RIO DE JANEIRO -- Featuring the main market in the U.S. dedicated to Brazilian pics, the 12th edition of the Brazilian Film Festival in Miami (Braff Miami) wrapped June 7 with Mauro Lima's "My Name Ain't Johnny" receiving six kudos.

All 14 Brazilian features in competition in the fest made their premieres in the U.S. The jury, headed by Brazilian helmer Luiz Carlos Lacerda and comprised of U.S. film industry reps, awarded "Johnny" with the feature, actor (Selton Mello), sound and editing kudos. Festgoers elected it the best pic, while a jury of U.S. journalists honored "Johnny" with the Media Award.

The helmer prize went to Sandra Kogut for "Mutum" and the actress kudo to Milena Toscano for her role in Chris D'Amato's "No Control." Cristiano Abud received the script prize for "5 Pieces of Almost a Story," a feature comprised of five shorts, while Ivo Lopes Araujo took the cinematography award for "The Grain."

"I'm particularly pleased with the Media Award, which could help the commercial career of 'Johnny' in the U.S.," says Mariza Leao, president of the pic's production company Atitude Producoes. Launched in Brazil in January, 'Johnny' grossed $11.3 million, the top B.O. for a local pic so far in 2008.

Government-sponsored company Cinema do Brasil subsidized the trip for a group of Brazilian film production company execs. Sao Paulo-based Bossa Nova Films presented a package of projects and finished productions. Notable doc projects included Marcelo Machado's "Tropicalia," co-produced with helmer Fernando Meirelles, Los Angeles-based Mojo Pictures and Brazilian net TV Record; and Georgia Guerra Peixe's "I Grew Up in Mangueira."

"I started negotiations in this market with four companies interested in distributing 'Tropicalia' in the U.S. and with a company considering co-producing the documentary. Additionally, Turner Latin America showed interest on 'Mangueira," says Bossa Nova's film division manager Paula Cosenza.

James Guyer, general director of St. Petersburg, Florida, based production company the Calling Production, initiated talks with Bossa Nova and Rio-based Conspiracao Filmes for the Brazilian co-production of "Arigo," a fiction feature about a notorious Brazilian healer/surgeon. Guyer says Alan Arkin will direct, and has written the script based on John Grant Fuller's book "Arigo -- Surgeon of the Rusty Knife."

Sandro Fiorin, exec partner of Los Angeles-based Latin American pics distrib FiGa Films, announced that his company will launch an international sales arm at August's Locarno Film Fest. At Locarno, FiGa will present two productions: Guto Barra's "Beyond Ipanema," a U.S./Brazil doc in post-production and Kleber Mendonca Filho's "Critico."

"We will likely also have three other features from Brazil, Mexico and Colombia," Fiorin says.