Eduardo Prazeres is a Brazilian filmmaker and founder of Dedallus Play, an independent streaming platform focused on showcasing films from creators worldwide.

Eduardo Prazeres is a Brazilian filmmaker and founder of Dedallus Play, an independent streaming platform focused on showcasing films from creators worldwide. Through Dedallus Play, he aims to expand access to diverse voices in cinema and connect independent filmmakers with new global audiences.

What inspired you to create Dedallus Play? 

I know this may sound a bit subjective, but Dedallus Play was born essentially from a personal need to communicate, from my refusal to create art only to leave it stored away. 

This is something I had already experienced in my literary work, when I wrote and published my books without the economic or media support of a publishing house. I have always been a very shy and reserved person, but when it comes to artistic and cultural creation, I want it to reach as far as possible. I want the product of my sensitive perception of the world to reach people who have never heard of me, or of the place where I was born. 

In my view, every work of art is a pair of wings. The wings of Dedallus — Daedalus, in Greek mythology. And wings exist to enable flight. You may not be born with them. You may not have them naturally. But just like Daedalus, if your ingenuity and your sensitivity lead you to build your own wings, then you must fly. Fly, fly, fly. 

A responsible, conscious flight, committed to reaching a place you truly long for. For the filmmaker, this act of flying involves many processes, aesthetic, technological, and market-related, which often end up restraining both the flight and the very desire to fly. Many artists lose their drive and give up on beating their wings. And yet, the obstacles in an artist’s path, whether in cinema or any other form of expression, can either weaken or strengthen that impulse. 

In my case, after repeatedly facing the resistance of a film market with very few real opportunities for growth, where it was not always possible to distribute my films in a dignified way, with proper recognition of my work, including financial return. I realized I needed to create my own means of distribution. 

In 2017, Lya (my wife and producer) and I founded Dedallus Produções, an informal collective dedicated to artistic creation in general: theater, dance, performance, cinema, and literature. Through this collective, we were recognized by Brazil’s Ministry of Culture as a “Ponto de Cultura,” under the National Cultura Viva Network. 

With the production of our first independent short film, Never Miss the Bus (2022), we realized that audiovisual storytelling was the path we wanted to pursue. That’s when Dedallus Filmes was born. 

Since then, we have produced several works through local cultural grants, which only intensified both our desire and our need to have a dignified space to exhibit our films, a space where they could reach audiences without diminishing the value of our creative effort. 

Simply making films available for free on online platforms often produces the opposite effect, something closer to indifference and devaluation. And beyond that, free distribution does not allow for sustainable production; it keeps the artist dependent on public funding mechanisms, which are not always accessible. 

It was within this process, as a continuation and expansion of what we had already built with Dedallus Produções and Dedallus Filmes, that I conceived Dedallus Play: a streaming platform dedicated to the distribution of independent films, capable of hosting not only our own work, but also that of other filmmakers and producers whose vision of cinema and of the market aligns with ours. 

How does Dedallus Play differentiate itself from other streaming platforms? 

Dedallus Play sets itself apart, first and foremost, by the way it understands cinema. 

Major streaming platforms operate within a well-established logic: volume, algorithms, predictability. They are structures designed for large-scale consumption, where content often needs to adapt to predefined circulation models. Within this system, independent cinema — precisely the kind that is freer, riskier, and more author-driven — often struggles to find genuine visibility. Dedallus Play emerges in contrast to that. 

It is not an attempt to compete in quantity, but in meaning. It is a platform built on curation rather than automation. Every film present there has been chosen because it resonates with a vision of cinema that values identity, language, and creative freedom. I like to think of Dedallus Play as a space for discovery — a place where the viewer does not simply come to consume, but to encounter works that might otherwise never cross their path. There is also an essential dimension that concerns the filmmaker. 

The platform is born from the lived experience of someone who has faced the challenge of making a film exist beyond its completion. For that reason, it seeks to offer not just a space for exhibition, but an environment where these films can circulate with dignity — without having to surrender what makes them unique. Ultimately, what defines Dedallus Play is not only what it presents, but what it stands for. 

