Mário Frias gives a new version of Vorcaro’s money after contradicting Flávio

Executive producer of the film “Dark Horse”, which tells the life story of former president Jair Bolsonaro, federal deputy Mário Frias (PL-SP) stated this Thursday, the 14th, that “there is no contradiction” between the versions released by him, the film’s producer and by senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) the previous day.

After the website Intercept Brazil revealing that Flávio asked Daniel Vorcaro, owner of Banco Master who was arrested amid a corruption scandal, for US$24 million to finance the film, the senator himself issued a note confirming the negotiation, but exempting himself from illegalities.

Moments later, the film’s producer in Brazil, GO UP Entertainment, owned by Karina Ferreira da Gama, and Frias published their respective notes denying that there had been “any penny” from Vorcaro in financing the project.

“When I previously stated that there is not ‘a penny from Master’ in the film, I was referring to the fact that Daniel Vorcaro is not and has never been a signatory to a legal relationship, just as Banco Master has never appeared as an investing company. Our legal relationship was established with Entre, a separate legal entity’, stated Frias in a new note this Thursday.

“I reiterate that senator Flávio Bolsonaro and deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro have no partnership in the film nor in the production company or any other structure linked to the film, having only authorized the use of family image rights. I also reaffirm that all the money raised was used exclusively in the production of the film Dark Horse, a project carried out with private capital and without any public resources”, he added.

Entre, however, is suspected of working in partnership with Vorcaro companies. As Estadão has already shown, the Federal Police assesses that Vorcaro was a type of “hidden owner” of Entrepay, liquidated by the Central Bank in March. The director of the institution, Antônio Carlos Freixo Júnior – who had the assets declared unavailable – is seen behind the scenes as an operator who used the conglomerate’s infrastructure for the benefit of Vorcaro.

The initial versions of the film’s producers had conflicted with Flávio’s confirmation, since part of the money requested from Vorcaro, at least US$2 million, was transferred by Entre Investimentos e Participações to the Havengate Development Fund LP, based in Texas.

The fund’s legal agent is the firm “Law Offices of Paulo Calixto PLLC”, owned by Paulo Calixto, lawyer for former federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro.

Grupo Entre, controller of Entre Investimentos e Participações, told Intercept that “there is no corporate, control or governance link between the company and Daniel Vorcaro”.

The film’s producers relied on the indirect connection between Entre and Vorcaro to try to move away from the scandal. In the dialogues between Vorcaro and Fabiano Zettel published by InterceptVorcaro says he suggests making the payment ‘via entre’, in a possible reference to Entre Investimentos e Participações, when his brother-in-law writes that the “Master’s exchange rate is creating trouble’, that is, making the requested payments difficult.

In addition, Master paid R$2.329 million to Entre Investimentos, according to the bank’s Income Tax declarations, according to information from the newspaper The Globe.

Compare the three versions released by those involved in the crisis on Wednesday.

See the full note from Senator Flávio Bolsonaro

More than ever, it is essential to install Banco Master’s CPI. It is necessary to separate the innocent from the criminals. In our case, what happened was a son, seeking PRIVATE sponsorship for a PRIVATE film about his own father’s story. Zero public money. Zero Rouanet law. I met Daniel Vorcaro in December 2024, when the Bolsonaro government had already ended, and when there were no accusations or public suspicions about the banker. Contact is resumed when there is a delay in paying the sponsorship installments necessary to complete the film. I didn’t offer any benefits in return. I did not promote private meetings outside the agenda. I did not broker business with the government. I did not receive money or any benefit. This is very different from the spurious relations between the Lula government and its representatives with Vorcaro. Therefore, I reiterate, CPI of MASTER ALREADY.

See the first note from deputy Mário Frias

As executive producer of the feature film Dark Horse, about the trajectory of President Jair Bolsonaro, I clarify:

1. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro does not have any partnership in the film or in the production company. His role was limited to the transfer of the family’s image rights and, naturally, to the weight that his surname adds when attracting investors interested in financing a project of this size – which is legitimate, expected and does not, in itself, constitute anything more than the obvious.
2. As the producer GOUP Entertainment has already clarified, there is not a single cent from Mr. Daniel Vorcaro in Dark Horse. And, even if there were, there would be no problem: it is a strictly private relationship, between capable adults, without a single dollar of public money involved. And, at the time, there was no suspicion of him or his bank.
3. Dark Horse is a Hollywood-standard superproduction, with 100% private capital, a top-notch actor, as well as an internationally renowned director and screenwriter – with unprecedented quality to portray the greatest Brazilian political leader of the 21st century. The project is real, it will be launched in the coming months and, for those who invested, it will be a successful business.
4. Since the project’s announcement, Dark Horse has been the repeated target of attacks aimed not only at the film’s production, but also at its own viability and future exhibition. There is a permanent attempt to discredit the work in the eyes of public opinion, investors and partners in the audiovisual sector, often for clearly political and ideological motivations. Even so, the project remains firm, structured and supported by experienced professionals from the international film industry.
5. Finally, a personal reminder: I managed billions from the Rouanet Law as head of the Special Secretariat for Culture and left the government with clean hands. Anyone who didn’t get rich with billions certainly wouldn’t get dirty for the R$2 million that the press is now trying to attribute.

See the second note from deputy Mário Frias

As executive producer of the feature film Dark Horse, I clarify that there is no material contradiction between public positions on the financing of the project, but a difference of interpretation regarding the formal origin of the investment.

When I previously stated that there is “not a penny from Master” in the film, I was referring to the fact that Daniel Vorcaro is not and has never been a signatory to a legal relationship, just as Banco Master has never been an investing company. Our legal relationship was established with Entre, a separate legal entity.

I reiterate that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and Deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro have no partnership in the film or in the production company or any other structure linked to the film, having only authorized the use of the family’s image rights. I also reaffirm that all the money raised was used exclusively in the production of the film Dark Horse, a project carried out with private capital and without any public resources.

Federal Deputy Mário Frias

Executive Producer

See the full note from the film’s producer

GOUP Entertainment clarifies, preliminarily, that the North American legislation applicable to private fundraising operations in the audiovisual sector prohibits the disclosure of the identity of investors whose contributions are protected by confidentiality agreements (Non-Disclosure Agreements). This is a legitimate contractual and regulatory prerogative, guaranteed to financiers of projects structured under the private investment regime, and which this producer is obliged to observe.

Without prejudice to the above restrictions and with the aim of avoiding unfounded speculation, GOUP Entertainment categorically states that, among the more than a dozen investors that make up the group of financiers of the feature film Dark Horse, there is not a single cent coming from Mr. Daniel Vorcaro, from Banco Master or any other company under his corporate control.

The producer reaffirms that the Dark Horse cinematographic project was structured within a private model of audiovisual development, through articulations, partnerships and legitimate mechanisms of the national and international entertainment market, without the use of public resources.

It should also be noted that conversations, project presentations or discussions that may be held with potential supporters and businesspeople do not, in and of themselves, constitute the implementation of investment, corporate participation or transfer of resources – any conclusion to the contrary being unfounded.

GOUP Entertainment therefore repudiates attempts at undue association between film production and external facts lacking documentary, financial or contractual proof.

The producer remains at the disposal of the competent authorities and the press for appropriate clarifications, reaffirming its commitment to the transparency, legality and integrity of its operations.

GOUP Entertainment