Portugal’s Matiné Mines for ‘Gold’ in Rotterdam With Brazilian Director Madiano Marcheti (EXCLUSIVE)

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorChinese Berlinale Competition title “Return to Dust” has been sold to several European distributors with more about to close deals. M-Appeal is handling world sales.

Holly Jones Set in Costa da Caparica, Portugal, amidst the 2008 economic crisis, “Vanda” – which screened at Berlin Film Festival’s European Film Market – tells the true-to-life story of distressed hairdresser turned unlikely criminal Dulce Caroço.Our titular character, played by Gabriella Barros (“Al Berto”), is introduced as she lies on the floor, vacant-faced, smoking a cigarette. Moments later, we see her doused in disguise, a blond wig and oversized sunglasses.In this hour-long, crime-heist episodic, created by Patrícia Müller (“Madre Paula”) and directed by Simão Cayatte (“A Viagem”), Vanda goes from surviving to destitute in a matter of scenes.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentRolling off its Oscar nomination in the international feature category, Pawo Choyning Dorji’s Bhutanese feature debut “Lunana: A Yak in The Classroom” has been sold by Films Boutique in further territories. Bhutan’s first Oscar entry in 23 years, “Lunana: A Yak in The Classroom” follows a young teacher who dreams of emigrating to Australia to become a singer and instead finds himself assigned to a school in the most remote village in Northern Bhutan, where he unexpectedly bonds with local children and finds happiness.Berlin-based company Films Boutique has already sold the movie in most major markets including North America with Samuel Goldwyn Films and recently closed deals with leading distributors in Spain (A Contracorriente), Benelux (September Films) and Portugal (Alambique).

Naman Ramachandran Projects from France-Iran and India were the big winners at this year’s Berlinale Co-Production Market, which is part of the European Film Market.The Eurimages Co-Production Development Award, endowed with €20,000 ($22,628), went to the producers of Caractères Productions from France, and Honare Khiyal from Iran for their project “My Favourite Cake” by directors Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam. The VFF Talent Highlight Award with prize money of €10,000 went to director Shuchi Talati’s “Girls Will Be Girls.” The film is to be produced by Pushing Buttons Studios, an outfit founded by Indian actors Ali Fazal (“Death on the Nile”) and Richa Chadha (“Gangs of Wasseypur”) and co-produced by Sanjay Gulati and Pooja Chauhan of Crawling Angel Films (2020 Berlinale selection “The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs”) and Claire Chassagne of Dolce Vita Films (2019 Venice and Cairo winner “A Son”).

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorGlobal Screen has closed a raft of presales for 3D-animated feature film “My Fairy Troublemaker,” and will present new scenes to buyers at Berlin’s European Film Market.The film has been sold to U.K. and Ireland (Signature Entertainment), Australia and New Zealand (Rialto), Spain and Portugal (Big Picture Films), Italy (Koch), Scandinavia (Selmer Media), Poland (Kino Swiat), CIS (Silver Box), Ukraine (UFD), Baltics (Garsu Pasaulio), former Yugoslavia (Karantanija), Bulgaria (Pro Films), Middle East (Gulf Film), South Korea (Big Film), Malaysia (Suraya) and Vietnam (Lightening McQueen).In the film, Violetta, a cheeky fairy, smuggles herself into the human world.

The Brazilian Filmmakers Collective (BRFC) will launch formally on Feb. 16 at the Berlin Film Festival’s EFM.

Entry requirements and Covid restrictions have been relaxing across the world, including holiday destinations popular with Brits - Portugal, Spain and Greece.

Emiliano De Pablos International distribution house Pink Parrot Media has taken worldwide sales rights outside Spain and Portugal to 3D/2D animated musical film “Valentina,” the feature debut of Spanish producer-turned director Chelo Loureiro of Galicia’s Ábano Producións.Based out of Montreal and Madrid, Pink Parrot will introduce the toon feature to international buyers at Berlin’s European Film Market “Valentina” had its theatrical premiere in December on 160 screens in Spain, handled by Super8.Written, directed and produced by Loureiro and co-written by Lúa Testa, “Valentina” tells the story of a girl who dreams of becoming a trapeze artist but struggles to believe it is possible because she has Down’s syndrome.

Emilio Mayorga Rapidly emerging as one of Spain’s foremost hothouses for new producer and creative talent, the ECAM Madrid Film School’s Incubator program has chosen five titles for its 2022 program:“Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes,” “Disposable,” “Macrame,” “Festina Lente” and “Ripli.”Launched to connect early career talent in Spain with Europe’s film industry, the 5th Incubator runs from Feb. 23 through July.The program will be overseen by writer-director Rafa Alberola, who serves as the new manager of  The Screen, ECAM’s industry initiative umbrella.This year’s lineup announcements comes as one Incubator project, Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s “Lullaby,” is set to world premiere in Berlin’s Panorama section later this week.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor“1341 Frames of Love and War,” which world premieres in the Berlinale Special section of the Berlin Film Festival, has debuted its trailer with Variety. World sales are being handled by Reservoir Docs, excluding North America, Israel, Greece and Portugal, which are being sold by the filmmakers.The film is a documentary portrait of one of the world’s leading war photographers, Israel’s Micha Bar-Am.

Carlos Saldanha, director of “Ice Age” and “Rio” franchise movies and creator of Netflix series “Invisible City,” is joining forces with Brazil’s outfit Ventre Studio and Warner Bros. Pictures to co-create and direct superhero feature project “Iemanjá – Ocean’s Goddess.”“Iemanjá” is planned as the first movie in a series that transports the Brazil’s Candomblé gods to a superhero universe, being a pioneering Brazilian production of this genre.Following a crucial theme in Brazilian culture, “Iemanjá – Ocean’s Goddess” will tell the story of Iemanjá, an Orixá or goddess adored by the Brazilian people and also known as the Queen of the Sea.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorMunich-based world sales company Global Screen has closed further deals in major territories for the family entertainment adventure “School of Magical Animals,” the most successful German film at the local box office last year. Global Screen will also be selling the sequel, it announced Tuesday.Deals have been closed for China (A-Quest Culture Media), Japan (Fine Films), Latin America (Discovery), Hungary (ADS), Serbia and Croatia (Investacommerce), and Portugal (NOS).

Former Manchester United centre-back Gerard Pique has admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo was close to joining Barcelona instead of Real Madrid at the time of his Old Trafford exit in June 2009.

Manchester City are reportedly ready to 'resume talks' with Raheem Sterling amid interest from La Liga giants Barcelona.

Heidi Klum, 48, and Pabllo Vittar, 28. had a twerk-off during their most recent hang-out. The model and Brazilian drag queen stood in front of a regal-looking house which was a perfectly ironic set for their booty popping session. Their blonde hair hung down their backs as they shook their booties. Heidi wore a super-short black-and-white plaid dress and tights while Pabllo rocked a black spaghetti strap mini dress. The sexy stars also twinned in black boots.

Rolling Loud has become one of the largest, most popular hip-hop festivals in the United States, and this year it will travel across the ocean to Portugal for its first-ever European event. Rolling Loud Portugal will take place July 6–8 2022 in Portimão, Portugal with headliners J.

J. Cole, A$AP Rocky and Future have been announced as the headliners of the inaugural Rolling Loud Portugal festival.After its initial launch was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Rolling Loud – billed as “the world’s largest hip-hop festival” which already stages events in Miami, Los Angeles, the Bay Area and New York City – will now aim to make its European debut in July 2022.Rolling Loud Portugal is set to take place from July 6-8 this year at Praia De Rocha Beach in Portimão, which is located in Portugal’s Algarve.J.