Bernardo Lessa
ENTERTAIMENT BUSINESS
Graduated with honors in Cinema and Audiovisual (UFPE), and holding a postgraduate degree in Management of Audiovisual Production and Business (FAAP), Bernardo brings over 8 years of experience to his current role as Financing & Sales Coordinator at Conspiração Filmes, Brazil's most iEmmy-nominated production company. In 2021, he stood out as the sole Latino among the 8 selected for the Young Talent (U30) program at the Locarno Film Festival. His professional journey began in 2017 as part of the Programming, Curatorship, and Marketing team at the Joaquim Nabuco Foundation's Movie Theater in Recife, where he contributed to organizing over 20 film festivals and television series for Canal Futura.
As a researcher and lecturer in the field of Audiovisual Project Financing (formerly at ESPM - Postgraduate Course), Bernardo is one of the creators and managers of training projects for film professionals, including the award-winning Vitrine Lab (Gothenburg Film Fund) and @TantoCinema. Originally from Salvador (BA), from 2019 to 2022, Bernardo worked at Vitrine Filmes, culminating in his last position as Sr. Coordinator of Business and Institutional Relations. He played a key role in the release of over 40 films, including notable titles such as "Bacurau," "Invisible Life," "Druk," and "Alemão 2". Passionate about communication and teamwork, Bernardo is a natural-born curious individual.
Experience
| Coordinator, Financing & Sales
Conspiração Filmes (2022 - now)
| Co-director of Content & Research
| Sr. Coordinator, Business Affairs & Institutional Relations
Vitrine Filmes (2019 - 2022)
| Marketing, Programming and Curatorial Team
Joaquim Nabuco Foundation’s Movie Theater (2017 - 2019)
| Elaboration of Cultural Projects
Public Institution of Funcultura (2018 - 2019)
| Production for TV
Futura's Channel | Series: Faça Você Mesmo e Recortes do Brasil (2018 - 2019)
College
| Cinema and Audiovisual - Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE)
(2016 - 2019) | Degree with honours for best student
Postgraduate Degree: Production Management and Audiovisual Business
(2020 - 2022) | Armando Alvares Penteado's Foundation (FAAP)
Licenses & Certifications
Locarno Film Festival (Switzerland, 2021)
| Industry Academy - Locarno Film Festival
BrLab (2019)
Publications
| Public Policies for the Distribution of National Films
Undergraduate thesis | UFPE (2019)
| Distribution and Consumption of Pernambucan Movies
Article - CNPQ | UFPE (2019)
| Problems Representations of Stuttering in Films
Article - Congress of Communication Sciences in the Northeast Region
| How the intrnational connection strengthens Independet Cinema
Volunteering
| Class Monitor
Programming and Curatorship | UFPE (2018)
Promotion & Distribution of Films | UFPE (2019)
| Audiovisual Producer
Pernambuco Cinematheque
Professional Recognition and Awards
| Curator & Jury of the I Fundaj's Short Film Festival
| Vote of Applause - Recife's City Council
Government of Pernambuco | 2019
| Curator of the 20th Pernambuco Short Film Festival
| Winner of Best Videoart at XX Congress of Communication Sciences in the Northeast Region
Intercom (2018)
| Jury of the Pernambuco's International Festival of University Films MOV (2017)
| Elected Member of the Academic Directory (D.A) of the Film and Audiovisual Course
Festivals & Events
| Rio2C, 2023
- Producer/Distributor - Conspiração Filmes
| Cannes Film Festival - Marché du Film, 2022
- Distributor/Buyer - Vitrine Filmes
| Berlin Film Festival - EFM (online), 2021/2022
- Distributor/Buyer - Vitrine Filmes
| Locarno Film Festival, 2021
- Distributor/Buyer - Vitrine Filmes
| Expocine - Pitching, 2020
- Distributor - Vitrine FIlmes
| Brazil Cinemundi, 2020
- Distributor - Vitrine FIlmes
| Florianópolis Audiovisual Mercosul - FAM, 2020
- Distributor - Vitrine FIlmes
| DOCSp, 2020
- Distributor - Vitrine FIlmes
| Nordeste Lab, 2020
- Distributor - Vitrine FIlmes
| CinePitching - SpCine, 2020
- Distributor - Vitrine FIlmes
| GoodPitch, 2020
- Distributor - Vitrine FIlmes
Courses and Congresses
| 2nd International Coproduction Meeting of Recife
- Desvia's Production Company | 2018
| 1nd International Coproduction Meeting of Recife
- Desvia's Production Company | 2016
| Qualification in Elaboration of Cultural Projects | 2017
- Pernambuco's Secretary of Culture | 2019
| Strategic Leadership: Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Internacional Business School (IBS) | 2019
| Storytelling and the New Market Trends
- XVIII Congress of Communication Sciences in the Northeast Region
| Graphic Design for Social Media
- XIX Congress of Communication Sciences
- Pernambuco's International Festival of Animation | 2017
| Music and Rhythm in Animation
- Pernambuco's International Festival of Animation | 2016
- Pernambuco's International Festival of University Films | 2016
| Brazil's 42nd Congress of Communication Sciences
- Intercom | Joinville, SC | 2018
| XXI Congress of Communication Sciences in the Northeast Region
- Intercom NE | São Luiz, MA | 2018
| XX Congress of Communication Sciences in the Northeast Region
- Intercom NE | Juazeiro, BA | 2018
| XIX Congress of Communication Sciences in the Northeast Region
- Intercom NE | Fortaleza, CE | 2017
| XVIII Congress of Communication Sciences in the Northeast Region
- Intercom NE | Caruaru, PE | 2016