GP7 Cinema celebrates yet another major international achievement with the selection of the feature film *TERRA CONTESTADA* for the 24th edition of the Ibero-American Audiovisual Project Development Course (CDPAI), organized by the Carolina Foundation in Madrid, Spain. Recognized as one of the most prominent audiovisual project development programs in Europe and Ibero-America, the lab reaches its 24th edition having established itself as a strategic platform for script development, talent training, and the facilitation of international co-productions.

The 2026 edition received more than 500 submissions from various Ibero-American countries and selected just 22 feature film projects and four series to participate in the program, which will take place between September and November in Madrid.

Written by Fernando Honesko, who will also direct the film, *Terra Contestada* will be produced by GP7 Cinema and marks the fourth project from the Paraná-based production company to be selected by the prestigious Spanish lab throughout its history, reinforcing GP7 Cinema’s longstanding relationship with CDPAI and consolidating a partnership built over more than a decade.

GP7 Cinema’s first project to participate in the lab was *Sereis Uma Só Carne*, a screenplay by Andréia Kaláboa and Tiago Lipka, selected in 2016. The feature film was produced in 2024 as a co-production with Tabebuia Audiovisual, directed by Andréia Kaláboa, and will begin its run at national and international film festivals in the second half of 2026, with a commercial release scheduled for 2027.

Also in 2016, the screenplay for *Lamaçal* (*La Chancha*), a project by Argentine screenwriter and director Franco Verdoia, was presented at CDPAI. The film was subsequently produced as an international co-production between Brazil and Argentina, bringing together GP7 Cinema, Contentto People of Buenos Aires, and El Carro Cine of Córdoba.

In 2021, it was the turn of *Entrelinhas*, a screenplay by Guto Pasko, Tiago Lipka, Rafael Monteiro, and Sebastián S. Claro. Developed as part of the Spanish lab, the feature film was produced by GP7 Cinema in 2022, directed by Guto Pasko, released in theaters in 2024, and is currently part of the AMC and Prime Video catalogs.

Now, in 2026, the production company’s partnership with CDPAI enters a new chapter with *Terra Contestada*, a screenplay by Fernando Honesko, who will also direct the film.

A historical drama about empathy in times of war

Set in 1914, during the Contestado War—the largest civil conflict in Brazil’s republican history—*Terra Contestada* follows the unlikely encounter between two men on opposing sides of the war.

Antônio is a caboclo rebel wounded in combat who is searching for his wife and daughter after an attack by the Brazilian Army. Miroslav is a young Ukrainian immigrant who dreams of building a peaceful life in the colony where he grew up, preserving the traditions his family brought from Europe. When he finds Antônio seriously wounded in the region’s araucaria forests, Miroslav must choose between abandoning him to his fate or defying everything he has learned about his supposed enemies.

Forced to live in hiding in an ammunition depot as the war draws ever closer, the two men begin to confront their beliefs, prejudices, and convictions. Little by little, they discover that they share experiences of loss, displacement, and injustice far deeper than they had imagined.

Combining elements of historical drama and psychological thriller, *Terra Contestada* uses a decisive episode in Brazil’s territorial and social formation to explore highly contemporary themes, such as polarization, intolerance, hate speech, belonging, and the human capacity to build bridges even amid the most violent conflicts.

By revisiting the Contestado War from the perspective of characters historically positioned on opposing sides, the project invites reflection on the political and economic interests that fuel wars and social divisions, giving voice to characters often absent from official narratives about this period of Brazilian history.

Development with experts in Ukrainian culture and immigration history

The development of *Terra Contestada* will also benefit from script consulting by filmmaker Guto Pasko, whose filmography features recognized research on Ukrainian immigration and culture in Brazil. Director of the feature films *Iván*, *Made in Ukraine*, and *Aldeia Natal*, Pasko will contribute to the historical and cultural construction of the world portrayed in the film.

Development will be coordinated by Andréia Kaláboa, a partner at GP7 Cinema and an executive producer with extensive experience in historical and cultural projects. A descendant of Ukrainians and responsible for producing Guto Pasko’s entire filmography, Kaláboa also possesses in-depth knowledge of the regions that will serve as locations for the project.

About Fernando Honesko

A screenwriter and director with over 15 years of experience in the audiovisual industry, Fernando Honesko specializes in developing fictional works inspired by real events and period narratives. Among his most notable works are the creation and lead screenwriting of the series *Americana*, an original Star+ production; the screenplay for the feature film *Curral*, released internationally and available on Netflix; as well as the direction and screenwriting of the miniseries *Gigantes do Brasil*, *Mauá: O Primeiro Gigante, and *Mil Dias: A Saga da Construção de Brasília*, produced for the History Channel. His career encompasses projects that explore decisive moments in the country’s political, economic, and social development—a theme that finds a new and ambitious chapter in *Terra Contestada*.

With its selection for CDPAI 2026, GP7 Cinema reaffirms its commitment to developing projects of artistic and historical significance with the potential for international distribution, strengthening its presence in the key hubs for the creation, development, and co-production of Ibero-American audiovisual content.