For Immediate Release:
March 7, 2012
Screen Media Acquires Rodrigo Santoro Starrer Heleno
at Miami International Film Festival
NEW YORK, NY / MIAMI, FL — Suzanne Blech, President of Screen Media Films, announced today that Screen Media has acquired North American rights for Heleno after its very successful screening at the Miami International Film Festival, produced and presented by Miami Dade College. Screen Media will release the film theatrically in Summer 2012.
A biography of the tragic life of one of Brazil’s greatest soccer players, Heleno de Freitas, Heleno stars international box-office star Rodrigo Santoro as Heleno. Santoro also stars in the upcoming Lionsgate feature What To Expect When You’re Expecting, and recent titles have included the Warner Brothers’ worldwide hit, 300. Heleno, was a legend whose career shone briefly, but brightly, through the 1940s. The film is directed by José Henrique Fonseca, written by Felipe Bragança, Fernando Castets, José Henrique Fonseca, produced by Eduardo Pop and Rodrigo Teixeira and his production entity RT Features, which also helped to finance the film, and shot by Walter Carvalho (Central Station). The film will be released wide in Brazil later this month.
Upon acquisition of the title, Blech stated “We are thrilled to bring such an exquisite film as Heleno starring one of today’s hottest rising stars in Rodrigo Santoro to the American public. Quality foreign language film is a totally underserved market in the States, and with the success of such films as The Artist or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I believe this appetite will continue to grow.”
Peter Trinh of ICM and Suzanne Blech of Screen Media negotiated the deal. Santoro is represented by ICM. Screen Media Films acquires the rights to high quality, independent feature films for the US and Canada. Screen Media’s theatrical releases include the upcoming films Julien Leclercq’s The Assault, and Rémi Bezançon’s A Happy Event. Previous titles include James Ivory’s The City of Your Final Destination, starring Anthony Hopkins and Laura Linney; the documentary, Bustin’ Down the Door narrated by Edward Norton; Lymelife and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Since 2001, Screen Media has released more than 250 titles including Noel, starring Penelope Cruz and Susan Sarandon; Sherrybaby, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal; Kevin Bacon’s directorial debut, Loverboy, starring Kyra Sedgwick and Matt Dillon; and Emmy nominated Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan. Screen Media Films is a wholly owned division of Screen Media Ventures, LLC. With a library of over 1000 motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high quality motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit www.screenmediafilms.net.
About RT Features
As a well-established feature film production entity based in Brazil, RT Features has produced such notable Portuguese-language films including ROMEO & JULIET GET MARRIED for Vanguard Cinema as well as 2007’s DRAINED which was selected for official competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Other noteworthy inclusions at 2011 film festivals include THE SILVER CLIFF at the Toronto International Film Festival and O ABISMO PRATEADO in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight screening selection. As part of their plan to move into developing and producing English language films, RT Features most recently announced STRIP, which they are producing with Thunder Road Pictures, and THE GAMES OF 1940, a co-production with Kennedy/Marshall which will be written by David Seidler and Luca Manzi.
About Miami International Film Festival
Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), celebrating its 29th edition on March 2-11, 2012, is considered the preeminent Ibero-American film festival in the U.S. The annual Festival, produced and presented by Miami Dade College, attracts more than 70,000 audience members and more than 400 filmmakers, producers, talent and industry professionals. It is the only major festival housed within a college or university. In the last five years, the Festival has screened films from more than 60 countries, including 300 World, International, North American, U.S. and East Coast Premieres. MIFF’s special focus on Ibero-American cinema have made the Miami International Film Festival a natural gateway for the discovery of Ibero-American talent. Additionally, the Festival offers unparalleled educational opportunities to filmmakers and the community at large. For more, visit miff2020.wpengine.com or call 305-237-MIFF (3456).
Major sponsors of the 2012 Miami International Film Festival include: Lexus, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Miami Beach Visitors & Convention Authority, FPL, EGEDA, Downtown Development Authority of the City of Miami, Comcast, Miami New Times, The Historic Alfred I. Dupont Building, ABC Management Services, Screen International and the City of Miami Beach. The official headquarter hotel of MIFF 2012 is The Standard Spa, Miami; and the Festival is produced with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
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