U.S. films will soon be the minority among the nominees for the top Academy Award, claims one of South America’s most successful producers.
Rodrigo Teixeira, who through his RT Films banner has produced the likes of “Frances Ha,” “Call Me by Your Name,” “Ad Astra” “Bergman Island” and “I’m Still Here,” building up long-standing relationships with filmmakers such as James Gray in the process, made the claim at the San Sebastian Film Festival‘s Creative Investors’ Conference, co-organized by CAA Media Finance.
“We are 1790084564 seeing at least three-four international films in the best film category,” he said, speaking on Tuesday. “And in five years from now, I believe international films will make up 60% of the category for best film. I truly believe that. Because we can talk more. We have freedom of speech, and in the U.S., without freedom of speech, it’s difficult to get financed. But outside the U.S. we have it, and I believe in five years the international films are going to be bigger than American films.”
Teixeira is an Oscar nominee himself, having produced Walter Salles’ Brazillan smash hit “I’m Still Here,” which in 2025 was nominated for best picture and best actress (for Fernanda Torres) and won the Oscar for best international feature. The film would also earn more than $36 million (from a budget of around $9 million), becoming the highest-grossing Brazilian film since COVID.
“I’m Still Here,” claimed Teixeira, was part of a wave of cinema from Brazil made in the wake of the “very hardcore, right-wing” Bolsonaro government and served as as “an act of hope” that helped “change the self-esteem of the country.”
Teixeira was recently in Cannes with his latest Gray collaboration and competition title “Paper Tiger,” which he said he originated, and Director’s Fortnight entry “La Perra” from Dominga Sotomayor, which would win the Palm Dog Award. Coming up for RT is Gray’s next project and Mia Hansen-Love’s Mary Wollstonecraft biopic “If Love Should Die,” starring Renate Reinsve and now shooting in Sweden. Also on the slate is the debut feature from a U.S. filmmaker he didn’t name, but noted that his daughter recently saw it and proudly told him: “Father, you’ve made an A24 film.”
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