Suzanne Blech, President of Screen Media Films, announced today that Screen Media has acquired North American rights for “Heleno” after its very successful screening at the Miami International Film Festival, produced and presented by Miami Dade College. Screen Media will release the film theatrically in Summer 2012.
A biography of the tragic life of one of Brazil’s greatest soccer players, Heleno de Freitas, “Heleno” stars international box-office star Rodrigo Santoro as Heleno. Santoro also stars in the upcoming Lionsgate feature “What To Expect When You’re Expecting,” and recent titles have included the Warner Brothers’ worldwide hit, “300.” Heleno, was a legend whose career shone briefly, but brightly, through the 1940s. The film is directed by José Henrique Fonseca, written by Felipe Bragança, Fernando Castets, José Henrique Fonseca, produced by Eduardo Pop and Rodrigo Teixeira and his production entity RT Features, which also helped to finance the film, and shot by Walter Carvalho (“Central Station”). The film will be released wide in Brazil later this month.
Upon acquisition of the title, Blech stated “We are thrilled to bring such an exquisite film as “Heleno” starring one of today’s hottest rising stars in Rodrigo Santoro to the American public. Quality foreign language film is a totally underserved market in the states and with the success of such films as “The Artist” or “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” I believe this appetite will continue to grow.”