Who we are
CUP Films
CUP Filmes is a Brazilian production company based in São Paulo, led by Ivan Melo, Ilaine Melo, Caique Ferreira, and Luciano Fusinato. The company is active in the development, production, and international co-production of auteur-driven audiovisual works.
Founded in 2007, CUP has built a consistent trajectory in independent cinema, with films screened and awarded at major international festivals, establishing a strong global presence—particularly in animation and international co-productions.
Throughout its history, CUP has been involved in the production of notable titles such as Alvorada, directed by Anna Muylaert and Lô Politi; A Mãe, by Cristiano Burlan; and Bob Cuspe – We Don’t Like People, by Cesar Cabral, an animated feature widely awarded at festivals including Annecy, Ottawa, and Tokyo.
More recently, the company has participated in projects such as Baby, directed by Marcelo Caetano, which premiered at the Critics’ Week of the Cannes Film Festival and screened at over 100 international festivals; Tinnitus, by Gregorio Graziosi, which premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival; and Body Electric, also by Marcelo Caetano, showcased at more than 70 international festivals.
In documentary filmmaking, highlights include Palavra Presa, directed by Ilaine Melo, and Antunes Filho – From the Heart to the Eye, by Cristiano Burlan, both of which have circulated in festivals and been broadcast on cultural channels.
CUP maintains an active slate of projects in development and production, with a strong focus on international co-productions. Recent and upcoming projects include the animated feature Um Pinguim Tupiniquim, by Cesar Cabral; the stop-motion feature The March of the Sunflowers, by Erick Ricco; and the features in development Brasa, by Marcelo Caetano; The River of Tears Flows Through the Valley of Love, by Ulisses Arthur; Song of the Night, by Maya Da-Rin; and Aline, by Marcela Lordy—further reinforcing the company’s commitment to contemporary auteur cinema.
The company also collaborates on international projects such as UNA (by Vasco Sá and David Doutel), Ophelia (by Juan Pablo Félix), and Song of the Night (by Maya Da-Rin).
In addition to production, CUP Filmes is active in the distribution of independent films in Brazil, contributing to the circulation of both national and international auteur works.
With an integrated approach to development, production, and international collaboration, CUP Filmes positions itself as a production company dedicated to creating projects with strong artistic identity, cultural relevance, and significant global circulation potential.
The team
Who is part of the CUP
IVAN MELO
PRODUCTION
He served as Executive Producer of the São Paulo International Film Festival and as Artistic Director of both the Paulínia Film Center and the Paulínia Film Festival. He was also a partner at África Filmes, the production company behind award-winning feature films such as The Second Mother and Don’t Call Me Son, both directed by Anna Muylaert.
In 2012, he founded CUP Filmes, where he has produced, among others, the feature films A Mãe (screened at the Málaga and Gramado Film Festivals) and Antunes Filho – From the Heart to the Eye (É Tudo Verdade, CineOP), both directed by Cristiano Burlan; Alvorada, by Anna Muylaert and Lô Politi (Sheffield DocFest, Havana Film Festival, É Tudo Verdade); and Bob Cuspe – We Don’t Like People, by Cesar Cabral, winner of major international animation festivals including Annecy, Ottawa, and Tokyo.
He also produced the acclaimed Body Electric (Rotterdam International Film Festival) and Baby, directed by Marcelo Caetano, which premiered at the Critics’ Week of the Cannes Film Festival, screened at over 100 international festivals, and received more than 30 awards, including Best Actor at Critics’ Week.
ILAINE MELO
PRODUCTION
In 2024, she founded Guria Filmes. A cultural producer, screenwriter, and director, she has built a career marked by collaborations on notable projects in Brazilian audiovisual production. She worked on the feature film A Mãe (2021), directed by Cristiano Burlan, internationally awarded and recognized at festivals such as Málaga and Gramado; the series Notícias Populares (2023), created by André Barcinski and Marcelo Caetano, broadcast on Canal Brasil and available on Globoplay; and the feature Baby (2024), directed by Marcelo Caetano, selected for the Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival and winner of Best Fiction at the Rio Film Festival.
She co-wrote the story for the documentary Antunes Filho – From the Heart to the Eye (2023), also directed by Cristiano Burlan, screened at É Tudo Verdade and CineOP. As a screenwriter and director, she released the documentary Palavra Presa (2023), selected for Guadalajara Construye and distributed in 2024.
Her short filmography includes Licença Poética (2019), Anas (2019),
Nem Faz Tanto Tempo Assim (2021), Tempos de Batata-doce (2021),
A Menina e o Velho (2021), and Mãos no Vime (2022).
CAÍQUE FERREIRA
PRODUCTION
He is a producer and social scientist. Throughout his career, he has contributed creatively to the production of a wide range of audiovisual works, including short and feature films, TV programs, reality shows, series, and commercials.
In 2023, he was selected for the Locarno Industry Academy in Chile. The following year, he participated in Locarno Pro’s U30 program in Switzerland, and in 2025, he took part in the EFM Toolbox Fiction at the Berlinale with the feature film in development The River of Tears Flows Through the Valley of Love, the second feature by director Ulisses Arthur.
He is a co-founder of Brava Filmes, which collaborates with CUP Filmes on the development and production of several projects, with a strong focus on international co-productions. Notable titles include Brasa, the upcoming feature by Marcelo Caetano, and Ophelia, directed by Juan Pablo Félix,
a co-production between Brazil, Argentina, and Spain.
LUCIANO FUSINATO
PRODUCTION
A Director of Photography and Editor, he is the founder of SUSCINE Produções. He has built a solid trajectory in the audiovisual field since 2017. He began his career as the editor of the short film ANAS and as a researcher on the project Palavra Presa (PRODAV 5 – ANCINE/FSA).
In 2020, he served as Director of Photography and Editor on the documentary Nem Faz Tanto Tempo Assim, and also directed and edited the animated short A Menina e o Velho. In 2021, he worked as a lecturer in the Documentary Workshop Project Lãklaño Xokleng, contributing to audiovisual training.
More recently, he edited the short film Amantes da Pinacoteca (2023) and served as Director of Photography on the documentary telefilm Palavra Presa (2024), further strengthening his experience across different formats and cinematic languages.
IAGO SANTINI
DESIGNER
He is a designer, illustrator, writer, and screenwriter based in São Paulo, working on projects that combine graphic creation with cultural content, collaborating with publishers as well as institutions and artistic collectives.
Some of his works have received national and international recognition, such as Dinos do Brasil, nominated for the Jabuti Prize (Peirópolis, 2012), and Sehaypóri, selected for the White Ravens Catalogue, published by the International Youth Library in Munich (Peirópolis, 2008). Several of his titles have also been selected for public library programs such as PNBE and included in the “Highly Recommended” list by FNLIJ.
With a strong interest in cinema, he studied screenwriting with Carlos Reichenbach at Fundação Oswald de Andrade and directing with Newton Cannito at CinUSP. This path led him to the São Paulo International Film Festival, where he has worked since 2004 on the creation and production of the printed catalogue, as well as image selection and processing.
He also served as a jury member for the short and medium-length film program at the same festival in 2008, during its 32nd edition.