Globo Filmes, the robust film production arm of Brazil’s Globo, Latin America’s largest media company, has revealed 11 new movie projects, solidifying its position as the company with the most extensive production slate in Brazil.
The roster of directors for these new titles, all co-productions, includes star auteur Gabriel Mascaró (“Divine Love,” “Neon Bull”), celebrated documentary filmmaker Eryk Rocha (“Cinema Novo,” “Edna”), and the multi-awarded actor Dira Paes, who gained prominence in John Boorman’s “The Emerald Forest.”
Also featured are David Schurmann (“Little Secret”) and Jean-Pierre Dutilleux, whose 1976 film “Raoni,” earned an Oscar nomination and was championed by Marlon Brando.
Mascaró is set to direct “The Other Side of the Sky,” produced by Globo Filmes and Desvía Produções, a fantasy drama set in an alternate reality Brazil where anyone over 80 is confined to a colony, aimed at aiding Brazil’s economic recovery. Rocha is preparing “Elza,” a documentary portrait of the legendary singer Elza Soares, while Paes is developing her directorial debut, “Pasárgada,” which delves into international animal trafficking.
Schurmann’s “Por um fío” follows an oncologist treating his own brother for cancer. Dutilleux’s “Raoni, An Unusual Friendship,” recounts his decade-long friendship with Raoni, an unwavering activist for Indigenous community rights.
These projects were unveiled at Cannes by Simone Oliveira, the managing director of Globo Filmes. They collectively add an arthouse edge to Globo Filmes’ lineup, aiming to blend commercial, crossover, and art cinema offerings.
This announcement coincides with Globo Filmes presenting “Nelson Pereira dos Santos – A Life of Cinema,” directed by Aída Marques and Ivelise Ferreira, a tribute to the highly admired Cinema Novo director. The documentary will be screened at this year’s Cannes Classics.
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To attract Brazilian audiences back to theaters, Globo Filmes plans to release four major comedies between November and January: “Tá Escrito,” “Tô de Graça,” “Os Farofeiros 2,” and “My Sister and I.” Globo Filmes and TV Globo will play pivotal roles in this endeavor. Simone emphasized, “We see theaters as a priority. The films are released with strong advertising and cross-media coverage from TV Globo’s entertainment shows and journalism programs, which reach 100 million people per day. This visibility strengthens the films for theatrical release and beyond, creating a virtuous cycle.” Learn more.
Such visibility is crucial for Globo, where nine out of ten of the most-watched movies in 2022 on Globo’s streaming service, Globoplay, were Brazilian films or co-productions by Globo Filmes.
This year, Globo Filmes plans to invest a total of $7 million in the production of Brazilian feature films. However, Oliveira believes this is not enough and hopes the government will increase the cap on Globo’s tax-break-driven investment per film in national movies. She added, “If the tax breaks increase, we can produce high-value films that will allow us to compete more effectively with movies budgeted at $20 million.”
Here is a breakdown of the titles on Globo’s 2023 lineup:
- “The Battle” (Vera Egito): A portrayal of the final night of the Rua Maria Antônia Battle in 1968 between students, professors, and Brazil’s military forces.
- “Buddies 2” (Marcelo Galvão): A decadent road trip adventure sequel.
- “Elza” (Eryk Rocha): A documentary portrait of Brazilian singer Elza Soares.
- “Os Farofeiros 2” (Roberto Santucci): A sequel to the 2018 blockbuster comedy.
- “O Haiti É Aqui” (Fabio Mendonça, Teodoro Poppovic & Maurício Bouzon): A drama about job loss and journalism.
- “My Sister and I” (Susana Garcia): A comedy reuniting Ingrid Guimarães and Tatá Werneck.
- “Nelson Pereira Dos Santos – A Life Of Cinema” (Aída Marque, Ivelise Ferreira): A tribute to a prominent figure in Brazilian cinema.
- “Novas Severinas” (Eliza Ribeiro Capai): An intimate portrait of a generation of liberated women in Brazil.
- “The Other Side of the Sky” (Gabriel Mascaro): A sci-fi movie set in an alternate future Brazil.
- “Pasargada” (Dira Paes): The awaited directorial debut of actress Dira Paes, exploring a biologist’s journey in a remote forest.
- “Precisamos Falar Sobre Nossos Filhos” (Rebeca Diniz & Pedro Waddington): A drama centered on two upper-middle-class couples in São Paulo.
- “Por Um Fio” (David Schurmann): A portrait of an oncologist facing challenging cases.
- “Raoni, an Unusual Friendship” (Jean-Pierre Dutilleux): A follow-up to the Cannes hit “Raoni,” highlighting Raoni’s lifelong dedication to Indigenous communities and the Amazon rainforest.
- “Sisters” (Manas, Marianna Brennand): A coming-of-age family drama set in the Amazon.
- “Tá Escrito” (Matheus Souza): A film about dreams and their consequences.
- “Tô De Graça – O Filme” (César Rodrigues): Based on the hit TV series, the comedy follows protagonist Graça on a holiday in Búzios.
- “Two Summers and an Eternity” (Sandra Kogut): The next film from distinguished director Sandra Kogut, set in a New Cancún resort surrounded by social injustice.