The Latin American Training Center-LATC is pleased to announce the results and winners of the competition “Discovering Búzios”, the first feature film competition of screenplays set in Búzios, the famous seaside resort city in Rio de Janeiro State. The competition was open to screenwriters and filmmakers from Brazil and abroad, and the best screenplay treatment in each category will receive a prize of 250 dollars. The winning projects are listed below:
Category “Portuguese”:
1st place – “Entre Empadas & Empanadas”, by João Pedro Pinho (Niterói/RJ)
Dramedy: Dario makes famous empanadas in Búzios, where he moved with his boyfriend in search of freedom. As he prepares for a gastronomic contest, his Argentine family visits him by surprise, which makes him deal with his conflicted relationships and stop running away and hiding his truths.
Category “Spanish”:
1st place – “Enigmas Privados”, by Maximiliano Monzon (Buenos Aires/Argentina)
Crime: Alicia, a young writer facing a creative block, travels to Búzios to participate in an international convention on the police genre. But when the organizer of the event turns up dead on the first night, Alicia decides to take on the investigation, along with some of the best detectives from around the world, to test herself and get her a chance to uncover the truth behind the crime.
Category “English”:
1st place – “A SHELL AWAY”, by Carol Lach (Rio de Janeiro/RJ)
Romance: An overachiever and workaholic her whole life, Emma, 30, has a burn out and in a last minute trip to Búzios she finds a shell that will change her life forever.
The members of the final jury were: Iafa Britz, producer of Migdal Filmes, (Portuguese), Susana Landau, Professor at the University of Buenos Aires (Spanish), and Yanieska Genaro (Shanah), Director, Representative of the Municipal Culture Policy Council of Búzios, and President of its audiovisual section (all three languages).
Below is the complete list of the finalists and their final placement in the competition.
Category “Portuguese”:
1. “Entre Empadas & Empanadas”, by João Pedro Pinho (Niterói/RJ)
Dramedy: Dario makes famous empanadas in Búzios, where he moved with his boyfriend in search of freedom. As he prepares for a gastronomic contest, his Argentine family visits him by surprise, which makes him deal with his conflicted relationships and stop running away and hiding his truths.
2. “Maresia”, by Bruna Paixão (Teresópolis/RJ)
Drama: To what extent can we forgive someone? Two sisters are torn apart by the return of their mother who abandoned them when they were young.
3. “Veraneio”, by Barbara Lafetá (Rio de Janeiro/RJ)
Romance: A Brazilian woman looking for peace, an Argentine man looking for excitement. A paradisiacal beach to meet.
4. “Último Caso”, by Luigi Ferrarese (Rio de Janeiro/RJ)
Comedy: A retired police chief and a young police officer try to unravel a series of crimes in Búzios. The difference in ages and personalities causes the two of them to clash as they try to uncover the killer.
5. “AZUL PROFUNDO”, by Flávia Erthal (Armação dos Búzios/RJ)
Romance: The unlikely romance between a young scuba diver from Buzios and a famous influencer is put to the test after a crime involving the irregular construction of a luxury resort that threatens the exuberant local nature.
Category “Spanish”:
1. “Enigmas Privados”, by Maximiliano Monzon (Buenos Aires/Argentina)
Crime: Alicia, a young writer facing a creative block, travels to Búzios to participate in an international convention on the police genre. But when the organizer of the event turns up dead on the first night, Alicia decides to take on the investigation, along with some of the best detectives from around the world, to test herself and get her a chance to uncover the truth behind the crime.
2. “golfinhos”, by Aldana Santantonio (Buenos Aires/Argentina)
Coming of Age: Tamara dreams of seeing dolphins and travels with her best friend Lula for their first solo vacation in Brazil. She doesn’t know that she won’t find dolphins there, but she will live a journey that will lead her to challenge her own fears and the solidity of her friendship in paradise.
3. “En minoría”, by Lucía Blasco (Castellón/Spain)
Comedy: A vain and ruined writer from Manaus, attracted by an interesting prize, decides to lie when participating in a literary contest in the “indigenous” category, but when he is summoned for an interview in Búzios, he discovers that he has competitors and that pretending is not as simple as he imagined.
The competition was organized by the Latin American Training Center-LATC, with the support of the Municipal Council for Cultural Policy of Búzios and the Búzios Film Commission. For more information, please visit the official website: latamtrainingcenter.com/buzios
ABOUT THE BUZIOS MUNICIPAL CULTURAL POLICY COUNCIL:
Created by Law No. 1180 of December 15, 2015, as a permanent, deliberative, advisory, and normative body, and part of the basic structure of the Municipal Culture Management Organization, with equal representation of Public and Private Sectors. Its main attribution is to advise the Municipal Culture Management Organization charged with execution of the Municipal Culture Plan – PMC.
ABOUT THE BÚZIOS FILM COMMISSION:
Created by Municipal Decree nº 1753/21. The Búzios Film Commission is the municipal office charged with supporting and promoting audiovisual content production within the municipality of Búzios. Its objectives are to support and encourage audiovisual production in the city, by means of public policies to promote local culture, by consolidating and promoting Búzios as a tourist and filming destination.
ABOUT BÚZIOS:
Officially known as Armação dos Búzios, this picturesque fishing village is located on a peninsula northeast of Rio de Janeiro. Originally settled by European pirates and slave traders, Búzios was elected one of the 10 most beautiful areas in the world. The resort town was “discovered” by Brigitte Bardot in 1964, and today Búzios is famous for its unique combination of rustic charm, architectural harmony, incredible beauty, sophisticated boutiques, and over 21 different beaches.
