Major Brazilian streamer Globoplay has worked extensively over the last five years to solidify its international presence in a bid to achieve what few others have: to make local content from South America that not only resonates globally but also generates tangible impact within international markets and events. The streamer has had an original series play the Berlinale Series Market for the last three years, and, earlier this week, won the coveted Studio Babelsberg Production Excellence Award for “Emergency 53.”
The newly introduced award is significant for Globoplay’s internationalization efforts, given that it honors outstanding creative projects that combine artistic ambition with international potential. “Emergency 53” comes from the same creative team as Globoplay’s major hit procedural series “Under Pressure,” Andrucha Waddington and Cláudio Torres, plus creator and consultant Márcio Maranhão. The series, scheduled to launch later this year, follows a group of doctors, nurses and drivers of a special mobile service unit as they navigate personal and professional dramas. “Emergency 53” is produced by Torres and Waddington’s leading Conspiração banner.
In their statement, the Berlinale Series Market jury responsible for choosing the winner of the inaugural Studio Babelsberg Production Excellence Award said the series “distinguished itself with a confident grasp of the procedural form, a compelling young protagonist, and a diverse ensemble rich with emotional and narrative potential.”
“Its setting is one of the series’ greatest achievements: a vibrant, complex environment portrayed not as a backdrop but as an active force shaping the narrative,” continued the statement. “This specificity lends the show both texture and social relevance, elevating it beyond the conventions of emergency room or police procedurals. Its setting — rarely seen in high-production mainstream drama — gives the series substance, urgency, and social depth. It is ambitious, fresh, and profoundly rooted in the world it portrays.”
Alex Medeiros, head of content and fiction at Globoplay and Globo Filmes told Variety he and his team are “incredibly proud to be the recipients of this award, which not only recognizes the artistry of the series, but also reaffirms the power of quintessentially Brazilian stories to resonate with audiences around the world.” The executive adds that, “there seems to be great Latin American momentum in international film and television, and we are honored to be part of that.”
Tanja Meissner, director of the Berlinale Pro, added that she and her team are “delighted about the successful first collaboration with Studio Babelsberg.” “The joint event was a great success – featuring surprised winners and very positive feedback. This experience leaves us optimistic, and we look forward to hopefully continuing this promising partnership in the future to further promote outstanding global scripted series and set new creative standards together.”
Under Pressure
Globo
Waddington emphasized his desire to share the honor not only with his team but also “all Brazilian public healthcare workers.” Speaking with Variety ahead of the series first screening in Berlin, the director highlighted how the project feels deeply specific to a particular area of Brazil’s healthcare system while maintaining a vital element of universality in how it broaches class inequality — all while avoiding the possible traps of the formulaic.
“Globoplay really trusted us when we pitched the project,” he said. “We were a bit unsure at first. Today, watching all 10 episodes, we firmly believe in the format. Audiences liked to be prodded and we shouldn’t underestimate viewers. With ‘Emergency 53,’ we are broaching major societal issues without repeating ourselves with every episode.”
Torres added that it is “wonderful” to be a creative working within an international landscape that is much more open to projects from different countries and cultures, citing the watershed best picture Oscar win for Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” in 2019. “Nowadays, you see young people watching stories rooted in the reality of South Korea, Sweden, Iceland…. I think Brazil has a lot to offer because it is a paradoxical country, and this very paradox is the foundation of our series.”
