Brazil

INDUSTRY INFORMATION

In the mid nineties the country itnessed a new burst in cinematic production, mainly thanks to the introduction of incentive laws under the new Cardoso government. Since then there have been films with Academy Award nominations such as O Quatrilho, Central Station and City of God.

For foreign filmmakers, Brazil offers great locations and a strong local crew base and infrastructure. Brazil’s film community is very sophisticated with most of its key professionals based in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. However, it is possible to identify qualified professionals in other cities, which reflects the range of films that are being shot recently in the country. Recent productions include The Incredible Hulk, The Expendables and Blindness. Shot in São Paulo, this production hired around 250 local people each, ranging from art, costume, DP and other directors to chief operators, actors, stunts and support crew.

Brazil’s crew base salaries are below U.S. and European levels, which could mean shaving below-the-line costs. In addition, local union laws allow for six-day workweeks, which help to shorten shooting schedules. For shooting film or TV programs in Brazil, a foreign crew must first enter into a partnership with a Brazilian production company registered with ANCINE for the purpose of making films and TV programs. See list under “REGISTRO/SERVIÇOS”, “Empresas Cadastradas” located at lower left corner of Ancine’s webpage www.ancine.gov.br.  This company is the one who will deal directly with ANCINE for all practical purposes and for all issues concerning permission to film or tape in Brazil.

Audiovisual works may be made as international co-productions whether or not under an International Co-production Agreement that the Brazilian Government has entered into. Before applying for international co-production status in order to be eligible for the benefits available to Brazilian films in Brazil, filmmakers should first check if their film fits one of the co-production criteria,

Tax Incentives – Brazil currently has the Audiovisual Law in place, which is a tax incentive that, according to Becker, allows two ways to invest in a film. “Through Article 1, any company based in Brazil can invest part of its tax liability in local film productions. Article 3 focuses on foreign distributors, who can use part of their owed taxes toward local productions,” explains Becker. Foreign producers cannot apply directly for funding through the two systems, but they can be co-producers of pictures already tapping the incentives. To apply, producers must present a project to the National Cinema Agency (Ancine) with a package that includes the script, a budget and other specifics.

Union Info –Union of Industry Workers Film and Audiovisual of the states of São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goias, Tocantins and Distrito Federal. http://www.sindcine.com.br/

Film Commissions: Aliança Brasileira de Film Commissions – www.abrafic.org, Amazonas Film Commission – mailto:casadocinema@culturamazonas.com.br, Bahia Film Commission – www.bahiafilmcommission.com, Brazil Central Film Commission – www.bcfc.org.br, Minas Gerais Film Commission – www.minasfilmcommission.mg.gov.br, São Paulo Film Commission – www.saopaulofilmcommission.com.br, Rio de Janeiro Film Commission – www.riofilmecommission.com

Passport/Visa Requirements: A passport and visa are required for U.S., Australian and Canadian citizens traveling to Brazil for any purpose.  Brazilian visas must be obtained in advance from the Brazilian Embassy or consulate nearest to the traveler’s place of residence.  There are no “airport visas” and immigration authorities will refuse entry to Brazil to anyone not possessing a valid visa.  All Brazilian visas, regardless of the length of validity, must initially be used within 90 days of the issuance date or will no longer be valid.  All other countries only need a valid passport.

TOPOGRAPHY, WEATHER, TRANSPORTATION & MAIN CITIES

Topography: Brazil encompasses so much of South America that it shares borders with all South American nations except Ecuador and Chile. Brazil is divided into 26 states and a Federal District. The state of Amazonas has the largest area and the most populous is Sao Paulo. From the Amazon basin in the north and west to the Brazilian Highlands in the southeast, Brazil’s topography is quite diverse. The Amazon River system carries more water to the ocean than any other river system in the world. It is navigable for its entire 2000-mile trip within Brazil. The basin is home to the most rapidly depleting rain forest in the world, losing about 52,000 square miles annually. The basin, occupying more than sixty percent of the entire country, receives more than eighty inches (about 200 cm) of rain a year in some areas. Almost all of Brazil is humid as well as either has a tropical or subtropical climate. Brazil’s rainy season occurs during the summer months. Eastern Brazil suffers from regular drought. There is little seismic or volcanic activity due to Brazil’s position near the center of the South American Plate.

The Brazilian Highlands and plateaus generally average less than 4000 feet (1220 meters) but the highest point in Brazil is Pico de Neblina at 9888 feet (3014 meters). Extensive uplands lie in the southeast and drop off quickly at the Atlantic Coast. Much of the coast is composed of the Great Escarpment, which looks like a wall from the ocean.

