Actress Branca Ferrazo brings her Brazilian beauty and brains to the new dark comedy film “Petunia.” Branca not only appears on-screen, but steps in as an Executive Producer of the film which recently premiered at FRAMELINE Film Fest in San Francisco and will screen inayofuata at OUTFEST in Los Angeles on July 14th, 2012.

Ash Christian (“Fat Girls” and Tribeca Film Festival’s ‘Emerging Talent’ winner) directs and co-wrote the screenplay along with Theresa Bennett. The cast also includes Thora Birch, Brittany Snow, Michael Urie, David Rasche, newcomer Tobias Segal and Emmy, Golden Globe and Academy Award winner Christine Lahti.

I recently caught up with Branca Ferrazo to chat about the film, her newest creative role as EP, her family and her unique skills as an Aerialist.

HOLLY: Tell us a little about the new dark comedy film “Petunia” and your role in it.

BRANCA: "Petunia" is a dark comedy about a dysfunctional family - the Petunias - on the verge of a nervous breakdown, as they try to come to terms with their misgivings about life, their relationships, and sexual confusion. I play the role of Natassia - a sex addict, who Adrian petunia meets at a sex addicts' anonymous group meeting.

HOLLY: You’re also an Executive Producer on the film, what was that like?

BRANCA: It was great for me to work behind the scenes! It is a whole different world, but it is very exciting to be a bigger part of such a project. I hope that this will open doors for zaidi opportunities in producing, as well as in other aspects of the industry. I have always enjoyed getting involved with as many aspects of a project as I can possibly handle. I guess I like to keep my hands full!

HOLLY: What surprised wewe the most from working on this project, either as an actor au an EP?

BRANCA: I was impressed kwa how quickly things moved. From pre-production, to being on set and filming, and also post. It’s a bit surreal for me that we've premiered and that the work is basically done on this one. But it is exciting at the same time.

HOLLY: Your parents are both in the entertainment business in your native Brazil, how did that influence wewe growing up?

BRANCA: I am very lucky to have been raised surrounded kwa artists. Not only were both my parents in onyesha business in Brazil, but also my uncle, Buza Ferraz, was an actor, director, writer and producer. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as they say. On my mother's side, my grandmother was also a ballerina, so I guess that's somewhat where my upendo for movement comes from.

Both my parents have been very supportive of whatever my sister and I have wanted to do. But from an early age, even before I knew what my parents did, I already was in upendo with performance. I starting uigizaji at 5 years old and gymnastics shortly after.

I am a believer that we are born with a vocation, a calling. For me, I feel that my calling is to perform, and to create Art. And there are many ways to do so - I am constantly surprised kwa where it takes me, and I know I will keep surprising myself with what comes next!

I think part of good parenting is being able to observe what your children's vocations are, and where their passions lie, and supporting them all the way. We can only be happy kwa doing things that we love.

HOLLY: wewe also have a unique background as an Aerialist. Tell us how wewe got started doing that.

BRANCA: I did gymnastics and had a passion for performance. My parents watched their first Cirque du Soleil show, QUIDAM, in 1998 in NYC. They came back to Brazil with the programme, the DVD of the onyesha and the VHS of The Making of QUIDAM.

I absolutely fell in upendo with their energy, their concept, and with how they managed to create a perfect marriage of Acrobatics and Theatre. To me…that was the embodiment; the essence, of everything I looked for.

QUIDAM was the first onyesha that ever had an Aerial silks, hariri act. They encouraged both my sister and I to start classes on silks, back in Rio de Janeiro. I was 13 at the time, and I fell completely in love. My parents took us to Montréal to train with the creator of the Aerial silks, hariri - André Simard - who has been the Aerial Acrobatics Designer and Acrobatic Research and Development Specialist for Cirque du Soleil for many years.

Since then, I have specialized in Silks, Corde Lisse, and Trapeze. Actually, I am in Montréal right now specializing in Trapèze Ballant (Swinging Trapeze) and Aerial Hoop.


HOLLY: What’s up inayofuata for wewe and how can your mashabiki stay updated on your projects?

inayofuata up, I am developing a TV project. I also plan to be performing my Aerial Hoop and Trapèze Ballant acts soon. And, there are a couple of film projects in the horizon.

Stay tuned! I have a Facebook shabiki page, where news and sasisho are posted!

link

au on Twitter: link


Congrats on the new film, Branca! We hope wewe continue 'flying high' in the future -- literally!