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Despite boasting a huge internal market, Brazil long seemed an island of its own when it came to fostering international collaboration. Alas, these days are long gone, with a ramping number of co-productions inching the country closer and closer to major producing potencies such as the US and Europe.
“New international partners have been seeking us directly,” says Alex Medeiros, Director of Drama, Documentaries, and Films at Globoplay Originals, the streaming powerhouse behind Walter Salles’s history-making, Oscar-winning “I’m Still Here.” Globo is the biggest production force in Latin America, and currently has partnerships with Gaumont, Beta Film, Fremantle, and Disney, the latter a co-production deal for four films, including “Na Linha do Fogo,” directed by Afonso Poyart (“Solace”).
Globo has a key advantage of producing over 11 thousand hours of novelas a year, a fast-moving audiovisual bootcamp that produces not only a large volume of talent in front and behind the camera, but also provides a wide range of experience in all areas of production. “[Novelas] are important for talent development in every single chain of production,” says Medeiros, emphasizing that Globo is actively “open to partnerships and seeking models that can widen our reach, be it through co-productions, the sale of formats, licensing, or festival participation.”
Luana Lobo, partner and co-CEO at Maria Farinha Filmes, says, “The market understands that we have great stories and that language is not as strong a barrier as it was before.” In 2024, Maria Farinha Filmes expanded to the U.S., launching MFF & Co. in Los Angeles with a team led by Miura Kite, formerly at Participant Media. Earlier this year, MFF & Co. acquired a minority stake in Joanna Natasegara’s London-based Violet Films.
Lobo says she likes the “ecosystem” MFF & Co has created, where “separate entities collaborate and strategize in different territories while keeping separate slates.” The company is currently working on several high-profile projects, many facilitated by Kite’s hefty talent roster. Projects include “Pegasus,” written by Amit Cohen (“Valley of Tears”) and Ron Leshem (“Euphoria”).
Estela Renner, Chief Creative Officer, partner, and co-founder of MFF & CO, highlights the “fantastic” work of the Ministry of Culture and Audiovisual Secretary Joelma Gonzaga. “She is creating bilateral treaties with other countries and doing an incredible job on tax benefits, so everything is coming into place,” Renner says.
Producer Fabiano Gullane, co-founder of Gullane (“Senna”), echoes the praise. “We have a great set of incentives in a federal capacity through the Ministry of Culture, but also trickle down with regional investments, all offering key programs for national and international co-production,” he says.
The Ministry of Culture, alongside the National Film Agency ANCINE, manages Brazil’s primary source of public financing mechanism, the Audiovisual Sector Fund (ASF). Gullane believes having the pot, instead of relying solely on attracting co-productions through rebate systems, is a great advantage to collaborating with Brazil, as producers can count on increasingly healthy financing systems on the federal and regional levels.
“Regional incentives are common in Europe and are becoming incredibly important in Brazil, like São Paulo’s Spcine and Rio de Janeiro’s Rio Filme,” he points out, adding that, “The greatest benefit of working with Brazil is our capacity to structure the Brazilian part of the project financially. Plus, we are prepared to make any kind of project you bring to the table. And, of course, our currency is very attractive to international investors as we are five to the dollar.”
Gustavo Gontijo, Executive Producer for Development at O2 Filmes (“City of God,” “Marighella”), adds that the state of São Paulo in particular is “coming in strong, with more volumous cash rebates and other incentives that will prove attractive to foreign investment.” The veteran also highlights another key advantage of collaborating with Brazil: “diverse locations that go from forests to beaches to deserts.”
Minister of Culture Margareth Menezes says the government is investing an “unprecedented value” of $39 million in “an open call for international co-production dedicated to feature films, animation, and documentaries, presented by independent production companies in an international co-production model.”
A representative for Ancine points out that the growth in international co-production “reflects public promotion initiatives and the positioning of Brazilian production companies as relevant agents in the global market.” In 2024, the ASF share destined for international co-productions resulted in projects involving over 40 countries.
One such project is Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Cannes competition entry “The Secret Agent,” a co-production between France’s MK Productions, Holland’s Lemming, and Germany’s One Two Films. Commenting on the collaboration, Filho says co-producing is “a model that works for both sides and a great experience.”
Projeto Paradiso, Brazil’s only philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting the country’s audiovisual industry, will also come in strong at Cannes this year. The company is sponsoring a delegation for the first time to capitalize on Brazil being the Country of Honor at Marché du Film, an investment focused on internationalization and fostering possible international partnerships.
“Spotlighting Brazilian professionals on the biggest film festival in the world is a strategic move to create an ecosystem favorable to growth in our industry,” says Projeto Paradiso Program Director Rachel do Valle.
“Brazil offers a strategic combination of legal safety, financial incentives, infrastructure, and established talent,” ANCINE concludes. “Co-production laws are consolidated, incentives are mature, and the internal market is robust enough to attract partners interested in scale. Cultural diversity, alongside technical competence, makes Brazil a globally competitive country.”
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