A Brazilian feature film – Cafuné – has been simultaneously released both in the cinemas and on the Internet, allowing the audience create different story ends.

Bruno Vianna’s first feature film, called Cafuné, is pioneering an innovative distribution scheme. On August 25th, 2006, it started in the Brazilian movie theaters. In the same day, it was made available for downloading online under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Brazil licence, allowing anyone to download, copy and distribute it for non-commercial purposes. It also allows anyone to make their own cut of the film, subsequently releasing the result, as long as they use the same Creative Commons license.

In spite of the growing number of movies being produce in Brazil, only approximately 50 Brazilian movies are released in the Brazilian movie theaters every year, creating a significant distribution funnel. Bruno Viana´s initiative demonstrates new possibilities that might help to overcome the narrow, existing distribution channels. As Bruno says: “Why should movies be restricted to a few cinemas that can show the film only for a short period of time? Why shouldn’t we seek wider audience, exploring all possible means of distribution?”

In Brazil, the absolute majority of films are produced by a public financing system. Making movies available online is a way to increase the value of the film to the public, and to society as whole. The simultaneous release was only made possible because of the support of his distributor, the well-known Grupo Estação, based in Rio de Janeiro.

Bruno Vianna is known as a short film director concerned with social problems, violence, and gender. The film takes place in the city of Rio de Janeiro, and tells the story of a rich girl falling in love with a poor guy living in the favelas (shantytowns). Viana explores the way people live in Rio de Janeiro, and examines interesting aspects of the contemporary “carioca” society.

Another pioneering decision in the distribution of the film is that movie theaters received two versions of the same film. Accordingly, depending on the movie theater that the film is watched, a different conclusion to the story takes place. Bruno´s idea was to demonstrate the narrative possibilities from the same film. Following the director´s example, the audiences will be able to create their own finales to the movie.

The two versions of Cafuné are available for downloading at the Overmundo website: one 91 minutes long and one 73 minutes long. More info available here.

Thanks to Ronaldo who heads up the CC Brazil team (among many other things) for the information for this posting.