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UK and Brazil sign co-production treaty


WEBWIRE

Announcement paves the way for closer collaboration between the
film and television industries in Britain and Brazil

LONDON: The UK and Brazilian Governments today signed a co-­‐production treaty, the terms of which were negotiated by the BFI, the UK’s lead organisation for film and ANCINE, the National Cinema Agency of Brazil. The treaty was signed in Brasilia by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint on Thursday 27th September. Lord Green is travelling as part of the wider delegation currently with British Prime Minister David Cameron in Brazil. The treaty is expected to take two years to come into force.

Film and TV productions that qualify under the terms of the treaty will be able to access the benefits of national status in each country. In Brazil these include tax incentives, all federal public funds and access to favourable TV terms, while in the UK qualifying productions will be able to access the UK public film fund with a current allocation of £18 million per year to invest in the development, production and completion of feature films. This is set to increase to £24 million by 2017 when the BFI launches its five year plan for film in October.

Today’s announcement follows a number of initiatives to foster greater creative collaboration between the UK and Brazil. The most recent example came at the Rio Content Market in March 2012, where PACT and the ABPITV, the trade bodies representing independent producers in the UK and Brazil respectively, signed an agreement to promote closer ties between the independent production sectors in both countries.

UK Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said: “I’m delighted that the UK has strengthened its partnership with Brazil with this film co-­‐production treaty. The treaty will bring huge benefits to both countries and builds on the strong collaborative relationship across the creative industries that already exists btween us.”

Amanda Nevill, Chief Executive of the BFI, said: “The UK and brazil have a history of working together in film and a formal co-­‐production treaty is a natural next step. Film has an important role to play in driving economic growth in the UK and this treaty helps us strengthen those ties with Brazil. We will be working closely with ANCINE to bring filmmakers in both countries closer together to generate real gain and advantage.”

Manoel Rangel, Director-­‐President of ANCINE, added: "The opportunity to make it easier for our producers to work in closer contact with their British counterparts represents an important step in the consolidation of the Brazilian audiovisual sector as one of the most active and dynamic in its region and the world. We are hoping that this agreement will lead
to much future collaboration in the field of film and TV production, in which both Brazilian and British producers are known for their expertise and unique creativity"


Further cultural collaboration between the UK and Brazil will come later in 2012 with the British Council’s ’Transform’ event, a cultural programme of cross arts and transformative arts activity spanning the four years between London and Rio Olympic Games. Transform kicks off at the Rio International Film Festival in October 2012 with a retrospective of the
works of Brazilian director, Alberto Cavalcanti, from the BFI National Archive and a high profile screening of legendary British director Alfred Hitchcock’s The Pleasure Garden at an outdoor gala on the Copacabana Beach. The film has been meticulously restored by the BFI as part of its Genius of Hitchcock summer blockbuster project, and will be screened in Brazil
accompanied by live music performed by the Brazilian Youth Orchestra from a score composed by British composer, Daniel Patrick Cohen.

For more information about the UK’s nine existing bi‐lateral co-­production agreements, please go to: http://www.bfi.org.uk/film-industry/british-film-certification-tax-relief/co-production



NOTES TO EDITORS

About the BFI
The BFI is the lead body for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive by:
* Connecting audiences to the widest choice of British and World cinema
* Preserving and restoring the most significant film collection in the world for today
and future generations
* Investing in creative, distinctive and entertaining work
* Promoting British film and talent to the world
* Growing the next generation of film makers and audiences



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