Weather: Although 90 percent of the country is within the tropical zone, the climate of Brazil varies considerably from the mostly tropical North to temperate zones below the Tropic of Capricorn (23°27′ S latitude), which crosses the country at the latitude of the city of São Paulo. Brazil has five climatic regions–equatorial, tropical, semiarid, highland tropical, and subtropical.

Seasons in Brazil are the reverse of those of Europe and United States: Spring: 22nd September – 21st December 
Summer: 22nd December – 21st March 
Autumn: 22nd March – 21st June 
Winter: 22nd June – 21st September. However, this four-season pattern is only applicable to southern Brazil. Most of Brazil territory shares a two-season pattern: a rainy season (the summer) and a non-rainy one (the winter).

Temperatures along the equator are high, averaging above 25°C / 77°F, but not reaching the summer extremes of up to 40°C / 104°F in the temperate zones. At the country’s other extreme, there are frosts south of the Tropic of Capricorn during the winter (June-August), and in some years there is snow in the mountainous areas, such as Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. Temperatures in the cities of São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, and Brasília are moderate (usually between 15°C / 59° and 30°C / 86°F), despite their relatively low latitude, because of their elevation of approximately 1,000 meters. Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador on the coast have warm climates, with average temperatures ranging from 23°C / 73.4°F to 27°C / 80.6°F, but enjoy constant trade winds. The southern cities of Porto Alegre and Curitiba have a subtropical climate similar to that in parts of the United States and Europe, and temperatures can fall below freezing in winter.

The Amazon region rarely gets hotter than 27°C, but it is humid there, with considerable rainfall over tropical Amazonia. In some parts of the North, December to March is considered winter, since that’s the rainiest season. It is less widely known that, despite high annual precipitation, the Amazon rain forest has a three- to five-month dry season, the timing of which varies according to location north or south of the equator.

Transportation: Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are the two main airports in Brazil. They also service domestic flights from major South America cities. The two Brazilian national airlines – Varig and TAM – offer international flights. Varig provides international connections to North America, Europe, Asia and the rest of South America. TAM services some flights to Europe and the USA, including a non-stop flight from Miami to Manaus for Amazon rainforest visitors.

Brazilian’s love to travel on buses, which are a primary means of cheap transportation around the country. Consequently, buses in Brazil usually come with an excellent and reliable service. Also, unlike other modes of transportation, buses in Brazil can transport you from all the major cities and towns, including right into the heart of the Amazon jungle. Whilst Brazil’s bus service is excellent, Brazil’s roads (safety-wise) leave a lot to be desired. Car rentals are expensive and the distances are huge. Brazilian drivers are aggressive and hardly ever follow any rules, and renting a car in the cities may prove troublesome.

Brazil has 1,751,868 kilometers of roads 96,353 km of them paved and 1,655,515 km unpaved. That means that only 5.5% of the roads are paved and that 94.5% are unpaved. The most important highway of the country is the BR-101, which crosses 12 states. The country has a low rate of car ownership of 140 per 1000 population, however in comparison to the other developing economies of the BRIC group Brazil exceeds India and China.

Main Cities:

São Paulo: This is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city of the southern hemisphere and the world’s 7th largest metropolitan area. The city is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state. São Paulo exerts strong regional influence in commerce and finance as well as arts and entertainment.

With an estimated population of 11,037,593 residents within an area of 1,523 square kilometers (588.0 sq mi), São Paulo is the most populous city proper in the Americas. The city also lies at the center of the heavily urbanized São Paulo metropolitan area, with an estimated 19,889,559 people in 2009 over 7,944 square kilometers (3,067.2 sq mi), is the largest metropolitan area in the nation.  The city has many landmarks, such as the Paulista Museum, the neo-gothic Metropolitan Sé Cathedral, the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), the Monumento às Bandeiras (Portuguese for Monument to the Flag) and Niemeyer’s Ibirapuera Bienal Complex; and more recently the Octavio Farias de Oliveira bridge (Estaiada Bridge) in the South Side. Paulista Avenue, in Midtown is the city’s most important financial center.

The city is home to the São Paulo Stock Exchange, or BOVESPA, the Future Markets, and the Cereal Market Stock Exchanges, the second largest stock exchange in the Americas. São Paulo has been home to several of the tallest buildings in Brazil, including the Mirante do Vale Building and Itália Building.

People from the city of São Paulo are known as paulistanos, while paulistas designates anyone from the whole of São Paulo state, including the paulistanos.  A famous nickname for the city is “Sampa.” São Paulo is also known for its unreliable weather, the size of its helicopter fleet, architecture, gastronomy, and multitude of skyscrapers.

Rio de Janeiro: Commonly referred to simply as Rio, this well known city is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America and the 6th largest in the Americas. The city was the capital of Brazil for nearly two centuries, from 1763 to 1815 during the Portuguese colonial era, 1815 to 1821 as the capital of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves, and from 1822 to 1960 as an independent nation. Rio is nicknamed A Cidade Maravilhosa or “The Marvelous City.”

