Daniel Ribeiro was born on May 20, 1982, in São Paulo, Brazil. He graduated from the Audiovisual Course at ECA-USP. He is one of the creators of the "Música de Bolso" project, which, between 2007 and 2010, produced 380 music videos with over 3 million views on the internet. Among the artists who participated are Vanessa da Mata, Arnaldo Antunes, Pato Fu, Tulipa Ruiz, and Marcelo Jeneci.
He wrote and directed the short films "You, me and him" (2008) and "I Don't Want to Go Back Alone" (2010), films that participated in more than 180 festivals around the world and received 115 awards, including the Crystal Bear at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival and the Grand Prize for Best Fiction Short Film at the Brazilian Cinema Academy.
In 2012, he directed the short film "A Caixa”, sponsored by Nokia Europe, which is part of an anthology film featuring directors from Russia and Sweden.
He directed 26 episodes of the 2012 season of the tv show "Viva Voz", presented by Sarah Oliveira for Canal GNT.
In 2014, he released his first feature film as a writer and director, "The Way He Looks”, which premiered at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival, winning the Teddy Award and the FIPRESCI Prize, and was Brazil's submission for the 2015 Oscars.
In 2016, he directed the short film "Love Snaps", which won awards at the Mix Brasil Festival and the Rio Film Festival.
He was the editor of the film "Música para morrer de amor" directed by Rafael Gomes, which was released at festivals in 2019.
He created, wrote, and directed the series "Todxs Nós", which premiered on HBO in March 2020.
In 2024, he released his second feature film, "Perfect Endings" which premiered at Frameline Film Festival.
Diana Almeida is a Brazilian-Mozambican film producer living and working in São Paulo. She was born in Maputo in 1983 and graduated in Journalism from the School of Art and Communication of the University of São Paulo. She is a partner at Lacuna Filmes alongside filmmaker Daniel Ribeiro. She has produced some of the most acclaimed films in the new generation of Brazilian cinema, like award-winning titles You, Me and Him, I Don’t Want To Go Back Alone, 45 Days Away From You, Music For Bleeding Hearts, and The Cutest and Funniest Animals in the World.
In 2014, her production The Way He Looks directed by Daniel Ribeiro, celebrated its world premiere at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival, where it achieved remarkable critical acclaim and secured both the FIPRESCI Prize and the Teddy Award. The film went on to be screened at more than 90 festivals across the globe, winning over 50 awards, most of them Best Film prizes. The Way He Looks became a box office hit in Brazil, and the country's official entry for the Best International Film category at the 87th Academy Awards selected it.
In 2018, she premiered at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival the film Two Irenes, directed by Fabio Meira. In Brazil, the film premiered at the 46th Gramado’s Film Festival, winning four awards, including Best Film by the critics.
Diana’s films have won over 200 awards, with movies selected to important film festivals worldwide, such as Berlin, Mar del Plata, Havana, Cartagena, San Francisco, Biarritz, Guadalajara, Melbourne, Chicago, Buenos Aires, Athens, Lima in addition to the prestigious Brazilian festivals of Brasília, Gramado, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, among many others.
Her films were distributed in several territories like the United States, Canada, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Mexico, Poland, and Hong Kong, reaching important TV deals and VOD agreements, such as with TV Globo and Netflix. Diana had projects selected in renowned film markets, co-production events, and labs like Cannes’ La Fabrique Cinéma du Monde and Cinéfondation L’Atelier, Berlinale Talents - Talent Project Market, ACE Mundus, When East Meets West, BRLab among many others.
She produced two TV specials: for UOL, Turn the Light On, directed by Paula Sacchetta and Renan Flumian. The platform had over 30,000 views during its debut weekend; the ESPN documentary "The Discreet Charm of a Champion," directed by Fabio Meira, profiles the former Brazilian volleyball icon, Fofão.
Diana also acted as executive producer in films and shows by Netflix and Paramount+ and in the independent features The Battle (in festivals), directed by Vera Egito, and Cyclone (in post-production), directed by Flavia Castro.
Diana was also a member of selection committees of significant Brazilian regional funds like Pernambuco and Belo Horizonte and was a jury member of festivals like Rio Int’l Film Festival, Brasilia Festival of Brazilian Cinema, and Mix Brazil, among others.
