In Production

“Stolen Lives” premiere party at Cine Belas Artes

June - 2024

“Stolen Lives – Isabella’s saga” is my new True Crime doc-series and it had its debut event last Monday, June 10th, at Cine Belas Artes, in São Paulo. The event celebrated the conclusion of a very difficult project which spanned almost six years! Produced by Grifa Films, the series dives deep into the cruel underworld of international child trafficking. During the event, Maurício Dias – producer and general director presented the whole team. At the stage were also Canal Brasil’s representative, our creative producer Marinho L. de Andrade, Bianca Corona, executive producer, and me. Shot in Brazil, France, Switzerland and Monaco, the series will debut on June 20th 9.p.m. at Canal Brasil and Globoplay.

        

“Volta Priscila” officially announced at Disney+ event in Rio

June - 2024

Last Tuesday (June 4th) was Disney+ super party, at Copacabana Palace Hotel, Rio de Janeiro. The event had two goals: announce the unification of Star+ and Disney’s content by the end of the month in the same platform: Disney+. It was also the opportunity to present the streaming’s new projects for 2024/25. Among many famous artists and sofisticated fiction series we were the only team to present a documentary true crime series. But the power of our story moved the whole audience that gave us a standing ovation. A very emotional moment for all of us!

    

“Volta Priscila” tells the sad and enigmatic story of Priscila Belfort, internationally famous MMA wrestler Vitor Belfort’s sister, who disappeared without a trace 20 years ago. It is the story of a missing person but also of a very suspicious police investigation, weird theories and an absence that is fullfilled in the series by hundreds of hours of vhs home videos made by her and the family.

    

Thanks to Prodigo Films and a wonderful crew of very talented friends and partners! Thanks to Disney+ and our friends there, who fought for the project and made it happen. And thanks to the Belfort Family – specially Jovita Belfort, a very brave woman who opened her heart to us, facing a tragic story that still has no end…

     

Stay tuned for releasing dates.

“Grains of History” premiered in Machado, Minas Gerais

May - 2024

My most recent documentary, “Grains of History” – about the saga of high quality coffee producers in south Minas Gerais state – premiered on the World Coffee Day, May 24th, at Arena Zuza in Machado, a small town which is the epicentre to Brazilian coffee culture.

“Grains of History” tells the story of different producers – from 4th generation land owners to italian immigrants and small organic producers, who produce coffee with passion, tradition and technology. Brazil is the biggest coffee production country in the world and its specialists, traders and the whole productive chain study and love this wonderful bevarage, helping make it get to all corners of the world.

     

Filming in Shenzhen, China!

March - 2024

The month of March saw me and my friends – DoP Fábio Knoll and Sound Recordist Moisés Brasil – travelling to Shenzhen, China, to film my latest full-lenght documentary, called ‘Made in Dafen’. We have met local crew, led by producer Luca Infante (an englishman living in China) and an all chinese team of young filmmakers. For almost 20 days we dedicated ourselves to register the lives and magnificent work of the artists of Dafen.

     Dafen is a tiny district in the middle of one of the largest cities on Earth and it is home to a huge community of outstanding artists – some of the best oil painters that exist. Through the last decades they have specialized in reproducing the works of the masters: Da Vinci, Dali, Van Gogh, Rembrandt etc. They use the same techniques, brushstrokes, paints… it is a deep dive into the minds and souls of these past icons, a true work of art! This talented work was able to built a huge and strong market of millions of dollars per year, abroad and in China.

         

Today, Dafen is also home to a new group of original artists that seek to develop their own style and language. We had the opportunity to encounter, spend some time and film these amazing talents, from both groups. All this material will soon be on Arte1 Channel, Brazil.

    

I have to aknowledge the incredible work of our team in Brazil, led by Executive Producer Bianca Corona and Producer Erica Suzumura, who struggle with getting visas, permits, lots of documents and adjusting a film crew + research team on the other side of the planet. Being able to send a documentary film crew to shoot in China, one of the most closed countries, is a huge feat! Very proud of the work we did collectively.

Now we move on to editing script and editing stages! More information here in due time.

NEW DOC: STORIES OF BRAZILIAN COFFEE PRODUCERS

February - 2024

We traveled to the south of Minas Gerais state in Brazil to begin shooting my new doc about high quality coffee producers and their family stories and sagas. Produced by Knoll Films, with photography by Fábio Knoll and executive production by Reinaldo Lima & Fábio Knoll, the film discusses the role of tradition and technology, intuition and science on the making of Brazil finest coffees. Our documentary crew visited huge farms and small producers, talked to experts and people who have lived the coffee producers’ life for generations.

