Maria Carlota Bruno

Maria Carlota Bruno has been with VideoFilmes since way back in ‘89, which honestly means she’s basically part of the furniture there. She’s worn a ton of hats, but in 2011 she stepped up as Executive Director and started calling some serious shots. She’s been behind all sorts of projects—like Últimas Conversas, which was Eduardo Coutinho’s final doc, and Paulina, a Brazil-Argentina team-up with Santiago Mitre. There’s also Jia Zhang-ke, a Man from Fenyang, directed by none other than Walter Salles, and it made it to the Berlinale in 2015. Fast forward a bit, and in 2018 she produced No Intenso Agora, João Moreira Salles’ documentary that had already premiered at the Berlinale the year before. She also executive produced Deslembro, Flavia Castro’s first feature, which found its way into Venice’s Orizzonti section. Maria’s not just locked in a studio either—she’s sat on film juries in Portugal, Chile, and Peru, plus she’s a regular Fénix Awards voter and has consulted for ANCINE, helping Brazilian and Argentine projects get off the ground. In 2019, she produced Marinheiro das Montanhas for Karim Aïnouz (that one hit Cannes’ Special Session) and was associate producer on the acclaimed Canción sin Nombre. She co-produced Fico te devendo uma carta sobre o Brasil too. Right now, she’s putting the finishing touches on documentaries about neuroscientist Sidarta Ribeiro and activist Txai Suruí, and she’s involved with Cyclone and Manas, the latter bagging a big win at Venice in 2024. Oh, and she produced Ainda Estou Aqui, which snagged the Oscar for Best International Feature in 2025. Total powerhouse.