Currently, in the development or financial stage, Diana has Amanda and Caio and The Headlight, both directed by Daniel Ribeiro, and Sahar, directed by Vera Egito.
For 2024, she is preparing the release of Verissimo, a documentary directed by Angelo Defanti about the beloved Brazilian author Luis Fernando Verissimo, and Perfect Edings, the second feature directed by Daniel Ribeiro.
Lacuna Filmes
Founded in 2006 by Daniel Ribeiro and Diana Almeida, Lacuna Filmes is a production company with a track record that includes over 200 awards received worldwide, including the Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Their films have been showcased at prominent international festivals such as Berlin, Mar del Plata, Havana, Cartagena, San Francisco, Biarritz, Guadalajara, Melbourne, Chicago, in addition to prestigious Brazilian festivals of Brasília, Gramado, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo.
Their first short film, "Alguns Recados" (2006), written and directed by Thiago Faelli, premiered at the Brasília Film Festival and the Gramado Film Festival. In 2007, "Café com Leite," a short film written and directed by Daniel Ribeiro, received international acclaim, including the Crystal Bear at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival and the Brazilian Academy of Cinema's Grand Prize for Best Fiction Short Film.
In July 2010, "Eu Não Quero Voltar Sozinho," directed by Daniel Ribeiro, debuted at the Paulínia Film Festival, winning four awards, including Best Film according to the official jury, popular vote, and critics' choice. The film went on to participate in about 100 festivals worldwide, amassing over 78 awards.
In 2011, the short film "Começar Uma História," directed by Cristian Chinen, premiered at the São Paulo International Film Festival. In 2012, Daniel Ribeiro directed the short film "A Caixa," sponsored by Nokia Europe, as part of a collaborative project with directors from Russia and Sweden.
The film "Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho," also directed by Ribeiro, had its world premiere at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival, earning the FIPRESCI Award (given by the International Film Critics Association) and the Teddy Award (for LGBT productions across all festival programs). The film was showcased in over 90 festivals, winning 48 awards. It was sold to 25 countries, including the USA, France, the UK, and Hong Kong, and performed exceptionally well in Brazilian theaters.
In 2015, Lacuna Filmes released the documentary "O Discreto Charme de Uma Campeã" on ESPN Brasil, directed by Fabio Meira, profiling the former Brazilian volleyball player, Fofão. In 2016, they filmed the documentary "Verissimo," directed by Angelo Defanti, about the beloved Brazilian author Luis Fernando Verissimo, currently in post-production. They also produced the short film "Love Snaps," directed by Daniel Ribeiro and Rafael Lessa, which was screened at the Rio Film Festival (Special Jury Felix Award) and the Mix Brasil Festival (Best Screenplay Award).
In 2017, Lacuna Filmes released the feature film "As Duas Irenes," co-produced with Roseira Filmes and directed by Fabio Meira, which premiered at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, winning Best Debut Film and Best Cinematography at the 32nd Guadalajara International Film Festival. The film was distributed by Vitrine Filmes through the Sessão Vitrine Petrobras program, with unique daily showings across 22 theaters in Brazil, drawing 14,000 viewers.
In 2018, they released the feature film "45 Dias Sem Você," co-produced with Substância Filmes and Outras Misturas, directed by Rafael Gomes, simultaneously in theaters and on VOD platforms. The film was sold to the USA, UK, France, Poland, and Germany.
In 2019, also co-produced with Substância Filmes and Outras Misturas, they began the festival circuit for the second feature film directed by Rafael Gomes, "Música Para Morrer de Amor," which premiered at NewFest (New York) and was screened at the Mix Brasil and Brasília Film Festivals. The film was released in 2020 in drive-in theaters and on digital platforms.
In 2020, the production company released the documentary short "Acende a Luz," directed by Paula Sacchetta and Renan Flumian, on UOL, garnering over 30,000 views during its debut weekend on the platform.
In 2023, Lacuna released the short film "Os Animais Mais Fofos e Engraçados do Mundo" in January at the Tiradentes Film Festival. The film has already been featured in over 20 festivals worldwide, winning notable awards like Best Fiction Short Film at Frameline - San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, among others.
In 2024, Lacuna released "13 Sentimentos" (Perfect Endings), directed by Daniel Ribeiro.