We will continue with our shooting schedule: we have still more dates in the Minas Gerais region and will also visit Santos, the biggest port in South America, where all that coffee production is sent abroad. The film will be ready by the end of May, when it will be screened in one of the most important coffee events in the world.

            

IRON SOCIETY IS READY TO ROLL!

February - 2024

My new full-length documentary “Iron Society – The Structure of Things” – a Prodigo Films/Globo Filmes/GNews coproduction is finally ready! The film is going to Brazilian and international film festivals before reaching streaming services and TV, by Summer 2024. “Iron Society” is a bold movie that studies the “systemic trap” our society has fallen into. We travel to Minas Gerais, a traditional mining state in Brazil, to understand the impacts of globalization, capitalism and how democracy is affected by international policies led by transnational corporations and governments alike and together. We stand by the profound and visionary poetry of Carlos Drummond de Andrade, the most famous Brazilian poet, who was born in the mining district and saw the beginning of it all. truly surprising…

        

MY NEW DISNEY+ TRUE CRIME DOC SERIES IN ITS FINAL STAGES

January - 2024

My new True Crime doc series is in its final stages, going true final mix (Garbato brothers’ Loud) and colour correction (Quanta Post). The project is a Prodigo Films & Disney coproduction and has four power-packed emotional dense episodes. The result is really thrilling! Lauching is due to Fall 2024. Stay tuned for more on this later!

               

SOBRE_VIVÊNCIA IS RELEASED IN THEATRES

December - 2023

My new doc series SobreVivências (Tocha Filmes 2023) was presented at Belas Artes Theatre (SP) to a selected audience during a major event on the first week of December 2023. Among people invited were supporters, crew, sponsors, specialists and some of the people shown on the big screen. Each night one of the five episodes was exhibited and a debate session with experts was conducted afterwards. SobreVivências deals with the major issues of our time, like climate emergency, social inequality, food waste and production, clean energy, life in world’s huge metropolis, circularity and many more. Our doc series will hit streaming services and TV in 2024. Stay tuned for more.

        

Iron Society in its final stages

November - 2023

Documentary “Iron Society” is almost finished. After the editing phase now comes the audio mix and color adjustments. The film is a study about mining activity in central Brazil and its connections with poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade, one of the greatest in the country who was born and lived part of his life in the region, seeing the development of ore mining from its beginnings. The film also discusses globalization, capitalism and our post-modern society values. “Iron Society” is a Prodigo Films/Globo Films/GNews production and will be screened in festivals in Brazil and abroad before reaching tv in 2024.

GABY AMARANTOS WILL HOST SOBRE_VIVÊNCIAS

September - 2023

Famous Brazilian singer & actress Gaby Amarantos has just filmed her scenes and will host “Sobre_Vivências” documentary series. The project (5×60′) discusses the impacts of our global lifestyle in many different areas, presenting solutions and people that are currently working to prevent an even bigger planetary crisis. During the shooting, she was also interviewed by Paulina Chamorro, famous environmental journalist (Vozes do Planeta Podcast), who will present a series based on the project. Now, it’s time for final editing and finishing up the episodes! Stay tuned for more news…

          

“SOBREVIVÊNCIAS” SHOOTING IS ALMOST DONE

September - 2023

Now that we are approaching the end of our “SobreVivências” project, with editing almost complete for its five episodes (5×60′), it is time for our last days of shooting, which end this week (09-15-23). Our crew visited Santos, some 70km from São Paulo and home of the largest port in South America, to discuss the rising of the oceans and ‘climate apartheid’. João Malavolta, from Ecosurf movement, was with us while we navigated by the rich areas of the city and, on the other side of the island, one of the biggest “favelas over stilts” in the country.

The team also met Trama Afetiva, a creative group of people in São Paulo that are transforming trashed old umbrellas in desirable fashion items, creating jobs for many people in this chain. Last, we’ve encountered Gisele Rocha, an active entrepreneur who created an education program for underpriviledged people, mostly from slums and communities around the metropolis, to teach them how to manage their finances and prevent over consumption and increasing banking debts.

                 

SHOOTING PHASE IS OVER FOR MY NEW DISNEY/STAR+ SERIES!

July - 2023

We have finished the second flight for our new Star+ series. First one happened in Rio de Janeiro in May/June, where we’ve stayed for almost a month. July saw our crew in São Paulo, shooting the last interviews and scenes during a two-week period, completing 25 days on the field. It took more than 50 tv professionals working in the studio and on previously selected locations to complete the job. The editing process started on Monday, 17th.

Our team celebrates the end of shooting phase!

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