Rio Film Commission

Carlinhos Brown and Sergio Mendes are nominated for an Academy Award

01.26.2012

Rio de Janeiro has a chance to be granted an Oscar. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced this Tuesday, 1/24, that Bahia-native Carlinhos Brown and Niterói-born Sergio Mendes, alongside American singer Siedah Garret, have been nominated in the Best Song category for Real in Rio, heard in the animated feature Rio, directed by carioca Carlos Saldanha. The picture opened last year and was one of 2011’s top box-office draws. Real in Rio is running against Man or Muppet, from the Muppets Movie, written by Bret McKenzie, from New Zealand.

The 3-D Rio renders homage to the city and reaffirms its potential as a destination for audiovisual production by showing its top tourist spots – like the Sugarloaf, the Corcovado mountain and the South Zone beaches. The film tells the story of Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a domesticated blue macaw that can’t fly. Though born in Brazil, it was raised in Minnesota by a friendly nerd. The bird decides to travel to Rio de Janeiro when it finds out it’s the last male of its species and that the remaining female , Jade (Anne Hathaway), is in the Marvelous City.

“There is no doubt that the Academy Award is one of the greatest showcases in world cinema. This year, Rio de Janeiro will be well represented by the Best Song nomination for the animated feature Rio. Carlos Saldanha’s picture was an unprecedented initiative of international promotion for the city, because it reaches all generations and has a potential to attract international productions to our city and state”, says Steve Solot, president of Film Rio-Rio Film Commission.

Carlos Saldanha is planning a sequel for the film.

tags: rio,  carlinhos-brown,  sergio-mendes,  oscar,  carlos-saldanha.

http://www.riofilmcommission.rj.gov.br/news/carlinhos-brown-and-sergio-mendes-are-nominated-for-an-academy-award