Applications for the first funding cycle of the second edition of Screen Brasil close Oct. 2
Distribution, by common consent, has become the weakest link in the whole of the film industry. If it weren’t for public-sector aid, it would hardly exist. Split right deals, replacing minimum guarantees, has eased the financial stress on distributors. Every single dollar still counts, however.
In such a context, Screen Brasil, which closes its applications for the first of two cycles of its second funding edition on Oct. 2, offers manna from heaven. Many sales agents and distributors in Europe dream of being beneficiaries from such schemes.
In its first edition, France’s Lucky Number received $15,000 to support the sales of Gabriel Mascaro’s “The Blue Trail” to Australia and Taiwan.
Further recipients, announced at Cannes Marché du Film this May, were Rafaela Camelo’s “The Nature of Invisible Things,” with international sales by Italy’s The Open Reel to German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein; and Priscilla Kellen’s animated work “Papaya,” with international sales by Belgium’s Best Friend Forever to Portugal, Germany and Mexico.
Lucky Number has already concluded the releases in Australia and Taiwan of “The Blue Trail.”
The grant has been a big help for the distribution of “The Nature of Invisible Things” according to Cosimo Santoro of The Open Reel.
“The German distributor that participated in the call with us, GM Films, will release the film in theaters under the title ‘Sophia und Gloria – Ein Sommermärchen’ (‘A Summer Fairy Tale’),” Santoro told Variety.
“Following the theatrical run, distribution will extend to major platforms, including Amazon and the Neue Visionen Plus/Good!movies channel. Naturally, the fund will also be useful for promotional activities and the creation of materials. The smaller contribution allocated to The Open Reel — as the film’s salesagent — will enable us to release the film directly via VOD in Italy, covering the preparation of Italian-language materials (posters, subtitles and trailers). We are, of course, also organizing an appropriate press campaign for the launch.
As one of the six titles shortlisted to represent Brazil at the Oscars, its upcoming releases in the territories where it has been sold will also help maintain public interest, Santoro added. In addition to Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, the film has sold in Latin America, Asia, the Balkans, Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Australia, Spain, Portugal and the MENA region.
Screen Brasil was established last year by the Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur) and the Olga Rabinovich Institute’s Projeto Paradiso support program with the aim of strengthening the international distribution of Brazilian fiction feature films. The initiative has increased the number of selected films from three to four and now features two selection cycles, the first of which is accepting applications from July 2 to Oct. 2. Two international distribution proposals will be selected in each cycle.
The first call will accept films released between 2024 and 2026. The second call, taking place in the first half of 2027, will focus on films released between 2025 and 2027. Submissions must be made in English by the international sales agent holding the film’s commercial rights.
Each selected film will receive $15,000 for international distribution efforts, including posters, translation and subtitling, marketing, trailers, ad purchases, and other strategies aimed at promoting and circulating the works abroad.
Another new feature of the latest edition is an extended deadline for the start of international distribution. The window for screenings is now up to 12 months after selection, compared to the six months provided in the previous edition. This change offers greater flexibility for sales agents and distributors to define release strategies aligned with the schedules of different international markets, according to organizers.
The initiative reinforces Embratur’s role in promoting Brazil across its multiple dimensions — touristic, cultural, economic, and symbolic — by recognizing audiovisual production as a key tool for the country’s international projection. For Projeto Paradiso, the partnership also represents a strategic investment in expanding international circulation opportunities for Brazilian cinema.
“Screen Brasil was restructured in this second edition to increase the number of supported films and extend the deadline for executing deliverables,” said Roberto Gevaerd, Embratur’s director of management and innovation. “The goal is to provide sales agents with greater predictability and capacity to place Brazilian audiovisual products in international screening circuits, aligning cultural dissemination with Brazil’s image positioning goals abroad.”
Rachel do Valle, program director at Projeto Paradiso, added: “The experience from the first edition showed a clear demand for a program like Screen Brasil. In this new edition, we increased the number of supported projects, introduced two selection rounds, and offered more flexibility for planning international releases. These changes make the support even more aligned with market dynamics and strengthen international exposure opportunities for Brazilian cinema. We are thrilled to continue this partnership with Embratur and expand the program’s reach.”
Full regulations and application forms are available on Embratur’s website.