BEFORE TAKE OFF
Written, Directed & Produced by Thiago Da Costa

Winner - Best Emerging Artist Award - San Antonio Cifestival
Winner - The Clive J. Davis Award for Excellence in Film Music
Winner - The New York University First Run Honorable Mention for Directing
Winner - The Russell Hexter Filmmaker Grant
Winner - The George Heinemann Post-Production Grant.

BEFORE TAKE OFF

"One of the best films I have see this year" - Edward James Olmos

Produced as Thiago Da Costa's senior thesis film during his days at the prestigious New York University Tisch School of the Arts, BEFORE TAKE OFF is the coming-of-age story of 14-year-old Diogo de Paula. Diogo's calm, quiet life in Petrópolis is disrupted when his mother unexpectedly decides to remarry and move to the United States. While she and her new husband leave Brazil to establish their new life, they agree to leave Diogo behind in the care of his grandparents for six months before bringing him over to the States. During this time, Diogo gradually gains confidence and develops his own identity as he makes new friends, learns to stand up for himself, and ultimately gets the girl of his dreams.

To produce this ambitious, largely autobiographical project, Thiago brought members of his NYU class to Brazil, where the entire film was shot in an extremely tight production schedule lasting only eleven days. An overwhelming success for a student film, BEFORE TAKE OFF enjoyed a two-year festival life, screening at over 30 film festivals and winning six awards, including Best Emerging Filmmaker at the San Antonio CineFestival.

We have recently finished a BEFORE TAKE OFF: SPECIAL EDITION DVD, which we are now offering for sale exclusively through this website. The film has been digitally remastered and subtitled into 5 languages (English, Spanish, German, Italian and French), and we have produced a Making-of Documentary, a Director's Commentary, and other interesting extras for fans of the film. Order your copy today (only shipping to the 48 states of the US).