Olga Rabinovich to Receive Inaugural Encounters Award at São Paulo Film Festival

Philanthropist Olga Rabinovich is set to receive the inaugural Prêmio Encontros (Encounters Award) at this year’s Encontro de Ideias Audiovisuais, the industry arm of the São Paulo International Film Festival. The honor recognizes her sustained efforts to bolster Brazilian cinema and raise the global profile of local talent through her organization, Projeto Paradiso.

The new award aims to highlight the significance of private investment in the cultural sector by connecting funders with creative professionals. Rabinovich will be celebrated during the opening gala on Oct. 14, followed by a discussion with Jeff Deutchman, president of Neon.

Rabinovich, a native of São Paulo, previously spent years volunteering in hospitals alongside terminally ill patients before establishing the Olga Rabinovich Institute in 2018, shortly launching Projeto Paradiso. Driven by the conviction that “stories can change the world,” the initiative focuses on investing in the creators behind them.

“Olga Rabinovich is the first recipient of the newly created Prêmio Encontros because she was the inspiration behind the award,” said Renata de Almeida, director of the São Paulo International Film Festival. De Almeida recalled first hearing about Rabinovich in early 2018 via Josephine Bourgois, who sought to establish a private-sector institute dedicated to cinema. She noted that the institute’s announcement at the 42nd Mostra brought hope during a challenging period for Brazilian film and culture.

“Eight years later, Projeto Paradiso… has already made a major contribution to discovering and championing a new generation of talent,” De Almeida added. While praising the organization’s professional results, the director highlighted a personal memory of a chaotic coffee meeting with Rabinovich, remarking, “Because, in the end, almost everything really does begin with an encounter.”

In a recent interview with Variety ahead of the third Projeto Paradiso National Network Meeting in Recife, Rabinovich expressed her passion for the medium. “I loved the idea of supporting cinema because I feel it is a magical art form,” she said, describing the transformative power of communal viewing experiences.

Projeto Paradiso supports Brazilian screen professionals through fellowships, residencies, workshops, and training designed to maximize their international presence. Its Talent Network currently includes 278 professionals and connects them with over 250 partner institutions globally, such as the Hubert Bals Fund, La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut français, TorinoFilmLab, Film Independent, and the Sundance Institute.

The initiative has supported notable festival releases including Allan Deberton’s Berlinale-winning “Gugu’s World” and Grace Passô’s “Our Secret.” Notable network members include Anita Rocha da Silveira, Juliana Rojas, and Dira Paes.

Also in 2025, Projeto Paradiso partnered with the Embratur Brazilian Tourism Board to launch Screen Brasil, a program offering international distribution support for four Brazilian films annually. Announced at the Cannes Marché du Film, the program has backed titles such as Gabriel Mascaro’s “The Blue Trail,” Rafaela Camelo’s “The Nature of Invisible Things,” and the animated feature “Papaya.” The most recent call for submissions closed on Oct. 14.

Projeto Paradiso has maintained a relationship with the São Paulo festival since its founding in 2018. Since 2023, it has presented the annual Paradiso Distribution Support Award for theatrical releases, and in 2024, it helped facilitate the creation of HBF+Brazil in partnership with the Hubert Bals Fund.

The 50th edition of the São Paulo International Film Festival is scheduled to run from Oct. 15-29.