Miami-based FiGa Films has picked up worldwide sales rights outside Brazil to “Kevin,” an unprecedented co-production between Brazil and Uganda.
FiGa Films will be taking the documentary to this week’s American Film Market and early December’s Ventana Sur as part of its slate.
By newcomer Joana Oliveira, the doc pivots on her long-time friendship with a vibrant Ugandan mother of three called Kevin whom she met while studying in Berlin some two decades ago.
“Kevin and I have been friends since 1999 and the idea of attesting her importance in my life through a film has only been possible because someone else also saw it as a story to be told,” said Oliveira, adding that the film was shot in Uganda and Brazil and boasted an international crew from both countries as well as from Germany, Kenya and the U.S.
The film is lead produced by Luana Melgaço of Anavilhana Filmes who hails from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. According to Melgaço, it was her first partnership with Joana and together, they devised strategies to start shooting without grant funding.
“It touches me profoundly that Luana believed in a personal tale of friendship between two women from different countries and cultures,” noted Oliveira. “Luana could see the heart of the film and she pushed me through my own intimate struggles to tell my very private story,” she added.
“We are excited to start rolling out such an inspirational story about two completely different women, their compassion and profound friendship,” said Sandro Fiorin, CEO, FiGa Films. “Joana and her team captured what is essential nowadays, during the toughest time of our lives,” he noted.
In other news, FiGa Films pickup “The Wolves” (“Los Lobos”) has continued to gather accolades after its Berlinale win, with 18 awards to date and further distribution deals, the latest with Germany’s Wolf Kino. Now playing on HBO Max, it’s been acquired in 22 countries with further deals to be announced soon, according to Fiorin. Set in Albuquerque, Samuel Kishi Leopo’s immigrant drama centers on two wildly imaginative kids whose mother leaves them home alone while she goes to work.
FiGa Films will be celebrating its 15 years in the business with a year-long bash on its new streaming channel FiGa en Casa in 2021. Launched in June in response to the growing demand for at-home entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic, FiGa en Casa will feature new promotions and surprise titles in its upcoming lineup, said Fiorin.