Hubert Bals Fund and Brazilian Partners Announce Selection for Co-development Support and Launch ScreenBrasil Distribution Initiative

The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), through its prestigious Hubert Bals Fund (HBF), has officially unveiled the ten cinematic projects selected for the pilot edition of HBF+Brasil: Co-development Support. This landmark initiative represents a strategic alliance between the HBF and four of Brazil’s most influential audiovisual and promotional bodies: Spcine, RioFilme, Projeto Paradiso, and Embratur. Designed to bolster the international trajectory of Brazilian cinema, the program provides €10,000 in development funding to each of the ten selected projects, all of which are the second or third feature-length endeavors of their respective directors and are spearheaded by Brazilian production companies.

This collaboration marks a significant moment in the internationalization of Brazilian audiovisual content. By focusing on directors at a critical juncture in their careers—moving beyond their debut features—the HBF+Brasil initiative seeks to provide the financial and institutional stability necessary for ambitious storytelling to reach global audiences. Simultaneously, the announcement coincides with the launch of ScreenBrasil, a separate but complementary program aimed at incentivizing the international distribution of finished Brazilian films, signaling a comprehensive effort to support the lifecycle of a film from script to screen.

A Diverse Slate of New Brazilian Narratives

The ten projects selected for the HBF+Brasil grant showcase a wide array of genres, historical settings, and social perspectives, reflecting the multifaceted nature of contemporary Brazilian society. Among the highlights is "Enquanto não voltam," the latest project from Anita Rocha da Silveira and Kromaki. Rocha da Silveira, who gained international acclaim with "Mate-me por favor" and "Medusa," sets her new film in Rio de Janeiro in 1986. The narrative weaves together science fiction and historical trauma, following three young music enthusiasts whose encounters with extraterrestrial life serve as a metaphor for healing the lingering scars of the military dictatorship.

Transitioning from the contemporary queer scene of São Paulo depicted in his 2024 Cannes Critics’ Week entry "Baby," director Marcelo Caetano shifts focus to the colonial era with "Brasa." Produced by CUP Filmes, this period drama represents a significant stylistic pivot for Caetano, exploring the historical roots of Brazilian identity. Similarly, Lucas Parente’s "Múmia tropical" (Besta Fera Filmes) delves into the 19th century, focusing on Emperor Pedro II’s 1876 journey to Egypt, a narrative that explores the intersection of Brazilian monarchy and global archaeology.

The selection also emphasizes social realism and the exploration of marginalized identities. Pedro Geraldo’s "Um longo despir-se" (Alento) follows his success at FIDMarseille 2023. The film employs a dual-timeline structure, contrasting the life of a 1930s rural textile worker who steals fabric for his brother with the journey of a transgender woman searching for that same garment decades later. Meanwhile, Lincoln Péricles Pinto presents "Olhos de Yara" (Quarta-feira Filmes), a contemporary drama centered on a 16-year-old hip-hop artist navigating the pressures of institutional politics and freestyle battles to find her voice.

Other selected projects include:

• "Sobre noix" (Luciano Vidigal, Dualto): A poignant look at two Black women from the Vidigal favela in Rio de Janeiro who navigate the complexities of adoption to form a family.
• "Laguna" (Maurílio Martins, Filmes de Plástico): A character study of a man seeking redemption and a fresh start after a two-year prison sentence. Martins previously competed at Rotterdam in 2019.
• "Bicho" (Madiano Marcheti, Terceira Margem): Set in the Brazilian Cerrado, the film explores the conflict between an obsessive farmer and his neighbor following the escape of a calf into the wild.
• "Irmã mais velha" (Rafaela Camelo, Lupa Filmes): A supernatural-inflected drama about a mother using extraordinary abilities to comfort her daughter after the loss of a sibling.
• "Papiloscopista" (Carlos Segundo, A Manduri): A genre-bending noir about a fingerprint analyst who adopts multiple identities at night, plunging into a world of vengeance and intrigue.

The Strategic Role of Institutional Partners

The HBF+Brasil initiative is not merely a financial grant but a strategic alignment of regional and national interests. Spcine and RioFilme represent the municipal audiovisual powerhouses of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, respectively, ensuring that the country’s two largest production hubs are central to this international outreach. Their involvement highlights a commitment to local talent development and the export of urban cultural narratives.

Projeto Paradiso, a philanthropic initiative of the Olga Rabinovich Institute, brings a focus on professional development and talent nurturing, often bridging the gap between domestic production and international markets. Perhaps most notable is the involvement of Embratur, the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion. Embratur’s participation underscores a growing recognition of "film tourism" and the role of cinema as a form of soft power. By supporting stories that showcase Brazilian landscapes and culture, the agency aims to stimulate global interest in Brazil as a destination.

ScreenBrasil: Expanding the Global Footprint

In tandem with the development grants, the ScreenBrasil program has been introduced to address the "last mile" of filmmaking: international distribution. While Brazilian films often find success on the festival circuit, securing theatrical releases in foreign territories remains a persistent challenge. ScreenBrasil offers a stimulus of up to $15,000 for international sales agents and distributors to facilitate the release of Brazilian films in cinemas abroad.

The program allocates $10,000 directly to the international distributor and $5,000 for promotion and marketing efforts. To be eligible, films must be majority-Brazilian fiction features produced between 2024 and 2025. This initiative is particularly focused on films that have not yet premiered in Brazil, ensuring that their international launch serves as a springboard for global recognition. Applications for the first cycle of ScreenBrasil are open until March 31, with a selection committee evaluating proposals based on quality, feasibility, and audience potential.

Historical Context and Economic Implications

The launch of ScreenBrasil marks a return to proactive state-supported distribution models. It draws direct inspiration from the "Prêmio de Apoio à Distribuição do Cinema Brasileiro," a program run by Cinema do Brasil and APEX Brasil between 2009 and 2019. During its ten-year tenure, that program facilitated the distribution of 125 films across more than 40 countries, proving that targeted financial incentives can significantly increase the commercial footprint of national cinema.

The economic implications of these programs are two-fold. First, they provide a direct infusion of capital into the production sector, mitigating the risks associated with the development phase of filmmaking. Second, by incentivizing international distribution, they create new revenue streams for Brazilian production companies through foreign sales and box office residuals. In a globalized content market dominated by streaming giants, supporting independent theatrical distribution is seen as vital for maintaining cultural diversity and the prestige of the "Brazilian brand" in cinema.

Future Outlook for Brazilian Audiovisual Exports

The combined impact of the HBF+Brasil grants and the ScreenBrasil distribution stimulus suggests a revitalized strategy for the Brazilian audiovisual sector. By partnering with a world-renowned entity like the Hubert Bals Fund, Brazilian institutions are leveraging the fund’s decades of expertise and its vast network of international programmers and critics. The Hubert Bals Fund, established in 1988, has supported over 1,100 projects from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and parts of Eastern Europe, making it one of the most influential "World Cinema" funds in existence.

As these ten selected projects move into production, the industry will be watching closely to see how this pilot edition influences the quality and reach of the final films. The diverse range of themes—from sci-fi and noir to historical drama and social realism—indicates a shift away from the "export-only" social misery tropes that sometimes characterized Latin American cinema in previous decades. Instead, these filmmakers are exploring complex, genre-fluid narratives that challenge international audiences’ perceptions of Brazil.

The success of these initiatives will likely be measured not just by festival accolades, but by the ability of these films to secure sustainable distribution and find audiences in diverse markets such as Europe, North America, and neighboring Latin American countries. With the support of Embratur and Projeto Paradiso, the goal is clear: to ensure that Brazilian stories are not just told, but are seen and heard on the global stage.