"Vai que Cola."
โฝ๏ธโค๏ธ๐ฅค๐ง
===
A few years ago, when I wrote โVai que Cola,โ the directorโs pitch ethos read:
โVai que Colaโ is the Brazilian way of saying, โGo for it. The worst they can do is say no.โ
Itโs the yellow and green stubbornness to look at the odds, laugh in their face, and fight for what you believe in.
What I never expected was that making this commercial would become a personification of that very idea.
โVai que Colaโ is a narrative of hope inspired by โPedrinho,โ my 8-year-old self. A kid in the deep countryside of Brazil with the purity and naivety to unknowingly challenge the odds of growing up poor in a broken household.
An idea that started, like many others, at my kitchen counter, grew into a production involving over 80 people from several countries, all united by a love for storytelling and the beautiful game, football.
There are too many names to thank, but this project wouldnโt have seen the light of day without these people:
My brothers from another mother, DhD Films executive creative director Shezad Manjee and Amary Films executive producer Emerson Alves, who were the first to say, โShooting in a Brazilian favela while directing two teams that donโt speak the same language? Yep. LFG.โ
Jaye Jacobsen, whom I canโt stand ๐๐ , but who became the lifeline to this project, backing my good ideas and calling out the terrible ones. Ask him about the dinosaur story. Apologies for the many heart attacks.
Mah broh Diego, with the heart and passion of a child and the DP skills of an old man. A football fanatic and son of a pro player, his excitement was contagious and kept this machine moving. Iโm grateful we shared this set.
Dan Viana &Julinho Finizola...VOCES SAO FODA!!! Emi, Natty, Karol, Kevyn, Jonathas, the two Vitors, Aleksa, Yas, Garcia, and Renan-- such formidable humans who made this idea their own.
MC DZ, the musical soul of the spot, a 17-year-old composer I met by pure serendipity. Hire this kid for your next soundtrack.
HUGE THANK YOU to Raimundรฃo and Dna Fรกtima for opening their home and community. Tavares รฉ lindo demais.
Kadu, love you, kiddo โค๏ธ
Please give some love to the cast and crew in the comments.
Great time unveiling @dallascollegetx new state of the art LED Volume stage, in partnership with @dhdfilms this past week.
I have had the privilege to specialize in Virtual Production as a Cinematographer for the past 3 years, and it has truly been a game-changing piece of technology as a creative. It is an honor to be able to help make this tech more accessible and reachable, to the future working class individuals in this creative field.
#ledvideowall #virtualproduction #ledvolume #dallasfilm
We spent the week in Brazil shooting โVai Que Colaโ, a powerful story created ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, filmed in one of the most iconic street-soccer locations in the world: Tavares Bastos Favela.
60+ cast and crew members. 3 days. Pure synergy. And our actors werenโt actors at all. They were real kids from the favela who live and breathe the game.
Iโm grateful for Pedro and the entire team for trusting me with this project. And deeply grateful to the people of Brazil for welcoming us like family. ๐ง๐ท
#sonyvenice #worldcup2026 #tavaresbastos #commercialfilm #arritrinity
๐ฃ๐๐ฌ ๐พ๐๐ฃ๐๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ค๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ @grant_achatz
Shot earlier this year in Chicago. I remember in 2017 watching his @chefstablenetflix episode thinking to myself โMan, iโd love to film these world renounced chefs one dayโ. Pretty incredible full circle moment. A true inspiration and visionary of his craft!
๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฌ: @dhdfilms
๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐จ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก: Travis Johnson
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ฅ: Shezad Manjee
๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐จ๐๐๐ฅ: @xoardisss
๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ฅ: @vincentpowell
๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ: Diego Noriega ๐ค๐ผ
๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ: Justin Martinezย
๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ: Sean OโLearyย
๐ฆ๐ช๐๐ก๐: Ed Apelย
๐๐ง๐ฆ: David Lee Cummings
๐๐ ๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ง: Libby Knap
๐๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ฅ: Jaye Jacobsen
๐๐ฅ๐ง ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ฅ: Nadia Cortez
๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฅ: Daniel Portillo
๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ง: Madi Holland
#cinematographer #directorofphotography #sonyvenice #grantachatz #chefstable #alineagroup #alineachicago
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐งโis @athenago new video series featuring the leaders who delegate best. Filmed across 11 states with 55 camera crew individuals, this was a great experience to lead as the Cinematographer.
Agency @dhdfilms produced by @xoardisss Directed by @vincentpowell
Shot on #sonyvenice #sonyfx6 #sigmacine
โ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐โ trailer, the official 30 minute documentary over the creation of the National Medal of Honor Musuem @mohmuseum in Arlington, Texas.
Featuring VP of the Dallas Cowboys @cjonescowboys , former chief NASA astronaut and NAVY Seal @astro_seal , and Medal of Honor recipients, among others.
The documentary screens daily at the museums theatre. Give it a watch while youโre there!
๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ: DHD Films
๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ: Shezad Manjee
๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ: Evan Denton
๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: Travis Johnson
๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ซ / ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ: Sam Schachter
๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ: Diego Noriega ๐ฅโ
๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ซ: Peter Johnson & Evan Denton
๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ: simpleenadia
๐๐๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ซ: @mixofmadi
๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ซ: @danielmmx5
#medalofhonor #arlingtontexas #dallasfilm
