Celebrating its 16th year of operation this October, the Brazilian production company Zapata Filmes is gearing up for a series of significant events in the global audiovisual landscape in the final stretch of 2023. Following its presence at the world’s largest entertainment market, MIPCOM, in Cannes, France, the productions “Uma vez em Veneza” and “A Versão de Anita” will represent Brazil at the festivals in Trieste (Italy), Fort Lauderdale (USA), Viña del Mar (Chile), and Medellín (Colombia) in November.
“Uma vez em Veneza” (When in Venice), directed by Juan Zapata, is a romance starring actor Peter Ketnath (Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures and I’ll Swim to You) and actress Bellatrix Serra (Alaska and Loving Carolina). The story follows German Maximilian (Ketnath) and Brazilian Maria (Bellatrix), who meet by chance in a hotel in northern Italy.
Despite their different views on love, they decide to come together to fulfill a common dream: visiting Venice, one of the most romantic cities in the world. Together, they will experience all the peculiarities of a temporary and unlikely relationship.
The film is part of the official competition at the 38th Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, taking place from November 3 to 12, 2023, in Florida, USA. Director Juan Zapata and producers Douglas Limbach and Edgar Martínez Londoño will be in attendance at the event.
A day later, the same films will be featured together in Europe. Both productions will represent Brazil at the Ibero-Latin American Film Festival in Trieste, Italy, from November 4 to 12.
In “A Versão de Anita,” Anita Garibaldi looks at herself and relives her story, under her personal gaze and voice, reconstructing her remarkable biography. The film is directed by Italian documentarian and historian Luca Criscenti and stars actress Flaminia Cuzzoli. The movie features contributions from writer Letícia Wierzchowski, Anita Garibaldi’s great-granddaughter Annita Garibaldi Jallet, and Adilcio Cadorin, among other experts.
On November 16, the documentary co-produced with Italian company Land Comunicazione and RAI Documentari will have its premiere at the Al Este – Central and Eastern European Film Festival in Medellín, Colombia. The work is part of the Special showcase, featuring authorial films that have participated in and received recognition from the world’s most important traditional and independent events.
To close the year, “A Versão de Anita” will be screened in the Panorama section of the traditional Viña del Mar Film Festival from November 20 to 25 in Chile. The film has stood out for surpassing one million viewers in its TV version and its four weeks in theaters in Italy. The movie received a special mention at the Punta del Este Film Festival in Uruguay earlier in the year.
At the Chilean festival, director and producer Juan Zapata will also serve as a jury member in the competitive section.
About Zapata Filmes
With 16 years of experience, Zapata Filmes currently has representations in Los Angeles, USA; Porto Alegre, Brazil; and Medellín, Colombia.
Specializing in production, international co-production, product service, and distribution, their portfolio includes award-winning fictional feature films such as “Another Forever” (2016) and “Simone” (2013) and documentaries like “Anita’s Version” (2023), “Substantivo Feminino” (2018), “Elo Musica” (2018), “Ato de Vida” (2009), “A Dança da Vida” (2007), and “Fidelidad” (2004).
Recently, Zapata Filmes was involved in the production of the series “Más Allá de Diego,” a show about the life of Diego Maradona for Star+, and released the film “Uma Vez em Veneza” (2021) in eight countries, filmed in Venice, Italy.
Zapata Filmes’ productions have participated in over 162 festivals worldwide and have received 17 awards in countries such as the USA, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Italy. Their productions have been internationally distributed on platforms and channels like Netflix, Fox, Amazon, and RAI TV, among others.
