City Of God garnered four Oscar nominations including Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay. Initially released in South Africa on August 29, 2003, with seven engagements it has grossed over R1 million to date and has been lauded by South African critics who collectively have rated it as one of the top ten films of 2003.

Acquired by Videovision Entertainment for distribution in South Africa, the film was recently re-released. Videovision Entertainment originally brought the director Fernando Meirelles to South Africa to promote the film for its release in August last year.

Sanjeev Singh, Head of Acquisition and Distribution for Videovision Entertainment commented, “We are delighted with the strong box office performance of City Of God. It is a really powerful film and we are pleased to be distributing it in South Africa. Director of the film, Fernando Meirelles returned to South Africa in January and was thrilled that the film was still on the circuit here and that South African audiences have responded so well to the film.”

Using the City of God (Cidade de Deus), a Rio De Janeiro housing project built in the 1960's as its backdrop, the story is seen through the eyes of a narrator. This is Busca-Pé (Rocket), a poor black youth too frail and scared to become an outlaw but too smart to be content with underpaid, menial jobs. He grows up in a very violent environment with all the odds against him but he discovers that he can see reality from a different perspective. His redemption is that he has been given an artist's point of view as a keen-eyed photographer.

City Of God is a Videovision Entertainment release through United International Pictures (South Africa).