It stands for the belief that cinema can still be an authorial gesture — and that every work created with truth deserves the chance to take flight. 

What types of films or genres are you prioritizing for your catalog? 

Rather than prioritizing specific genres, Dedallus Play prioritizes a way of making cinema. The catalog is being built around works that carry a clear authorial identity, films that are not afraid to embrace their language, their rhythm, and their aesthetic and narrative choices. In that sense, what interests us is not classification itself, but the strength of the proposal. 

Naturally, this approach tends to bring the platform closer to certain territories more commonly found in independent cinema, such as drama, suspense, experimental works, and even horror in its more atmospheric forms. But these genres emerge as a consequence, not as a starting point. 

What we are truly looking for are films that have something to say, and, above all, a singular way of saying it. There is also a strong interest in narratives that engage with diverse cultural contexts, especially works that offer perspectives from regions and realities that have historically had less space within traditional distribution circuits. 

At the same time, Dedallus Play remains open to diversity. Its curation does not function as a rigid aesthetic barrier, but as a sensitive filter. The goal is not to limit, but to find works that, regardless of genre, share a commitment to authorial expression. 

In the end, the catalog is shaped not by categories, but by affinities. 

What criteria do filmmakers need to meet to be featured? 

There is no rigid set of technical or formal criteria that a film must meet to be featured on Dedallus Play. What exists is a curatorial gaze. 

The platform seeks works that carry a clear authorial identity, films that demonstrate intention, coherence, and a distinct aesthetic position. More than technical perfection, what interests us is the truth of the work: the way it is built, what it proposes, and how it engages with the viewer. 

Naturally, there are basic aspects that need to be considered, such as minimum exhibition quality and matters related to rights and distribution. But these are structural points, not the core of the selection. The core lies elsewhere. 

We are looking for films that were not made simply to fit in, but to exist. Works that embrace their risks, that sustain themselves through their own language, and that reveal the presence of a filmmaker behind them. 

It is also important that there is an alignment of vision. Dedallus Play does not function merely as a screening space, but as a territory of encounter between works that resonate with each other, even when they differ greatly in form and origin. 

In the end, perhaps the most important criterion is this: the film must want to fly, and it must have been made by someone who, despite everything, chose to spread their wings. 

How do you support independent filmmakers beyond distribution? 

Dedallus Play’s support for independent cinema goes beyond simply making films available. Distribution is only a starting point. At its core, there is an intention to build a space where the filmmaker is not just a content provider, but an active part of a movement. An environment where films are not treated as isolated products, but as works that resonate with each other and with an audience willing to discover them. 

This begins with careful curation, which is, in itself, a form of recognition. Being part of the platform means being part of a thoughtfully constructed body of work, where each film contributes to a broader identity. 

But it also involves visibility. Dedallus Play seeks to create bridges between films and audiences, whether through direct communication, editorial highlights, or the way the catalog itself is presented, always prioritizing the encounter between the work and the viewer. 

There is also a dimension that is constantly evolving: the strengthening of a network. Over time, the platform aims to become a point of connection between filmmakers, opening paths for exchange, collaboration, and new possibilities of circulation. And perhaps the most important aspect is this: recognition. 

The recognition that independent filmmakers’ work holds value — both artistic and economic. For that reason, Dedallus Play is also structured as a space where exhibition can generate return, even within the limitations of a growing project. 

In the end, to support independent cinema is, for me, to create the conditions for it to exist with dignity. And that is what Dedallus Play seeks to do, step by step. 

What is your long-term vision for Dedallus Play? 

The long-term vision for Dedallus Play is to establish a sustainable space for independent cinema, both artistically and in terms of circulation and return. 

The platform is born from a very concrete need, but it is not limited to that. There is a horizon of growth, which depends largely on strengthening the catalog and building an audience that recognizes the value of this kind of cinema. As the catalog expands and becomes more solid, the platform itself can also evolve in the way it is accessed. 

