Brazilian thriller drama series “Passione” (Passion) has won the best drama award at the Seoul International Drama Awards in the long-term drama series category. The drama, produced by Brazil’s Globo TV, was originally to exported to more than 100 countries.

Local cable TV channel Telenovela, specialized in broadcasting Latin programs, said it will air the 160-episode “Passione” starting in October but a specific date for the first broadcast has not been set yet.

The drama is based on a story of family relationships and the secrets of four central characters who live in Brazil and Italy. The combination of Brazil’s remarkable nature and Italy’s rich cultural assets represent the theme of the drama, expressing various kinds of human minds and coexistence of the past and the present, nature and human work, Telenovela said.

“Passione” has dramatic factors such as love, betrayal, conspiracy and secrets of family backgrounds that Koreans particularly like in drama watching, the cable channel said.

Organized by the Korean Broadcasters Association and the Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee, the Seoul International Drama Awards 2011 ceremony was held at the KBS Hall in Yeouido and broadcast on SBS on Wednesday.

This year, 204 works were submitted from 56 countries, the largest submission since the event was first organized in 2006.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)