandt, behind Netflix’s buddy cop parody “Cabras da Peste.” Raccord produces.
“Three Roles,” (Três Buracos, Caíto Ortiz)
Produced by Pródigo Films (“Cioisa Mais Linda,” “Invisible City”) and new major Brazilian production force Ventre Studio, and directed by Ortiz (“O Roubo da Taça”).
“Time to Change,” (Sabrina Fidalgo, Yvan Rodic)
Produced by Gullane, co-produced by Globonews, Yvan Rodic Media and Fidalgo Produçoes, a doc feature addressing white supremacy, from the POV of a white European man (Rodic) and black Brazilian woman (Fidalgo).
“Tô de Graça, o Filme,” (César Rodrigues)
A movie spin-off from the hugely popular sitcom, which has run to five seasons, from Brazilian powerhouse Conspiraçao Filmes.
“Two Summers and an Eternity,” (“Dois Verôes e Uma Eternidade,” Sandra Kogut)
The next film from distinguished auteur Kogut, whose “Mutum” (2007) played Directors’ Fortnight, while 2019’s “Three Summers” topped the Havana Festival. Gullane produces.
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