Brazilian movie theaters will have to show Brazilian films for at least 35 days this year. The decree was signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil, on December 30.
According to the decree, the goal is to stimulate the production of national films and protect and promote Brazil’s film industry, assuring a market for Brazilian films.
The National Film Agency (Ancine) will be in charge of supervising the companies that show films.The films, the number of days they are shown, and the box-office receipts must be reported to the Ancine.
If this information is not passed along, the company will have to pay a fine.
Last year, Minister of Tourism, Walfredo Mares Guia, said that Brazil could be the setting for films made by India. Known as Bollywood films, there are more of them made annually than Hollywood films and they are exceptionally popular throughout Asia.
“This is a market we should get into. Romania offered them a deal and they are making films there,” he said, adding that Brazil is a beautiful country with great scenery, has an extraordinary variety of actors, a strong film industry of its own and competent professionals.
Representatives of the National Cinema Agency (Ancine) went to India at the beginning of last year to sign a memorandum of intentions, which is seen as paving the way to future partnerships.
They see Bollywood as a source of financing for the Brazilian film industry. “We have a consumer audience of 100 million, a professionally qualified film industry and all we need is money,” says Jom Tob Azulay of Ancine, who thinks the Indians could make films in Brazil because their Asian market is saturated.
Agência Brasil
