When justifying the a , do , to finance a film about the history of (), the pre-candidate for President (PL-RJ) emphasized that there is “zero public money”, but the production company responsible for the project has links with a network that has already been supplied by amendments from PL deputies and a contract with the City Hall of management ().
Go Up, producer of the feature film “Dark Horse” (“Azarão”), which deals with the life of the former president, has as managing partner Karina Gama, who controls other companies or entities in the cultural sector benefiting from public funds allocated by federal deputies from PL such as (SP).
The Instituto Saber Brasil, chaired by Karina, also signed a collaboration agreement to receive R$108 million from the city of São Paulo, as revealed, to provide Wi-Fi internet in low-income communities, following a public call made in 2024.
Karina denies that the film about Bolsonaro received money from Brazilian people or companies, whether public or private, and also from the production of the feature film.
It also states that the hiring by the city hall took place on a regular basis, with no connection to the “Dark Horse”, as well as the resources from parliamentary amendments.
The Nunes administration states that “the contracting of Instituto Saber Brasil to install 5,000 Free Wi-Fi points in the city was carried out through a transparent and uncontested public call.”
According to the city hall, “the social organization complied with all the requirements set out in the notice, and the provision of the service is in progress with 3,200 Wi-Fi points implemented and 1,800 points planned for 2026”.
Regarding the financing of the film about Bolsonaro, Go Up, which is also associated with an address in the United States, says it is not possible to reveal any of the more than ten foreign investors due to a confidentiality agreement.
In addition to Go Up, Karina is associated with three other companies in the cultural sector. They all have the same address and landline contact number in the official IRS data, but the location houses a fourth company, Gowork, a virtual office with a tax address that serves several companies to receive simple correspondence.
According to Gowork, the producer has no relationship with the address and only one of Karina’s companies, Instituto conhecimento Brasil, is a client of the service. Go Up denies any irregularity with the data and states that its “documentations are maintained regularly with service providers”.
The Instituto Saber Brasil also received R$2 million from congressman Mario Frias in 2025 for digital literacy projects and sports incentives.
According to the parliamentarian, the amendments were delivered to “social projects duly structured and supervised by federal bodies” and have nothing to do with the film “Dark Horse”, to which he contributed with the initial script, acting and executive production, “especially in the international articulation and in attracting private and foreign investment for the national audiovisual sector”.
He, who is also mentioned by Intercept as a possible intermediary in the procedures with Vorcaro, endorsed the producer’s position in a statement and denied that there had been transfers.
Another company of which Karina is president, the ANC (National Academy of Culture), had R$ 2.6 million in amendments allocated by deputies Marcos Pollon (PL-MS) and Bia Kicis (PL-DF), in addition to , then deputy for the PL of São Paulo, and , who held the mandate for the PL of Rio de Janeiro.
the money was transferred in 2024, through a Pix amendment, to the state of São Paulo and its final destination was the ANC for the production of a series about national heroes.
According to Pollon’s office, the parliamentarian’s amendment, worth R$1 million, was redirected to an oncology institution after the project did not meet the necessary requirements. The deputy states that “there was no allocation of resources for any purpose other than that formally presented in the projects” and that the amendments were allocated in a regular, transparent manner and within the legal prerogatives of the mandate.
Kicis states that the amendment passed by her, worth R$ 150 thousand, “has not even been paid to date” and that the project has a cultural and educational nature, aimed at valuing national history and strengthening the creative economy.
She says that, at no time, “did she allocate a parliamentary amendment to the production of a film or any audiovisual content related to the life of President Jair Bolsonaro.”
Managed by the governor (Republicans), the state of São Paulo confirmed that the amendments for the series “are, in their entirety, without execution due to ongoing steps to resolve technical restrictions and pending documents related to the beneficiary”.
“There was no commitment, settlement or payment of the amounts, which remain fully preserved, accounting identified and linked to the originally intended purpose. If the pending issues are not resolved, the resources will be returned.”
The transfers linked to Karina generated an open representation in the (Supreme Federal Court) of the deputy (-SP) regarding public contributions from the City of São Paulo and amendments to organizations linked to the businesswoman.
Saibar Brasil Assessoria Produção and MKT Cultural, the fourth company linked to Karina, received R$54,000 from Frias in expenses for the 2022 campaign.
According to Frias, the accountability was duly analyzed and approved by the competent bodies. “There is no relationship between these services and social projects or audiovisual productions. Each contracting followed the legal parameters applicable to the electoral process.”
Go Up states that the commercial premiere of the film about Bolsonaro is in the definition phase. The recordings ended in December, in São Paulo. The work features the American Jim Caviezel, known for playing Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ” (2004), in the role of the former president. A, American filmmaker of Iranian origin and with works with a religious theme.