At the moment, Dedallus Play operates primarily through a video-on-demand model, with individual screenings. But in the future, the idea is to incorporate a hybrid system that combines this model with a subscription-based approach. 

In this model, different forms of access would coexist: the viewer could choose to rent a specific film, in a more direct and immediate way, or opt for a subscription that grants access to a significant portion of the catalog. 

More than a commercial strategy, this represents an attempt to expand the possibilities of encounter between audiences and films. 

Not every viewer relates to cinema in the same way, and the platform seeks to respect that diversity — offering different paths for each person to find their own way of accessing the works. 

But beyond formats, the vision is broader. Dedallus Play aims to become a reference territory for independent, author-driven cinema, a space where films can exist, circulate, and find audiences without having to give up their identity. 

If, in the beginning, it emerges as an act of resistance, in the long term the goal is for it to become a space of permanence. A place where independent cinema does not merely survive, but finds real conditions to endure. 

How do you plan to grow and reach international audiences? 

The growth of Dedallus Play, especially in relation to international audiences, depends on a movement that must be both organic and intentional. 

Organic in the sense that independent cinema itself carries the potential to cross borders. Author-driven stories, when they are true, resonate across different cultural contexts. There is an audience around the world seeking exactly this kind of experience, and the platform is born with the desire to engage with that audience. 

But it is also an intentional movement. Opening the platform to international productions is part of its very structure. The idea is to build a catalog that is not limited to a single territory, but that functions as a meeting space between different cinematic voices, allowing films from diverse origins to circulate side by side. 

This naturally involves strategies such as offering content with subtitles in multiple languages, building partnerships with filmmakers and producers from different countries, and positioning the platform within environments where independent cinema already thrives — such as festivals, showcases, and alternative distribution networks. But more than that, it comes down to the platform’s identity. 

Dedallus Play does not position itself merely as a Brazilian streaming service, but as a space open to international dialogue, without losing its roots. There is a genuine desire to build bridges — not only between films and audiences, but between different ways of seeing and making cinema. 

In the end, growing internationally is not just about reaching new markets. It is about expanding the reach of these works, allowing them to encounter new perspectives, new contexts, and new possibilities of existence. 

What challenges have you faced launching an independent platform? 

Launching an independent platform like Dedallus Play is, above all, about facing the reality of building something almost entirely from scratch. 

The challenges begin with the structure itself. Unlike major platforms, which rely on significant investment and large teams, this process involves constant learning, testing, and adjusting, often while taking on multiple roles and making decisions within a context of limited resources. 

But the challenges are not only technical or financial. There is also a challenge of perception. We live in a context where audiences are accustomed to massive catalogs, instant access, and often free content. Proposing a space dedicated to independent cinema, with curation and a model that seeks to assign economic value to the works, also requires the work of building an audience, of reconnecting people with the idea that cinema has value, even outside large-scale structures. 

There is also the challenge of circulation itself. Making a film exist is already a complex process. Ensuring that it finds its audience within an environment saturated with options is another level of difficulty. And creating a platform that seeks to mediate that encounter requires persistence and time. 

At the same time, each of these challenges also becomes a driving force. They do not simply impose limits; they help define the path forward. They demand more conscious solutions, a more careful construction, and a deeper appreciation for each stage of the process. 

In the end, launching Dedallus Play has been a continuous exercise in resistance, but also in affirmation. An affirmation that, even in the face of difficulties, it is still possible to create our own spaces, where independent cinema does not need to ask permission to exist. 

Use the following to submit:

Homepage (already available in English):
Filmes Independentes Brasileiros – Assista Agora | Dedallus Play

Submission page for filmmakers (film submission form):
Distribua seu filme - dedallusplay.com

Our newsletter:
Dedallus News: Newsletter sobre Cinema Independente e Streaming | Dedallus Play

Other interviews: https://endertalon.blogspot.com/2024/12/interviews-with-clinton-r.html