Short film "The Beads" (As Miçangas), co-produced by Apoteótica Cinematográfica, is in the official selection of the 73th Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) has announced the selection for the Berlinale Shorts exhibition. Among the works, there is the still frame from the short film from Brasília, "AS MIÇANGAS (The Beads)", yet to be released.
“The film proposes a reflection on abortion within a subtle approach, mixing rawness and allegory. In this way, the intention is not only to talk about how common and everyday abortion is for many women, but also to reflect on guilt and fraternity", say the directors.
The plot takes place “on the driest and hottest day of the year”, when two sisters travel to the heart of Brazil – the Cerrado – (a tropical savanna ecoregion) so that one of them can have an abortion. Isolated in a house surrounded by nature, they prepare for the procedure without knowing that there is a snake living there.
The film was written in partnership and tailored for the actresses who star in it, Tícia Ferraz and Pâmela Germano. They lend their real names to the characters.
“It is worth mentioning that Letícia and Pâmela are very lookalike, something that helps us to emphasize the symbiotic dynamic between them, as well as to consolidate the fraternal aspect of this narrative”, say the directors.
The film's team includes several outstanding talents from the scene of Brasília, capital of Brazil, such as singer and multi-instrumentalist Letícia Fialho on the soundtrack, art director Sarah Noda, director of photography Joanna Ramos, rising producer Daniela Marinho and the actress and producer Catarina Accioly.
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE – The premiere of "The Beads ("As Miçangas") will take place at one of the most important and renowned festivals of the world, the Berlin Film Festival. The festival, which is in its 73rd edition, has been held since 1951. "The Beads" is one of the 20 short films from around the world competing for the Golden Bear. On average, the festival receive more than 10,000 short films are submitted.
Film by Emanuel Lavor & Rafaela Camelo will have its premiere at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, the only Latin American short in the official selection of the prestigious Berlinale.
just got diverse
Diversity
The Company
Apoteótica Cinematográfica is a rising production company set in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, that puts effort in trying to broaden the range of LGBT+ culture and representation. With a history of gay and lesbian themed short-length films, the company now seeks support or partners to co-produce two current feature film projects, participate in international script labs and career mentorship.
The two partners, Otavio Chamorro and Rafaela Camelo, are also developing their careers by specializing in screenwriting series fiction – one hour dramas and thirty minutes comedies and dramadies. Both of them have written projects and screenplays in such formats and are negotiating with TV channels and other screening platforms to produce their work.
The urge to lead a production company came from the need to lean their focus towards the ambition not only to create and write films and series but also to be directors or showrunners of their original projects, always with a unique point of view, as well as being part of writers’ rooms and direction teams of projects that relate to their work.
Projects
Currently, the company is developing two feature films.
IT TAKES TWO
Original title: Quando um não quer
Length (estimated): 90 minutes
In pre-production
Director and Writer: Otavio Chamorro
Genre: Comedy
Synopsis: Enemies since their childhood, the now teenagers Rene and Sergio need to help each other to conquer their dreams. They will end up finding their first love while the school turns into a battle zone when a gay student decides to be part of the futsal team and the popular girl becomes a victim of cyberbullying.
Production status: In pre-production (seeking funds for around 50% of the film budget)
What we seek: Additional financing / International Co-production and Distribution
MERCY
Original title: Sangue do meu Sangue
Length (estimated): 90 minutes
In development
Director and Writer: Rafaela Camelo
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Synopsis: Gloria (16) is a young Jehovah’s Witness who has just had a heart transplant. The surgery gave her a second chance to live, but it had consequences for everyone around her. She went against God’s will and her Church, she disturbed her house and made her family get isolated by their religious community. The sacrifice became even bigger when her parents found out that the life she regained after surgery was someone else’s.
Production status: Under development project / Script being written
What we seek: Script Labs / Mentorship / International Co-production
Jobs
Reel
This video is edited using films and episodes written and/or directed by the two partners, therefore including productions of fellow companies.
Rafaela Camelo
She is a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. She graduated as a filmmaker from the University of Brasília in 2011. The following year, her debut “The Art of Walking Through the Streets” was exhibited at the Havana Film Festival and Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival. In 2019, her short-lenght film “Desires of the flesh” was officialy selected in Sundance Film Festival. She is now working on the scrip of her first full-lenght film, “Mercy”.
“The arrival of adulthood is an incredible (and incredibly complicated) phase. I am interested in portraying adolescence in the form of dreams and memories. I want to talk about the discoveries of one's own body and sexuality as if they were the most intense experience that anyone could have. The perspective of LGBT women catches my attention. I make films in which the codes of humor, melodrama and terror are mixed talking about fear, sin and insecurity ”.
“The aesthetic and theme approach I’ve always intended to develop in my previous work were based on trying to transform what was con- sidered marginalized into something precious. Comedies, LGBT protag- onists or a fabulous-kitsch-corny- camp look and feel. It’s a set of el- ements considered outrageous or inferior or too popular redesigned
to provoke reflection, to value queer culture in a controversial way, mock- ing the standards of our current soci- ety that tends to avoid the inevitable rise of those who were historically oppressed. My work is all about giv- ing voice and endorse LGBT, girl and black power in an unusual way, with a very particular Brazilian point of view”.
Otavio Chamorro
He is a screenwriter, director and producer from Brazil. Partner at Apoteótica Cinematográfica, he has written and directed the short-length comedies “The Fugitives”, awarded as “Best Screenplay” at Mix Brasil, “The Bitchhiker”, with several awards in Brazil and Switzerland (“Most Controversial Film” at QueerSicht) and “Floozy Suzy”, awarded as “Best Direction”, also at Mix Brasil. Currently, his TV project “Call Center” won one of the most important series screenwriting contests in Brazil (NetlabTv). He is now pre-producing his first full-length comedy, the LGBT coming-of-age film “It takes two”.
Team
Our Services
We are interested in film and TV projects that have sexual diversity and gender identity as the main themes.
In addition to our own production, we've specialized in telling stories and transform ideas into formats and contents.
We elaborate synopsis and stories, develop TV bibles and write scripts in several formats and genres for many platforms, whether from original ideas or form texts already started.
We participate in writers' rooms, work remotely and have fellowships with other companies and professionals to do the job that you need.