28/09/2012 - Mutual benefits in store for industries of both countries

The UK and Brazilian Governments have signed a co-production treaty in Brasilia on Thursday, paving the way for closer collaboration between the film and television industries in Britain and Brazil. The terms of the treaty were negotiated by the British Film Institute (BFI), the UK’s lead organisation for film, and ANCINE, the National Cinema Agency of Brazil. The treaty will come into force after two years.

Film and television 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 television terms, while in the UK qualifying productions will be able to access the UK’s Film Tax Relief and apply to the BFI Film Fund, the UK’s largest public film fund with a current allocation of £18 million per year to invest in the development, production and completion of feature films. This will increase to £24 million by 2017 when the BFI launches its five-year plan for film in October.

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.”

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.”