08/11/2010

The 34th São Paulo International Film Festival closed last week with a slew of awards for European titles.

Feo Aladag’s When We Leave [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Feo Aladag
interview: Feo Aladag
film profile] (Germany, European Parliament LUX Prize 2010 competition) won Best Feature Film, and Pernilla August’s Beyond [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Sweden) picked up both the Special Jury Award and Best Actress for Noomi Rapace.

The Critics Award went to Portuguese director Raul Ruiz’s Mysteries of Lisbon [+see also:
trailer
film profile], with France’s Olivier Assayas got a Special Mention for Carlos [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. Sylvain Chomet’s animated film The Illusionist [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sylvain Chomet
film profile] won the Youth Award.

Carlos Oliveira's directorial debut Rosa Morena, the first ever Danish/Brazilian co-production, won the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs award – the Prêmio Itamaraty.

The Brazilian-born Oliveira moved to Copenhagen in 2000, where he studied film at the alternative film school Super16. His first feature tackles the issue of rich Westerners adopting babies from less-developed countries. In the story, 40 year-old Thomas (Anders W. Berthelsen), a gay architect, travels to Sao Paulo to realize his dream of becoming a father.

Rosa Morena was produced by Astrid Hytten and Thomas Gammeltoft (Fine & Mellow) with Brazil’s Master Shot Media. The film will open in Brazil in March and in Denmark in May via Nordisk Film. TrustNordisk handles world sales.