Bernardo Lessa
ENTERTAIMENT BUSINESS
Business development specialist with nearly 10 years of experience in project management, fundraising, strategic market analysis, and marketing.
Graduated in Film and Audiovisual Studies (UFPE) and holds a postgraduate degree in Audiovisual Business Management (FAAP). Began their career in 2017 with the programming and curating team at Cinema da Fundação (Recife), organizing over 20 festivals and managing the cinema’s weekly programming, screening more than 400 films in two years. From 2019 to 2022, worked at Vitrine Filmes (São Paulo) in various roles, the last being Business and Institutional Relations Coordinator, contributing to the financing, sales, and release of over 40 titles, including Bacurau, The Lighthouse, and Alemão 2. From 2022 to 2024, at Conspiração Filmes, the production company behind major titles like the 2024 Golden Globe winner Still Here (Walter Salles), served as Financing and Sales Coordinator, participating in the licensing of films and series and the production of over 30 projects, including O Auto da Compadecida 2 and Tô de Graça.
Co-founder of initiatives such as @TantoCine and Vitrine Lab, and teaches project financing at ESPM. Currently serves as Executive Director and Partner at TANTO, as well as Launch Manager for Sessão Vitrine Petrobras.
Experience
| Distribution Manager - Sessão Vitrine Petrobras
Vitrine Filmes (2024 - now)
| Executive director and partner
Tanto (2024 - now)
| 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