How ‘I’m Still Here’ Broke U.K. Box Office Records: ‘Brazilian Enthusiasm,’ Awards Season Buzz and Altitude’s Clever Scheduling

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As a fervent admirer, I was thrilled that Walter Salles’ masterpiece, “I’m Still Here,” unexpectedly stole the spotlight during the 2025 awards season. On Sunday evening, this hidden gem snatched the Oscar for Best International Film right out from under the long-standing favorite, “Emilia Pérez.

The critically acclaimed drama became the first Brazilian production to receive this recognition; however, many award experts believed it had a strong chance at winning in other categories as well, such as best actress (Fernanda Torres) and even best picture. This poignant film delves deeply into themes of love and loss during Brazil’s 1970s military dictatorship.

However, the single victory of “I’m Still Here” sparked exuberant street festivities in Rio de Janeiro, a city that had chosen Torres, who was already a beloved figure, as the surprising inspiration for this year’s carnival celebration.

Interestingly, the peak of “I’m Still Here” gaining awards coincided perfectly with its extended screenings across the U.K., as the Oscars ceremony happened to fall on the film’s second weekend in British cinemas.

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The timing for “I’m Still Here” to win awards couldn’t have been more fortunate, considering it was showing extensively in the U.K. during its second week in cinemas, which happened to be when the Oscars ceremony took place.

On February 21st, Altitude distributed the movie to 141 locations, and it shattered British box office records well before the Dolby Theatre’s red carpet event.

During its debut at UK and Irish cinemas over the weekend, the movie grossed approximately $600,000, setting a record as the largest opening for a foreign language film this year and the highest-grossing Latin American film ever (surpassing Salles’ 2004 hit “The Motorcycle Diaries”). Moreover, it swiftly surpassed the challenging 10% rule that applies to UK/US box offices. This rule suggests that a movie in the UK should aim to earn around 10% of its US earnings (with “I’m Still Here” currently earning slightly over $4.6 million in the US).

After two weekends and expanding to more than 200 locations, the movie “I’m Still Here” has earned over $1 million in the U.K. and Ireland. This surpasses the total earnings of both Salles’ films, “On the Road” and “Central Station.” With its recent Oscar win, there is optimism that the film may experience a fresh wave of popularity.

Mark Jones, Altitude’s head of publicity, remarks that the movie has been exceptional for us as it is our most successful foreign language film financially. He hopes that winning an Oscar will help spread its reach even more – allowing the movie to capitalize on this endorsement and increased mainstream recognition to attract new, wider audiences.

As a passionate movie lover in the year 2022, post-pandemic, I secured “I’m Still Here” during the script phase through our ties with Vincent Maraval and Kim Fox, under their sales banner The Veterans. While Juan Carlos Salles, one of Latin America’s most influential contemporary filmmakers, undeniably holds weight, it doesn’t ensure success by any means.

In fact, his most recent directorial venture was a 2012 adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road,” featuring Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, and Kristen Stewart. This film was nominated for the Palme d’Or in 2012 but received mixed reactions from critics. With a production budget of $25 million, it grossed just $9.6 million worldwide, earning only $930,000 in the U.K.

In August 2024, just before its world debut at the Venice Film Festival, the team from Altitude found “I’m Still Here” remarkably unique. They sensed a special quality in the movie, but they hadn’t anticipated quite how successful it would become or when the awards season momentum would pick up.

Bryony Forde, Altitude’s director of sales, expressed surprise at how successful the movie turned out to be following its initial screening. Given that the cast wasn’t well-known in the U.K., and Walter Salles hadn’t released a film in a while, it seemed unlikely to be a guaranteed hit.

However, the reactions from Venice and Toronto, where Forde claims people were “leaving the first screenings tearful,” and later Toronto, where she describes a “deeply emotional” Q&A involving Salles, Torres, and co-star Selton Mello, contributed to a sense of hope. Subsequently, the U.K. premiere took place at the London Film Festival in October.

According to Forde, he felt a bit jittery since the event was happening at Royal Festival Hall, capable of seating 2,000 people. However, tickets were snapped up incredibly fast, giving the impression that The Beatles themselves had made a comeback.

Although Forde was aware that numerous Brazilians resided in London, she remained unaware of the immense popularity Torres held within this community.

When she stepped onto the stage, it felt as if Meryl Streep herself had appeared. She expressed this feeling, creating an atmosphere that was both welcoming and reminiscent of home. It was a powerful reminder of the substantial and enthusiastic Brazilian community in the U.K. and Ireland. The subject matter and its significance to many people intensified this moment even further.

At the time of the London premiere, Altitude was arranging the release schedule for “I’m Still Here.” They initially planned a launch in February, which was intended to coincide with Sony Pictures Classics’ early November release in the U.S. and StudioCanal’s mid-January release in France. However, the date was adjusted, moving from February 7th to the 21st, to avoid competing with another foreign-language award contender titled “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.

The strategic decision turned out to be advantageous for Altitude, as they started reaping benefits from a significant momentum that picked up following the Golden Globes. This was not only due to “I’m Still Here” winning the award for Best Foreign Language Film, but also because Torres secured an unexpected victory in the category of Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture.

As the excitement swelled following the Globes, the anticipation was palpable – even across the ocean here. This sparked a wave of curiosity among viewers, with many exclaiming, “Wait a minute, I must see that film now!

Propelled by the success at the Globes, Altitude has expanded the release of “I’m Still Here” in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. There have already been demands for tickets as late as 2024, with Dublin’s Light House Cinema reportedly selling out its entire preview week.

Typically, a movie closely tied to a specific nation and its people, especially one located far away geographically, might prompt distributors to engage with the local community to generate interest. However, by the time “I’m Still Here” was released on February 21, due to the Golden Globes and the growing buzz towards the Oscars, Altitude discovered that most Brazilians in the U.K. and Ireland were already well-informed about it. In fact, many had already purchased their tickets.

According to Jones, they indeed stopped by the Brazilian embassy in London, catching a sneak peek of the movie ahead of time. This was prior to some of the higher-ups leaving for their Christmas break, during which they watched the film once more at home.

However, as Jones points out, the “Brazilian fervor” might have driven Altitude’s initial release strategy, but its success in reaching “broader audiences” during the award season campaigns was instrumental.

The achievement of “I’m Still Here” in British cinemas arises amidst apprehension about independent film distribution within local theaters, particularly foreign language productions. Previously, it was revealed that “Santosh,” a film premiered at Cannes and an Academy Award contender, faced difficulties in securing a distributor. This situation underscores a crisis in U.K. indie distribution, as one industry executive pointed out, as there’s a lack of buyers and everyone is being extremely cautious.

The title “I’m Still Here” holds a unique place – it’s a critically acclaimed film that has been gaining traction since last summer, making it one of the most buzzworthy movies in the awards race and even winning one of the most coveted prizes in the industry. However, according to Jones, it has also provided him with a much-needed boost of optimism.

Given the amount of content available today through various channels, including movies in cinemas, it’s heartening to see so many people attending this particular film. This is a positive sign for the broader entertainment industry as a whole,” he notes.

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2025-03-03 20:18