Projeto Paradiso Founder Olga Rabinovich to Receive Inaugural Encounters Award at the São Paulo Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)
Philanthropist Olga Rabinovich will receive the inaugural Prêmio Encontros (Encounters Award) at this year's São Paulo International Film Festival, recognising her significant contributions to Brazilian cinema. The award, created to spotlight the transformative impact of private investment in culture, honours her eight-year commitment to advancing Brazilian audiovisual talent through her Projeto Paradiso initiative and the Olga Rabinovich Institute.
Founded in 2018 after Rabinovich spent years volunteering in hospitals, the Olga Rabinovich Institute launched Projeto Paradiso to develop and elevate Brazilian film and talent on the global stage. The initiative now comprises a network of 278 Brazilian professionals and works with over 250 partner institutions internationally, offering fellowships, residencies, workshops and training to screen professionals, with recent successes including the Berlinale-winning 'Gugu's World' and Grace Passô's 'Our Secret'. The award ceremony will take place on 14 October, followed by an in-conversation event with Neon president Jeff Deutchman.
- Brazilian philanthropist Olga Rabinovich awarded inaugural Encounters Award at São Paulo Festival.
- Projeto Paradiso supports 278 Brazilian film professionals with training and international opportunities.
- Initiative has backed Berlinale winner and other notable recent cinema projects.
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Olga Rabinovich is a philanthropist who has invested significantly in Brazilian cinema over the past eight years. In 2018, she established the Olga Rabinovich Institute and created Projeto Paradiso, an initiative aimed at developing and promoting Brazilian film talent internationally.
Projeto Paradiso operates as a network involving nearly 280 Brazilian film professionals and works with over 250 international partner institutions. The initiative provides fellowships, residencies, workshops and training to screen professionals, and has already supported films that have achieved international recognition, including a Berlinale prize-winner.
The inaugural Encounters Award has been created specifically to recognise the transformative impact of private investment in culture. By honouring Rabinovich's eight years of work supporting Brazilian audiovisual talent, the award highlights how philanthropic commitment can build institutional infrastructure and advance a national film industry.