The film's creators were working multiple channels simultaneously
Deputy Mário Frias faces investigation for allegedly directing R$2M in parliamentary amendments to NGO Academia Nacional de Cultura, linked to the film's producer Go Up Entertainment. Two other PL deputies admitted to allocating funds for related projects but claim they were never executed or redirected to other purposes, denying any film financing.
- Deputy Mário Frias directed at least R$2 million in parliamentary amendments to Academia Nacional de Cultura, linked to the film's producer
- Senator Flávio Bolsonaro requested approximately R$134 million from banker Vorcaro to finance Dark Horse, with at least R$61 million released
- The film is scheduled to premiere in mid-September, weeks before Brazil's next election
- Deputies Bia Kicis and Marcos Pollon claim their allocated funds were never executed for the film projects
Brazil's Supreme Court is investigating whether federal deputies improperly allocated parliamentary amendments to companies producing a biographical film about ex-president Bolsonaro, with allegations of R$2+ million in public funds directed through interconnected entities.
For more than a month, court officers in Brasília have been trying to serve a summons on federal deputy Mário Frias. The order came from Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino in late March, demanding that Frias explain himself regarding allegations that he steered at least two million reais in parliamentary amendments toward companies connected to a biographical film about former president Jair Bolsonaro. The film, titled Dark Horse, is being produced by Go Up Entertainment, a company controlled by businesswoman Karina Ferreira da Gama. The summons has proven difficult to deliver. Court officers visited Frias's office in the Chamber of Deputies on at least three occasions between March and April, only to be told by his staff that he was in São Paulo attending campaign events. No one offered to provide his schedule.
The investigation began with a complaint filed by federal deputy Tabata Amaral of the Socialist Party, who was responding to a December 2025 report by The Intercept Brasil. That report documented how the Academia Nacional de Cultura, an NGO chaired by Karina, received 2.6 million reais from parliamentary amendments allocated by deputies from Bolsonaro's Liberal Party. Beyond Frias, the report named deputies Bia Kicis and Marcos Pollon as sources of these funds. Amaral's argument was straightforward: these entities and companies appeared to operate under unified control, making it difficult to track how public money was actually being spent, and the arrangement seemed designed to finance ideologically driven film productions using taxpayer dollars.
When summoned by Justice Dino, both Kicis and Pollon responded within the deadline. Pollon acknowledged directing one million reais to the São Paulo State Department of Culture to enable Go Up Entertainment to produce a documentary series called National Heroes—Sons of Brazil Who Do Not Surrender. However, he claimed the project never moved forward because the beneficiary organization failed to meet essential technical requirements. He said he then redirected the money to healthcare, specifically to the Hospital of Love in Barretos. Kicis admitted to allocating 150,000 reais for the same documentary series and made the same argument: the project was never executed. She called Amaral's petition malicious and accused her of methodological and legal error by linking separate projects simply because they involved the same production company or conservative themes. Kicis framed her amendment as a political decision rooted in promoting Brazilian culture and the creative economy. The Chamber of Deputies' legal office, when asked by Justice Dino to review the matter, found no procedural irregularities in Frias's two amendments.
Then, on Wednesday, May 13, The Intercept Brasil published new audio recordings that shifted the investigation's terrain entirely. The recordings showed Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president's son, asking banker Vorcaro to provide approximately 134 million reais to finance the Dark Horse film. According to the report, Vorcaro released at least 61 million reais. The exchanges between the senator and the banker occurred just before Vorcaro's first arrest as part of Operation Compliance Zero, a federal investigation into alleged crimes against Brazil's financial system and fraud involving Master Bank and the Bank of Brasília. In one audio, Flávio spoke of the film's importance and the urgency of sending resources to cover overdue payments. He acknowledged the awkwardness of repeatedly asking Vorcaro for money but emphasized that the moment was critical for the film and that many bills were outstanding.
Frias responded the same day with a statement asserting that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro holds no ownership stake in the film or in Go Up Entertainment, and that the production has not received a single centavo from Master Bank or Vorcaro. He argued that even if it had, there would be nothing improper about a private transaction between consenting adults with no public money involved. Frias, who served as special secretary of culture during Bolsonaro's presidency from 2020 to 2022, also defended the film's budget. Dark Horse, he explained, is a Hollywood-standard superproduction with top-tier actors and internationally renowned director and screenwriter. Its costs exceed those of Still Here, the Brazilian film that won the Academy Award for Best International Feature in 2025 and cost 45 million reais. Frias characterized Dark Horse as a real project that will launch in coming months and represent a successful investment for those who funded it.
The investigation now sits at a crossroads. The original allegations centered on whether public funds were improperly funneled through interconnected entities to finance a partisan film. The new revelations about Senator Flávio's requests to a banker under federal investigation raise different questions: about the sources of private financing, about the relationship between political actors and financial institutions, and about whether the film's production became entangled with activities that are themselves the subject of criminal inquiry. Justice Dino has not yet ruled on the substance of Amaral's complaint, and Frias remains unserved with the original summons. The film is scheduled to premiere in mid-September, weeks before Brazil's next election.
Citas Notables
The film is a Hollywood-standard superproduction with top-tier actors and internationally renowned director and screenwriter, representing a successful investment for those who funded it— Deputy Mário Frias
The moment is critical for the film and many bills are outstanding, creating tension about the project's future— Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, in audio recording
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter whether this film was financed with public money versus private money?
Because if public funds were diverted through a network of connected organizations to finance a political film, that's a misuse of taxpayer resources. If it was purely private, the legal questions change entirely—though the appearance of a senator pressuring a banker under investigation still raises concerns.
But the deputies say the amendments they allocated were never actually used for the film.
That's their defense, yes. Pollon and Kicis both claim the projects they funded never happened, so no money reached the film. The problem is that Frias's amendments are still under investigation, and now there's evidence of a senator actively seeking financing from a banker. It suggests the film's creators were working multiple channels simultaneously.
What does the audio reveal that the written denials don't address?
The tone. Flávio sounds urgent, almost desperate. He's talking about overdue payments and the critical moment for the film. That suggests real financial pressure, real stakes. The written statements are all about legality and procedure. The audio is about what was actually happening.
Is there any chance this film never gets made?
Unlikely at this point. Frias says it's launching in September. But the investigation could expose how it was financed and who benefited, which might damage its credibility or the political figures attached to it.
Why hasn't Frias been served with the summons yet?
His staff keeps saying he's unavailable. Whether that's genuine or deliberate obstruction is part of what Justice Dino will have to determine. The fact that it's taken over a month suggests either Frias is genuinely hard to reach or someone is making him hard to reach.