Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture and Science, gave his first speech at the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival along with Meredith Cia, the Academy’s Chief Member, Impact and Industry Director. The masterclass event showed that executives were the first official visit. This solidifies its stance as a major global powerhouse in recent years.
The executives highlighted his excitement several months after the drama that made Sales’ history about Brazil’s military dictatorship, and months after the film was the film that won the Best Picture and Actress nominations for Fernanda Torres. “When we see the joy, love and excitement of Brazil, the whole world supporting Fernanda and Walter has only made us fame,” he said.
The executive also highlighted the academy’s internationalization efforts. Currently, 20% of the membership, which currently exceeds 11,000, comes from outside the US, with currently 200 Latin American members and 60 Brazilian members. These include Fernando Mayrells, Director of “City of God,” Director of “Rio” Carlos Sardanja and Director of the Rio Film Festival, Ilda Santiago. “We’re becoming more and more global,” Kramer added. “This is one of our main goals and why we are in Rio.”
Kramer also spoke about the internationalization of filmmaking, saying, “If it becomes difficult to make a film in a particular country, we can make it in Lisbon, Hungary, Vancouver, and Rio…”
In an interview with Globo while in town, Kramer called the Brazilian herd around “I’m Still Here” “historic.” “It was exciting to see the growth of social media channels and the rise in Latin American audiences. It was incredible to stop the carnival celebration and watch the awards video.”
“We have many new followers from Brazil. When Fernanda attended the Governor’s Award, we posted a photo of her and it exploded.
Brazil is hoping to have a two-storey building at the Oscars this year, and hopes they have recently selected Kleber Mendonça Filho’s double Cannes winner, The Secret Agent, as their entry in the international feature. In his review, variety critic Peter DeBrag called the film “a great ’70s thriller,” “dazzling,” and praised the film’s “powerful sense of place.”
At the end of the festival’s masterclass, Kramer evoked the famous “Casablanca” quote.
The Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival will be held from October 2nd to 12th.
