Brazilian film industry veterans Adhemar de Oliveira, owner of the Cinearte exhibition chain, and Leon Cakoff - director of non-competitive festival Mostra Internacional de Sao Paulo - have launched Sao Paulo-based arthouse distribution company Mais Filmes.

The company plans to distribute foreign acquisitions and promote Brazilian titles in the state of Sao Paulo, a prosperous but underscreened area where local product is rarely released. To this end Mais Filmes will form strategic partnerships with regional cultural organisations such as state-backed distributor Riofilmes, and hold "event" screenings with local talent in attendance.

Due to its cultural agenda, the company is receiving support from the Brazilian government's "Programme for the Integration of TV and Film" (PICTV) and the state of Sao Paulo's culture ministry.

The company's initial slate includes Bruno Dumont's L'Humanite, Agustin Villaronga's The Sea (El Mar), Abbas Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us, Werner Herzog's My Best Friend, Dusan Makavejev's Sweet Movie and Aktan Abdykalykov's The Adopted Son (Bashkempir).