Sponsorship
Simbelle supports filmmakers by sponsoring participation in residencies, labs, and international programs that can significantly expand professional networks and global visibility.
Example:
In 2026, Simbelle Productions will serve as the U.S. sponsor for filmmaker Denise Fernandes through the FLAD Artist Residency Grants, which support Portuguese artists pursuing residencies at North American institutions.
Denise Fernandes - Filmmaker
Denise Fernandes (b. Lisbon, 1990) is a filmmaker whose work is shaped by her Cape Verdean heritage and her upbringing between Lisbon and Switzerland.
Her debut feature, Hanami (2024), premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, where she received the Best Emerging Director Award, and went on to screen at major international film festivals, including the BFI London Film Festival, the Chicago International Film Festival, the São Paulo Mostra International Film Festival, and FESPACO, receiving multiple international awards.
Her work moves between personal and collective histories across the diaspora, developing narratives that move between the real and the imagined. She is currently developing her second feature, Azure.