One of the country’s greatest film producers, Mariza Leão will be honored with the Eduardo Abelin Trophy on Monday, the 18th. The award is named after one of the pioneers of Gaúcho cinema and has previously been given to figures such as Carlos Reichenbach, Caca Diegues, and Arnaldo Jabor. Mariza began her film career alongside Sérgio Rezende when the couple founded Morena Filmes exactly 50 years ago. She was the first general director of RIOFILME and president of SICAV – the Interstate Union of the Audiovisual Industry. Over the course of her career, she directed shorts and produced box office hits that have drawn over 20 million viewers, such as the “De Pernas Pro Ar” trilogy (2010, 2012, and 2019), with the first two films directed by Roberto Santucci and the third by Julia Rezende, and the comedies “Meu Passado Me Condena 1 and 2” (2013 and 2015), by Julia Rezende. Another milestone was the phenomenon “Meu Nome Não É Johnny” (2008), by Mauro Lima, winner of the Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro. In addition to blockbusters, her filmography includes works of significant artistic and historical value, such as “Lamarca” (1994), “Guerra de Canudos” (1997), and “O Homem da Capa Preta” (1986), all directed by Sergio Rezende; the classic “Nunca Fomos Tão Felizes” (1984), by Murilo Salles; and titles from the new generation of Brazilian cinema, such as “Ponte Aérea,” by Julia Rezende, and “Apenas o Fim,” by Matheus Souza. In recent years, Mariza has expanded her work to television and streaming series, producing titles such as “Máscaras de Oxigênio Não Cairão Automaticamente” by Marcelo Gomes and Carol Minem, “Todo dia a Mesma Noite,” by Julia Rezende and a Netflix audience hit; “Questão de Família,” by Sergio Rezende; “Meu Passado Me Condena – A Série,” by Julia Rezende; and “Acerto de Contas,” by José Joffily. In her most recent phase, she produced “A Porta ao Lado,” by Julia Rezende; “Eike – Tudo ou Nada,” by Andradina Azevedo and Dida Andrade; “Meninas Não Choram,” directed by Viviane Jundi; and “Mãe Fora da Caixa,” by Manuh Fontes. She is currently leading the production of “Perrengue Fashion,” a comedy set in the Amazon produced in partnership with Amazon Studios. With a career that combines artistic excellence, commercial success, and a commitment to the development of the national audiovisual industry, Mariza Leão remains an essential reference in Brazilian film production.
