Brazilian fest lauds 'Dark,' 'Metal'

Fest attracted 29 foreign buyers from 11 countries

By MARCELO CAJUEIRO

See Winners

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Toni Venturi's "Cabra cega" (Playing in the Dark) snagged honors for director, lead actor (Leonardo Medeiros), script, art director and the audience award at the 37th Brazilian Film Festival, which wrapped Tuesday.

Venturi's second fiction pic portrays the guerilla resistance against Brazil's military regime in the late 1960s.

Vet Eduardo Coutinho's doc "Peoes" (Metal Workers) nabbed the Candango award for film. Coutinho lensed "Metal Workers" during Brazil's 2002 presidential campaign when Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was elected. The doc is centered on the factory workmates of President Lula, who was a union leader in the 1970s and 1980s.

Fest's two-year-old international film market attracted 29 foreign buyers from 11 countries. The mart recorded sales of 42 local pics, including the U.S. rights of Jorge Furtado's "The Man who Copied" to indie distrib TLA Entertainment Group. Rich Wolff, TLA's VP of acquisitions and marketing, is targeting an April release.

According to Tarcisio Vidigal, president of market organizer Grupo Novo de Cinema e TV, the 42 deals will generate revenue of $1.6 million in two years.

Vidigal unveiled the creation of Grupo Novo Latinoamerica, a joint venture of his company and Argentine indie distrib Artkino Pictures. The new company will be based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and will distribute Brazilian pics in other Latin American countries.

The full list of winners:

Film:
"Peoes" (Metal Workers)

Director:
Toni Venturi, "Cabra cega" (Playing in the Dark)

Audience award:
"Cabra cega" (Playing in the Dark)

Actor:
Leonardo Medeiros, "Cabra cega" (Playing in the Dark)

Actress:
Zezeh Barbosa ("Maria's Place")

Special Jury award:
"Four for None"

Supporting actor:
Jonathan Haagensen ("Four for None")

Supporting actress:
Lucia Alves ("Maria's Place")

Scriptwriter:
Di Moretti "Cabra cega" (Playing in the Dark)

Cinematographer:
Mario Carneiro ("500 Souls")

Art director:
Chico Andrade "Cabra cega" (Playing in the Dark)

Score:
Livio Tragtenberg ("500 Souls")

Sound:
Paulo Ricardo Nunes, Louis Robin and Romeu Quinto ("500 Souls")

Editing:
Ide Lacreta ("500 Souls")