The Brazilian Market
BRAZIL: FAST FACTS
Population | 213 million people |
GDP | R$ 8,6 trillion / USD 1,6 trillion |
Audiovisual Industry GDP | R$ 27,5 billion / USD 7 billion* |
Currency | Real (R$, BRL) |
Language | Brazilian Portuguese |
Capital | Brasília |
Time zone (Brasília) | BRT** (GMT-3, UTC-3, PST+5) |
Homes with TV | 95,5% |
Internet access | 84,7% of the population, 90% of Brazilian homes |
Data from 2021
* Value added to the national GDP by the audiovisual industry (data from 2019)
** Among other capitals in the same time zone are Buenos Aires (Argentina), Montevideo (Uruguay), Asunción (Paraguay), and Santiago (Chile).

Filming in Brazil
In order to film in Brazil, with exception to foreign productions of journalism, every production company must hire or be an associate of a Brazilian production company, which will make the prior communication to the Brazilian Film Agency (ANCINE).
The notification can only be made by a Brazilian production company registered with the agency, as it will be responsible for providing all the permits and documents required for filming. The Brazilian production company not only acts as a representative of the foreign production company towards ANCINE, but also must ensure compliance with the legislation and processes related to customs clearance of equipment, providing support to the foreign company.
For more information on international co-production, please check the website of ANCINE.
Co-Production Agreements
An audiovisual production under an international co-production regime is that which is produced by two or more economic agents based in different countries, who carry out production activities, sharing the responsibilities for the economic organization of the work. The incentive to carry out co-productions is in line with ANCINE’s legal competence, in terms of articulating with bodies and entities aimed at promoting the production, programming and distribution of cinematographic and video-phonographic works of the Mercosul member states and other members of the international community. International co-production makes it possible to expand markets, financing sources and the access to talents from other countries.
International co-productions may be made between countries with which Brazil has signed a film co-production agreement, and also with those without existing co-production agreements. Agreements may be multilateral (signed by blocs of countries) or bilateral, and seek to create more favorable conditions for collaboration between signatories.
Types of international co-production
There are two possibilities for Brazilian companies to do official international co-production projects, using the Brazilian incentive laws:
Without using an international co-production agreement
- Ownership: at least 40% of the property rights comprising commercial exploitation must be owned by the Brazilian producer;
- Artistic: at least 2/3 of the cast and main crew must be Brazilian or Brazilian permanent residents living in Brazil for the past 3 years or longer.
Through an existing international co-production agreement between Brazil and other countries*
- The Brazilian co-producer may own from 20% to 80% of the property rights over the work;
- The rules on hiring technical artists vary per the provisions of each agreement;
- Resources regarding the Brazilian percentage do not necessarily have to be spent in Brazil – however, when such resources are sent to other countries, a tax must be paid.
*Countries with which Brazil has enacted audiovisual co-production agreements:
Bilateral Agreements:
- Argentina (Film)
- Canada (Film + TV)
- Chile (Film +TV)
- France (Film)
- Germany (Film +TV)
- India (Film +TV)
- Israel (Film +TV)
- Italy (Film)
- Portugal (Film)
- Spain (Film)
- United Kingdom (Film + TV)
- Venezuela (Film)
Multilateral Agreements:
Latin American Cinematographic Co-Production Agreement (Film + TV)
- Argentina
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Ecuador
- Dominican Republic
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Peru
- Spain
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Further information
For more information on international co-productions with Brazil, please check the website of ANCINE.
To check the current status of all audiovisual co-production agreements enacted in Brazil, please check this table.
BRAZILIAN AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRY INSTITUTIONS
- Ministry of Culture of Brazil
- ANCINE – National Cinema Agency
- CTAv – Centro Técnico Audiovisual da SAV/MinC
- Spcine
- RioFilme
Film Commissions
- São Paulo Film Commission – SPFilm
- Rio de Janeiro Film Commission
- Minas Film Commission
- Belo Horizonte Film Commission
- Santa Catarina Film Commission
- Bahia Film Commission
- Paraty Film Commission
- Santos Film Commission
- Ilhabela Film Commission (coming soon)
Education and Research
- BrLab
- FORCINE – Fórum Brasileiro de Ensino de Cinema e Audiovisual
- ICAB – Instituto de Conteúdos Audiovisuais Brasileiros
- Instituto Criar de Tv, Cinema e Novas Mídias
- Instituto Olga Rabinovich
- Projeto Paradiso
- SOCINE – Sociedade Brasileira de Estudos de Cinema
Audiovisual Industry Export Projects
Unions and Associations
- ABC – Associação Brasileira de Cinematografia
- ABCA – Associação Brasileira de Cinema de Animação
- ABCV – Associação Brasiliense de Cinema e Vídeo
- ABD-APECI – Associação Brasileira de Documentaristas/Associação Pernambucana de Cineastas
- ABD/SC – Associação das Produtoras Brasileiras de Audiovisual do Centro Oeste
- ABPA – Associação Brasileira de Preservação Audiovisual
- ABRA – Associação Brasileira de Autores Roteiristas
- ABRACCINE – Associação Brasileira de Críticos de Cinema
- ABRACI – Associação Brasileira de Cineastas
- ABRANIMA – Associação Brasileira de Animação
- AC – Associação Autores de Cinema
- ANDAI – Associação Nacional de Distribuidores Independentes
- APACI – Associação Paulista de Cineastas
- APAN – Associação de Profissionais do Audiovisual Negro
- APBA-CO AVEC – Associação de Vídeo e Cinema do Paraná
- APCM – Associação Antipirataria Cinema e Música
- API – Associação das Produtoras Independentes do Audiovisual Brasileiro
- APRO – Associação Brasileira da Produção de Obras Audiovisuais
- APROCINE – Associação de Produtores e Realizadores de Longas Metragens e Séries do Distrito Federal
- ARTV – Associação de Roteiristas de Cinema, Televisão e outras mídias
- Associação Cultural Cinemateca Catarinense
- BRAVI – Brasil Audiovisual Independente
- CPCB – Centro de Pesquisadores do Cinema Brasileiro
- CONNE – Conexão Audiovisual Centro-Oeste, Norte, Nordeste
- FAMES – Fórum Audiovisual de Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo e dos estados do Sul do Brasil
- FUNDACINE – Fundação de Cinema
- Mulheres do Audiovisual Brasil
- SANTACINE – Sindicato da Indústria Audiovisual de Santa Catarina
- SIAESP (Sindicato da Indústria do Audiovisual do Estado de São Paulo)
- SIAPAR – Sindicato da Indústria Audiovisual do Estado do Paraná
- SIAV – Sindicato da Indústria Audiovisual do Rio Grande do Sul
- SICAV (Sindicato da Indústria Audiovisual)
- SINAES – Sindicato da Indústria Audiovisual do Estado do Espírito Santo
- SINDICINE – Sindicato dos Trabalhadores na Indústria Cinematográfica e do Audiovisual
- SINTRACINE – Sindicato dos Trabalhadores do Cinema e do Audiovisual de Santa Catarina
- STIC – Sindicato Interestadual dos Trabalhadores na Indústria Cinematográfica e do Audiovisual
For more information, please contact us at international@braziliancontent.com