The production company Go UP Entertainment declared a total expenditure of R$ 75.1 million on the production of the film “Dark Horse”, which portrays the life of former president Jair Bolsonaro. The amount emerges amid a police investigation and the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office that is investigating the possible embezzlement of public funds from a municipal contract to finance the film.
Documents attached to the investigation indicate that R$ 54 million of this amount were applied abroad, while R$ 20.9 million were spent in Brazil. Converted to dollars, the total cost of the film would have been US$ 13.39 million, according to a report prepared by the defense of businesswoman Karina da Gama, owner of Go UP Entertainment and the NGO Instituto Conhecer Brasil (ICB). The investigation seeks to determine whether resources from a R$ 108 million contract signed with the São Paulo city hall for the installation of Wi-Fi points in peripheral areas were used in production.
## Investigation points to link between Wi-Fi contract and film production
The São Paulo police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office are investigating businesswoman Karina Ferreira da Gama, owner of Go UP Entertainment and the NGO Instituto Conhecer Brasil (ICB). The core of the investigation is a R$ 108 million contract signed between ICB and the São Paulo City Hall for the installation of Wi-Fi points in low-income neighborhoods of the capital. The suspicion is that public funds allocated to this project may have financed the production of the film “Dark Horse”. Both of the businesswoman’s companies, the production company and the NGO, operate at the same address.
## Alleged involvement of Flávio Bolsonaro and Daniel Vorcaro
The negotiations for the financing of the film “Dark Horse” reportedly involved banker Daniel Vorcaro, who is imprisoned, and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ). According to the original text, the banker would have transferred about R$ 61 million to the film production. There are reports that Flávio Bolsonaro acted in direct negotiations and exerted pressure for payments, including an attempt to transfer US$ 24 million, which would have been equivalent to approximately R$ 134 million at the time.
## Details on declared expenses and the origin of resources
The report presented by Karina da Gama’s defense, which points to expenditures of R$ 75.1 million, was prepared by the Instituto de Perícia Investigativa (IPI) at the request of the businesswoman’s lawyers. However, the document does not present proof such as receipts or invoices for the expenses, which raises questions about the verification of the amounts. One of the points of attention in the investigation against Karina da Gama is the presentation of invoices without tax value in previous accountability reports to the São Paulo City Hall.
## History of the production company and the NGO raises doubts
An aspect that draws attention is the history of the companies involved. Go UP Entertainment, before the film “Dark Horse”, had no records of film production in Brazil. Similarly, the Instituto Conhecer Brasil (ICB) had never acted in the installation of Wi-Fi points on the outskirts of São Paulo before taking on the contract with the city hall, an administration allied with the Bolsonaro family. These facts add layers to the investigation into the use of public funds.
## Expert report and the lack of proof of public origin
The private expert hired by Karina da Gama’s defense, Anísio Costa Castelo Branco, stated in his report that he did not identify “cash inflows from public resources, government transfers or direct financing”. Despite this, the document was based on contracts, financial spreadsheets and bank statements of the NGO, without, however, reproducing these documents as proof. The report also does not clarify the origin of the R$ 20.9 million spent in Brazil by Go UP.
## Previous statements by the production company and the need for new investors
In May, Karina Ferreira da Gama had already stated in interviews that the film’s budget was around US$ 13 million, with 90% of that amount supposedly backed by former owner of Banco Master, Daniel Vorcaro. According to her, the film still needs resources for the post-production phase, which includes special effects and sound, but she emphasized that the amounts are less significant. After Vorcaro’s arrest, the production company and its team reportedly sought new investors in the private sector to ensure the project’s continuity.
## Different figures at play in the film’s financing
The information about the financing of the film “Dark Horse” presents different amounts that need to be clarified. The production company declares an expenditure of R$ 75.1 million. Daniel Vorcaro would have allocated R$ 61 million to the film through a fund in the USA. Previously, Flávio Bolsonaro would have negotiated an amount of about R$ 134 million. At the same time, the municipal Wi-Fi contract, object of the investigation, totals R$ 108 million, which intensifies suspicion about the origin of the funds.
## What those involved say and the current situation
The ongoing investigations aim to clarify the origin of the resources used in the production of the film “Dark Horse” and the possible irregularity in the application of public funds. The case involves relevant political and business figures, which increases public interest and the complexity of the investigation. The São Paulo City Hall, through its contract with Karina da Gama’s NGO, and the parties directly linked to the film production are the main focuses of the authorities.
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