Fernanda Torres at the Golden Globes 2025: discover the other Brazilian films awarded internationally

‘Tropa de Elite’, ‘O Pagador de Promessas’ and ‘Central do Brasil’ have made the history of international awards.

Fernanda Torres – main actress in the film I’m still hereby Walter Salles — made the history of Brazilian cinema by winning the award for best actress in a drama film at the 2025 Golden Globes on Sunday (5/1).

This is only the second Golden Globe won by domestic cinema, the first was Central Brazilanother film by Walter Salles, winner in the best foreign language film category in 1999.

The Golden Globes are one of the most prestigious awards in American and international cinema. Since 1944, foreign journalists have honored major productions in the United States.

With Fernanda Torres’ success at the Golden Globes, it is expected that the actress and the film will compete for the Oscar, the biggest prize in American cinema, awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Nominations for the award will be announced on January 17. The awards ceremony will take place on March 2nd.

So far, national cinema has competed for best foreign film on only four occasions, with The promise payer (1962), The Quadrilo (1995), What’s that, man? (1997) e Central Brazill (1999).

I’m still here It is already one of the few films in national cinema to have won at least one important international award.

Below is the list of the most awarded Brazilian films abroad:

The Cangaceiro (1953)

The first film to win a major international award was The Cangaceirowritten and directed by director Lima Barreto.

Produced by the extinct Vera Cruz film company, the film tells the story of the bandit Galdino and his gang, inspired by Lampião.

Galdino, played by Milton Ribeiro, declares himself “governor of the caatinga” and wreaks havoc in the northeastern hinterland. The cast of the film also includes Adoniran Barbosa and Lima Barreto himself.

The film received the award for best adventure film (a category that no longer exists) at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.

The promise payer (1962)

Written and directed by Anselmo Duarte, The promise payer won the Palme d’Or at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival.

To date, it is the only film to win the Palme d’Or, the top prize at Cannes.

Based on a play by playwright Dias Gomes, the film tells the story of Zé (played by Leonardo Villar), a very poor man from the countryside, who sees his most precious possession, a donkey, fall ill.

Zé promises Santa Bárbara to bring a cross from his town in the interior of Bahia to the church of Santa Bárbara, in Salvador.

Anselmo Duarte’s film lost at the Oscars Always on Sundayby French director Serge Bourguignon.

Invited to attend the Oscar ceremony, Duarte declined the invitation. He wasn’t happy when he found out that the Academy had changed the title of his film to The Word given (“The Word of Commitment”, in free translation). “I got invitations, plane tickets, paid for hotels and everything,” he said in 2004. “I turned it all down.”

The Evil Dragon vs. the Holy Warrior (1969)

The Evil Dragon vs. the Holy Warrior It competed at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival for the Palme d’Or, but did not win the prize. But Glauber Rocha won the award for best director, consolidating the international reputation of the movement known as Cinema Novo, inspired by Italian neorealism and new vague French, with great emphasis on social criticism.

The film tells the story of Antônio das Mortes (played by Maurício do Valle), a former assassin of Brazilian revolutionary leaders who has given up his life of crime. When he is hired again, he ends up being inspired by his new target: a young leader with revolutionary ideas.

I know I will love you (1986)

Fernanda Torres had already made the history of national cinema in 1986, at the age of 20, when she won the award for best actress at the Cannes Film Festival.

He won for I know I will love youby Arnaldo Jabor, a film about the relationship problems of a couple. Her romantic partner is actor Thales Pan Chacon.

In an interview at the time with the newspaper O Globo, Fernanda Torres said that she didn’t imagine winning the prize and that she hadn’t even gone to France for the festival, as she was recording the telenovela at the time Stone jungle. He says he found out about the result over the phone.

Central Brazil (1999)

After winning the 2025 Golden Globe, Fernanda Torres recalled that her mother had attended the same ceremony more than two decades earlier.

Fernanda Montenegro competed for the Golden Globe for Best Actress Central Brazilalso by Walter Salles. But she lost the award to Cate Blanchett, from the film Elizabeth. Also competing were Susan Sarandon, Meryl Streep and Emily Watson.

But in the category of best foreign language films, Central Brazil he was the winner. The statuette was given by the actress Annette Bening to Walter Salles, Fernanda Montenegro, the actor Vinicius Oliveira and the producer Arthur Cohn.

This was the only Golden Globe for domestic cinema until 2025.

At the Oscars, Fernanda Montenegro competed, but lost the statuette to Gwyneth Paltrow, from Shakespeare in love. AND Central Brazil lost to Life is beautifulby Roberto Benigni.

City of God (2001)

City of God (2001), by Henrique Meirelles, won the award for best editing — for Daniel Rezende — at the British Academy Film Awards (Bafta), the main prize of the British film industry.

The film was a box office and critical success and to this day is still one of the best-known Brazilian films abroad. The plot taken from a book by Paulo Lins tells the violent history of the Cidade de Deus neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s.

However, the film did not win any major awards other than Rezende’s. At the Oscars, City of God it competed for best direction (Henrique Meirelles), best editing (Rezende), best adapted screenplay (Braulio Mantovani) and best cinematography (Cesar Charlone).

Lost in all categories a The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – except for the last one, which he lost to The Lord of the Seas – The far side of the world.

Passing line (2006)

Brazilian actress Sandra Corveloni received the Best Actress award at the 61st Cannes Film Festival for her performance in the film Pass the linedirected by Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas.

That year, other actresses were reported by the press as candidates for the award, such as Angelina Jolie and Catherine Deneuve.

Passing line It was the first film by Sandra Corveloni, then 43 years old, an actress with a career in theatre.

The film tells the story of four brothers living on the outskirts of São Paulo, all children of a single mother, the role played by Corveloni.

Elite troop (2007)

Another box office and critical success, Elite troopby José Padilha, won the Golden Bear for best film, the most important award at the Berlin film festival, one of the largest in the world.

The film starring Wagner Moura talks about police corruption in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.

The award was a surprise: even Padilha had said he had little hope of winning. The film was received with little enthusiasm at the festival and some press reviews were rather harsh.

Elite troop it didn’t even win the Brazilian Oscar nomination, which happened that year The year my parents went on vacation – who ended up not running.

After receiving the award, Padilha was moved and thanked the president of the jury, the Greek director Costa-Gavras

Bacurau (2019)

In 2019, the Brazilian film Nighthawkby Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles, won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, tied with the French drama The Miserables.

It was the first time that Brazil had won the Jury Prize, the third most important in the official competition.

The film tells the story of strange events that occur in a fictional town in the Inland Northeast after the death of matriarch Carmelita at the age of 94.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.