Fresh off its historic Best International Film win at the Critics Choice Awards, Brazilian film O Agente Secreto enters the Golden Globes with 54 awards from 35 festivals, outpacing the early run of Ainda Estou Aqui. Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and starring Wagner Moura, it makes history as the first Brazilian entry nominated in three categories. Producer Dora Amorim highlights the northeastern production's unique path.
The film O Agente Secreto, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, arrives at the Golden Globes this Sunday (January 11) with an impressive tally: 54 trophies from 35 national and international festivals. This includes its recent Best International Film win at the Critics Choice Awards on January 4—Brazil's first in the category—premiered in May 2025 at Cannes, where it earned best director and best actor honors for Wagner Moura. It has also received acclaim from critics' groups like the New York Film Critics Circle and National Board of Review.
This awards campaign surpasses that of Ainda Estou Aqui at a similar stage, when Walter Salles's film had 17 awards from 12 festivals before the Globes, ultimately securing 70 trophies. O Agente Secreto competes in three unprecedented categories for Brazil: best drama film, best non-English language film, and best actor in a drama for Moura—the first Brazilian nominee there.
"Each film has its own trajectory, its own DNA. But it's impossible not to think of them together," said executive producer Dora Amorim. She emphasizes the milestone of a Recife-based production in Hollywood: "Seeing a Brazilian film occupy this space is incredible for recognizing our culture."
Distributed in the US by Neon (Parasite), it premiered simultaneously in Brazil and abroad in November 2025, attracting over 1 million viewers domestically after ten weeks. Promotional efforts include Los Angeles events targeting Oscars contention. Beyond majors, it has quirky wins like the Golden Beast for cat Carminha and praise for Tânia Maria in The New York Times.
Social media buzz, with memes and viral support akin to Ainda Estou Aqui’s 'like army,' fuels the push. Amorim notes parallel paths for Brazil's strong cinema year.
