Viking Film’s Marleen Slot laughs at the question. “I met the Neon Bull producer Rachel Ellis and the director Gabriel Mascaro at CineMart four years ago and we had a lovely meeting,” Slot remembers. She was immediately intrigued by the “bull” part of the project.

The film is a social drama set in contemporary Brazil and yet it is set against the backcloth of Vaquejada, an old, traditional sport that involves cowboys pulling down bulls by their tails. “I just loved the setting. Meanwhile, it is also telling an important story,” Slot enthuses of Neon Bull. “In this part of Brazil, a lot of people are still poor but you see textile industries are growing so there are a lot of economical changes. That is at the background of the story.”

Slot liked the characters in the film, as described to her during CineMart. Most important of all though, “we had a great meeting! We just connected. That is the most important thing you need with a co-production.”

Neon Bull, Mascaro’s second fiction feature after his August Winds (Locarno 2014) was supported by the Film Fund in collaboration with IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund Plus, a scheme which helps Dutch producers become involved in international coproductions.

This is not the first time Slot has been involved in an HBF Plus project. She was also part of Argentine director Jazmin Lopez’s Leones (2012), which she boarded when she was still part of production company Lemming, just before she set up Viking Film in 2011. “I am very much attracted to Latin America and the way they make cinema,” Slot says of her involvement in films from the region. “I like the people. A lot of the producers there are still really young. They have the same kind of companies that I have… we are on the same page.”

As Slot acknowledges, when you are the minority co-producer on a project shot far away in Latin America, you are not expecting to take the lead. Nonetheless on Neon Bull, Slot’s involvement with Ellis and Mascaro stretches back a full four years. “During those four years, we have built a very strong relationship. What I really like about the relationship is that they take my opinion seriously. They value it.”

Slot was in Brazil for a week during shooting. She was able to help on a practical level, bringing HD tapes (which are cheaper in the Netherlands than in Latin America.) “And to be in the arena with the bulls, that was really special.”

During post-production, Slot was also kept in the loop. “That was really nice. Although you are only a 10% partner (in terms of the budget), it gives you a different involvement and a different feeling,” the Dutch producer says. “It was a very good and creative co-operation.”

Neon Bull is now complete and will premiere in Venice and Toronto. Slot is in talks with potential Dutch distributors for the film, which is being sold internationally by Artscope.

Viking is also pushing ahead with various other new projects, among them two features from young Dutch director Sacha Polak. Jade has just received script development backing from the Netherlands Film Fund, and Mike Elliott of Emu Films (Catch Me Daddy) has come on board as UK co-producer. Viking will also be the Dutch minority co-producer on Polak’s English-language Virginia Woolf project Vita & Virginia.

Script: Gabriel Mascaro Production: Desvia (BR), Malbicho Cine (UY) Co-production: Viking Film (NL) Sales: Artscope