Brazil

BRAZIL grit meets elegance

Brotherhood © Aline Arruda & Netflix.

Covering approximately 3.3 million square miles, the largest country in South America offers many landscapes, modern and colonial architecture and considerable support. From the Guiana Highlands in the north to the scenic coastal lowlands, foreign producers are spoilt for choice.

Agood example of Brazil’s prominence on the global production stage is Julia Murat’s Regra 34 which won the Golden Leopard at this year’s Locarno Film Festival. The drama follows 23-year old Simone, criminal law student and women’s rights advocate who finds herself in unexpected trouble after performing in a live sex cam. The gritty story benefits from Murat’s use of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas contrasted with its white wealthy neighbourhoods. “The contradictions, although they are terrible, also bring a feeling of being alive,” she said at Locarno.

In a further effort to attract local subscribers, and to find a break out internationally success, streaming giant Netflix is investing in up to 40 Brazilian based originals. O2 Filmes worked on the drama Brotherhood, for Netflix. Executive producer Luiz Braga stated that the cost effectiveness of filming in Brazil provides “the financial attraction” for international clients. Braga has seen a 10 to 15% increase in global attention since the pandemic.

The sequel to 2020 romantic comedy Ricos de Amor, directed by Bruno Garroti, travelled to the north of Brazil for filming. “The development process of Ricos de Amor 2 has been even more exciting because of the privilege of working with professionals from the North of the country and the diverse talents that bring personality and a freshness to the film,” commented Garotti.

“IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOCAL SUBSCRIPTIONS, NETFLIX IS INVESTING IN UP TO 40 BRAZILIAN BASED ORIGINALS.” LOCATION HIGHLIGHT The lagoons and sand dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park offer otherworldly landscapes. Located in the northeastern region of Brazil, the sands of riverbeds have created the formation of crater-like indents in the land. As torrential rainfall occurs from January to June, by the summer months, the indents become crystal blue pools for visitors to swim.

While the dunes are as wide as 300 feet and 10 feet deep, waters can fall as low as 3 feet in the winter. Temperatures can also reach up to 31 degrees Celsius.

A distinctive site used for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the abstract pools have been used as the planet Vormir for Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019). It is located near São Luís, the largest city in the state of Maranhão, which retains a strong Spanish colonial flavour – perfect for period narratives.

Invisible City © Alisson Louback & Netflix

Other productions include the second season of Invisible City, created by Carlos Salganha filming in Belém, new dramedy Maldivas centred around the mysteries in the lives of condo residents, and physcological thriller Olhar Indiscreto, produced by Mixer Films.

“Brazilians want more stories told by different voices that reflect their lives, their roots and ancestry... to find characters and plots with which to identify and to see the diversity of Brazil on screen,”

ESSENTIAL FACTS

TAX INCENTIVES 35%

Up to 35% cash rebate is available for eligible local & international productions. Total investment is BRL15 million. Special interest is considered for national productions and workforce, requiring applicants to use Brazilian based production proponent, as well as incorporating local skilled workers including technical & artistic team members.

ATA CARNET NO

STUDIOS Light Farm Studios has its largest branch in Rio de Janeiro. The production company opened a Sao Paulo branch in 2020, with a focus on XR.

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RECENT PRODUCTIONS Brazil served as the backdrop to Netflix’s Maldivas. The mystery drama follows Liz Lobato, who moves into a luxurious condominium to investigate the suspicious residents. The series pays homage to the telenovela, form of Latin American soap opera made famous by Brazilian national broadcaster Globo. commented Elisabetta Zenatti, vice president of Brazilian content for Netflix. “That's why our ambition is to make more stories made by us and for us, and our success will depend on the ability to deliver the best version of those stories so that they connect with more audiences across Brazil.”

Brazil is home to many organisations equipped with a wealth of information and resources to advise and guide foreign production teams. This year, the Rio Film Commission, launched its newest cash rebate system. The initiative reimburses productions with 30% of the amount spent by Brazilian or foreign audiovisual productions, in eligible expenses, in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

This year, São Paulo also announced it would extend its own production incentive. Spcine, São Paulo’s state-owned film and audiovisual company, offers a 30% cash rebate and a USD8 million production fund. With a 175% increase in streaming platform based productions from 2019 to 2021, Sao Paulo are currently hosting projects from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max , Paramount+ and Discovery+. In order to cater to the growth of industry activity, Spcine are also leading a number of initiatives that ensure the workforce is qualified to meet the growing demand.

The launch of the Sao Paulo cash rebate, first international production incentive in Brazil, was exhausted in 24 hours. “The second edition will be much bigger: the budget was increased fourfold in comparison with last year´s edition, to almost USD8 million,” commented Spcine president and director, Viviana Ferreira. “With the unprecedented partnership between the City of São Paulo and the State of São Paulo, it is the largest cash rebate in Brazil and is expected to open soon for public consultation."

Beyond the financial draw of production in Brazil and investment in the flourishing screen sector, the country is home to immense landscapes and cultural diversity. From the Amazon rainforest to the UNESCO World Heritage buildings of Salvador, and Rio’s Tavares Bastos Favela to the iconic Copacabana beach, Brazil offers an array of easily accessible backdrops. In addition, as a multicultural melting pot, residents offer some of the most diverse casting pools in the world.

“Talent and location diversity – this combination makes Brazil a vast and very interesting country to film,” comments Ocean Films producer Cristian Marini. “Cities such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Brasilia brings different cultures, architecture, and diverse ethnicities, making it ideal to film different markets in one country.” BEYOND THE FINANCIAL DRAW OF PRODUCTION IN BRAZIL AND INVESTMENT INTO THE FLOURISHING SCREEN SECTOR, THE COUNTRY IS HOME TO IMMENSE LANDSCAPE AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY.

SOMETHING ELSE The São Paulo Grand Prix, formerly known as the Brazilian Grand Prix, took place on 14 November 2022. Covering 71 laps of the 4,309km track at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in the Interlagos neighbourhood.

The first F1 GP was held in 1973 at Interlagos. With a brief relocation to Rio de Janeiro in 1978 due to a poor quality track surface, the competition returned to São Paulo shortly after. Regarded as one of the most intense courses, Interlagos has been the home to the grand prix since 1990. Brazilian hero Aryton Senna won twice there, in 1991 and 1993. Beyond racing, the lead up to the race has become a cultural spectacle. This year, the Grand Prix Week hosted performances from The Killers, Hot Chip, The Band Camino, Fresno and Twenty One Pilots.