The production company The Look Filmes – Cinema Twins started its activities in 2011. It is registered with ANCINE under number 25979, and is represented by the twin brothers André de Castro and Marcos de Castro.
That year, they both became operational directors of the São Paulo Film Commission in Ribeirão Preto, better known as the Kaiser Studios of Cinema, which was under their management until 2014. During that period, they held more than 100 events with the main secretariats, organizations and producers in the city and region.
The events that stood out the most were the 3 editions of the Ribeirão Preto Film Festival (editions 9, 10 and 11), which had an audience of around 84 people in the 8th edition, and jumped to more than 200 participants; the 8th and 9th editions of the Competitive Audiovisual Exhibition. Edition 8 was part of the 35th São Paulo International Film Festival, curated by Leon Cakoff, in Ribeirão Preto – SP, in partnership with SESC (Social Service of Commerce) Ribeirão Preto, one of the most active partners at Gêmeos do Cinema. The 9th edition had integrated arts next to the city’s Ponto da Cultura (Culture Point).
And finally, the Cine Forum cine club, which has had 118 commented film sessions presenting thematic film cycles, always with an excess of public – the public were invited to speak and got a certificate of cultural activity.
Still at the Kaiser Studios, the brothers, together with the production company, got involved in several cultural events, mixing: art exhibition (with public interaction), ballet, samba, jazz, blues, rock, Brazilian popular music, flashback songs, romantic celebrations, events, events for tourism (approaching the public with the customs of each country), theater, dance, circus initiation, painting, books, horror themed sessions and other cultural modalities for all social classes free of charge. Sometimes bringing together several of these cultural modalities, in the so-called “Cultural Raves” that started at 8 pm and lasted until 6 am. There were several editions of cultural raves, which can be seen in this Institutional Video below:
In 2014, The Twins decided to invest only in the production company and the work of The Cinema Twins grew every year.
Continuing with partners, now the production company has sought partners in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the brothers André & Marcos de Castro have had great success in this regard.
Not to mention the acting work that both did for Canal Brasil, in 2012, in a special directed by the documentary filmmaker Helena Solberg (winner of the Gramado award in 2003 for “Vida de Menina”). They both have already directed 9 short films for the production company Cinema Twins, the last one made using virtual production technology. Eight of them are available in the ‘portfolio‘ tab.
Thanks to the short film Dead Living Living Dead, (Mortos Vivos Vivo Mortos), accepted at the Short Film Corner of the Cannes Film Festival in 2015, the brothers went to the festival to schedule the short film session at the Marché Du Film. They drew attention at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015, and were publicized in newspaper articles and social networks. American actor John C. Reilly approached the brothers for a photo with them.
The marketing was extremely positive: they were both dressed in an identical double dose Brazilian version of Freddy Krueger, and the short film was a success. They draw attention not only at the Cannes Film Festival, but scheduled meetings (business roundtables) in the city at night.
With that, they got the partnership of British horror producer Tony Newton, and in the following years, in addition to the inclusion of the short film Dead Living Living Dead (Mortos Vivos Vivo Mortos) in a feature film anthology in England called “Zombies”, three other short films had the same fate: Silva or Death (Silva ou Morte) and Catalepsy (Catalepsia), in the anthology “60 Seconds To Die II”; and “The Empire of Cockroaches”, in the anthology Grindsploitation 4, distributed by Troma Films (the largest distributor of B movies in the world).
Another international partnership they got was with Bobby Easley and the production company Horror Wastland in the USA. With that, the project Mosquito ID (Dengue Alien – Noite de Terror) was developed, a horror pornochanchada and sci-fi trash comedy. With this project, the brothers participated in a pitching in 2015 at the Ventana Sur Festival in Argentina – the largest audiovisual market in Latin America.
Not to mention 3 short films the production company performed the executive production between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
They were: the dramas The Lighthouse Island (A Ilha do Farol), a project contemplated by the public notice of the Rio Film Commission and Green Violet (Verde Violeta), a project contemplated by the public notice of the Municipal Secretariat of Culture of Rio de Janeiro in 2014 by the producer Electra Produções Artísticas Ltda; and the documentary Madalena Republic (República Madalena), made with resources from the Public Notice of SPCine. The latter was selected for the Latino Film Festival in Seattle, USA.
Regarding feature films, André & Marcos de Castro’s career continues to grow. The first feature, the thriller The Enclausured (Os Enclausurados), was recorded with the help of Rede Globo author Antônio Calmon and North American producer Stevie Wolfe (from 500 Days of Summer – 2009). The project has a worldwide distribution deal with the Shami Media Group Distribution in New York.
The Enclausured (Os Enclausurados) won 4 awards at the International Screen Awards: Best New Director, Best Cast Performance, Best International Film and the Special Award – Genre Film. It was also part of the official selection of the Rock Horror in Rio Film Festival, 2019. In 2022, the film will be part of the first Brazilian streaming of the Government of the State of São Paulo, through projects contemplated by the ProAc public notice: #CulturaEmCasa (#CultureAtHome).
And in the executive production from Grattitude Films, the documentary feature film “1538ºC – The Iron Human”, made with resources from the Audiovisual Art Law. 1st a.
The twins jumped headlong into the web series business. In 2021, they produced a web series in 06 episodes, the musical documentary “Bond Music – A Tribute to the Songs of the 007 Saga”, contemplated by the ProAc LAB public notice. The production created 70 jobs in the pandemic and was shown on ‘James Bond Brasil TV’. The project consists of a rereading of the 24 opening songs (i.e., new versions) made by great artists from Ribeirão Preto, along with a fun chat about James Bons. The project raised diversity, it was a huge success, and you can check it out in the “Bond Music” tab.
Many feature films (whether fiction or documentary), as well as short films, are always under development at the Cinema Twins, either by the production company itself or with its partners, in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, or anywhere else.
Not to mention that the production company organizes literary fairs, musical concerts, annual plan of activities for cultural institutions, musical theaters, storytelling, children’s and adult theater, launch of literary works and many other small, medium and large cultural events.
The production company performs very well in the objective of placing the city of Ribeirão Preto on the map of Brazilian audiovisual productions.