We're an independent production company working with the a new wave of African filmmakers.
We fight for fresh ideas and believe that films can change the world.
This is why we’re dedicated to telling brave stories.
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Cait Pansegrouw
Cait heads the development and production of all URUCU films.
Cait Pansegrouw is a multi-talented producer and casting director that has worked internationally for the past 7 years. Cait is a SAFTA-winner with work that has travelled to Sundance, Berlinale, Venice, Durban and FESPACO, to name a few. In 2018 she was included on the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans list. Her work has been supported by public and private funding globally. Inxeba (The Wound), which she produced and cast directed screened at more than 60 festivals worldwide, winning 28 awards, including 6 SAFTAs. It was also selected as South Africa’s official entry for the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018, making it to the December shortlist of 9 films. Most recently, her feature film This Is Not A Burial, It's A Resurrection, shot entirely in the remote mountains of Lesotho, was awarded the Jury Prize for Visionary Filmmaking at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it premiered. This film has gone on to win 26 more awards and continues to compete at festivals. In 2020, it was announced as Lesotho’s first ever entry to both the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Cait serves as Co-founder and Director of Artistic Operations for the Realness Institute, which strives to foster a new wave of African cinema. Her passion for development and working closely with filmmakers has equipped her to deliver 5 successful editions of the Realness Residency. Cait is a Durban Talents, Berlinale Talents, La Fabrique Cinema de L’Institut Francais, EAVE Producer’s Workshop and Biennale College - Cinema alumna.
Elias Ribeiro
Elias leads fundraising and business development.
Brazilian born Producer Elias Ribeiro has worked internationally since 1999. A resident in South Africa for over a decade, he launched Urucu, a production company dedicated to making authentic and thought- provoking content in 2011. Urucu’s films have won awards from Sundance to BFI London, Durban, Rio and Beijing. They have sold worldwide to theatrical distributors, broadcasters and SVOD platforms. His projects have attracted financing from private equity to regional and national funding bodies as well as tax incentives globally. In 2015 Ribeiro co-founded Realness African Screenwriters Residency, an incubator that has developed 30 audiovisual projects in over 16 countries in Africa to date. It evolved into the Realness Institute, now housing 5 capacity building programs in the creative industry, the Institution caters to writers, producers, directors, programmers, sales & distribution professionals, and most recently in partnership with Netflix, episodic content creators and development executives. He served a jury member for film funds like Hubert Bals and as a mentor in multiple labs across the globe for emerging producers, including Open Doors and Maisha. The most successful film out of the 7 features he has under his belt, INXEBA was shortlisted for an Oscar after winning 6 SAFTAS and 29 international awards. A leader in his field, he is often a speaker and moderator in Industry events and helmed in 2018 the Cape Town International Film Market & Industry Program. Elias was recently appointed by the Locarno Film Festival as a regional manager of the Southern Africa Industry Academy. He is an advisory board member to screenworlds.org and ladima.africa. Ribeiro consults to various film-related businesses, festivals and public bodies in Africa and the world.