Lumina Films, the newLondon-based sales agent, has picked up international rights to the WalterSalles-produced Lower City (CidadeBaixa).

The film is amusically-charged story about a group of friends who fall in love with the samewoman. It stars Lazaro Ramos of MadameSata, Wagner Moura and City Of Godstar Alice Braga.

The film is the secondfeature by Sergio Machado, who was previously assistant director on Golden Bearwinner Central Station and directed comedy-drama 3 Stories Of Bahia.

It is produced by Salles andMauricio Andrade of Videofilmes with Buena Onda's Donald K Ranvaud and RobertBevan as associate producers.

Ranvaud said: "What is trulyremarkable about this film is [Machado's] ability to inspire magnificentperformances and communicate a visceral, complicitous love that simply ignores(rather than breaks) any taboos." The film will be completed by May.

Lumina, which is headed bySamantha Horley and backed by London's International Film Collective, is alsohandling projects including City Of Men- the multi-award winning TVseries inspired by City Of God; CGI-animated A Midsummer Dream bySpain's Dygra Films which premieres in Cannes; and another Buena Onda title FamiliaRodante by Pablo Trapero.