The pics, “Birdwatchers” and “Plastic City,” are co-produced by Sao Paulo-based Gullane Filmes, one of Brazil’s top production companies.

“Plastic City,” helmed by Hong Kong-based Yu Lik-wai, unfolds in Sao Paulo’s Liberdade district, seen as a futuristic multiethnic neighborhood seething with gang warfare, video piracy rackets, corrupt politicians and erotic dancers.

Pic follows the building faceoff between a Chinese racketeer and his adopted son.

Yu’s XStream Pics label produced the movie alongside Gullane, with Japan’s Bitters End and Hong Kong’s Sundream Motion Pictures taking co-producer credits. “Birdwatchers,” helmed by Italy’s Marco Bechis, charts the confrontation between native inhabitants of Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul and wealthy farmers.

“Birdwatchers” is majority produced by Amadeo Pagani’s Classic Film. RAI Cinema and Bechis’ Karta Films co-produced the pic, which Ocean will distribute in France.

London- and Paris-based Celluloid Dreams’ has handled Brazilian titles before, including the early Walter Salles-Daniela Thomas collaboration “Foreign Land.”

For Gullane, the deal is a coup as Brazilian producers, backed by their government, seek to consolidate their export drive.

“It’s really important for us to have a big sales agent representing these films,” said producer Fabiano Gullane, who runs the company alongside Ciao Gullane.

Celluloid Dreams reps a third Venice Competition player, “Achilles and the Tortoise,” from Japan’s Takeshi Kitano.

© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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