Rio de Janeiro represents the second largest GDP in the country (and 30th largest in the world,) and is the headquarters of two major Brazilian companies – Petrobras and Vale. Major oil companies, telephone headquarters and the largest conglomerate of media and communications companies in Latin America, the Globo Organizations are based here. Many universities and institutes consider it as the second largest center of research and development in Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro is known for its natural settings, carnival celebrations, samba, Bossa Nova, beaches such as Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. Some of the most famous landmarks in addition to the beaches include the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer (‘Cristo Redentor’) atop Corcovado mountain, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açúcar) with its cable car; the Sambódromo, a permanent parade avenue lined with grandstands which is used during Carnival; and Maracanã stadium, one of the world’s largest football stadiums. Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Summer Olympics, the first South American city to host the event and will host the final match for 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Salvador da Bahia: Salvador is a city on the northeast coast of Brazil and is the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil’s capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first colonial capital of Brazil, the city is one of the oldest in the country and in the New World. For a long time, it was simply known as Bahia, and appears under that name on many maps and books from before the mid-20th century. Salvador is the third most populous Brazilian city, after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and it is the ninth most populous city in Latin America.

The city of Salvador is notable in Brazil for its cuisine, music and architecture, and its metropolitan area is the wealthiest in Brazil’s Northeast, its poorest region. Over 80% of the population of metropolitan region of Salvador has Black African ancestry, the African influence in many cultural aspects of the city makes it the center of Afro-Brazilian culture and this reflects in turn a curious situation in which African-associated cultural practices are celebrated. The historical center of Salvador, frequently called the Pelourinho, is renowned for its Portuguese colonial architecture with historical monuments dating from the 17th through the 19th centuries and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

Salvador is located on a small, roughly triangular peninsula that separates Todos os Santos Bay from the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay forms a natural harbor. Salvador is a major export port, lying at the heart of the Recôncavo Baiano, a rich agricultural and industrial region encompassing the northern portion of coastal Bahia. The local terrain is diverse ranging from flat to rolling to hills and low mountains.

Brasília: The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population that makes it the fourth largest city in Brazil, ahead of Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza. However, as a metropolitan area, it ranks lower at sixth. It is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and hosts 91 foreign embassies.

As the national capital, Brasília is the seat of all three branches of the Brazilian government. The city also hosts the headquarters of many Brazilian companies and the city is a world reference for urban planning. The locating of residential buildings around expansive urban areas, of building the city around large avenues and dividing it into sectors, has sparked a debate and reflection on life in big cities in the 20th century. The city’s planned design included specific areas for almost everything, including accommodation.

The city was planned and developed in 1956 with Lúcio Costa as the principal urban planner and Oscar Niemeyer as the principal architect. In 1960, it formally became Brazil’s national capital. People from the city of Brasília are known as brasilienses or candangos.

PEOPLE, CULTURE & SAFETY

People: Brazilians are mostly descendants of colonial and post-colonial Portuguese settlers and immigrants, African slaves and Brazil’s indigenous peoples, along with several other groups of immigrants who arrived in Brazil mostly from the 1820s until the 1970s. Most of the immigrants were Italians and Portuguese, but also significant numbers of Germans, Spaniards, Japanese, and Lebanese and Syrians.

When the Portuguese arrived in South America in approximately 1500, the current Brazil was inhabited by an estimated 2.4 million Amerindians. From 1500 until its independence in 1822, Brazil was settled by some 500,000 Portuguese, mostly men. Portugal remained the only significant source of European immigrants to Brazil until the early 19th century. As a result of the Atlantic slave trade, from the mid-16th century until 1855, an estimated 4 million African slaves were brought to Brazil. From 1820 to 1975, over 5 million immigrants entered Brazil, the vast majority of them Europeans. Portuguese and Italians arrived in equal numbers, and numbered close to 70% of all immigrants. The rest was composed mainly of Spaniards, Germans, Japanese, Syrians and Lebanese.

The Brazilian population is classified into five categories: brancos (white), negros (black), pardos (brown), amarelos (Asian/yellow) and índios (Amerindian), based on skin color or race. The last detailed census (PNAD) found Brazil to be made up of 93 million Whites, 80 million brown people, 11.7 million Blacks, and 1.3 million Asian or

The ethnic composition of Brazilians is not uniform across the country. Due to its large influx of European immigrants in the 19th century, the Southern Region has a large White majority, making up 79.6% of its population. The Northeastern Region, as a result of the large numbers of African slaves working in the sugar cane business, has a majority of pardos and black people, respectively, 63.1% and 7.0%. Northern Brazil, largely covered by the Amazon Rainforest, is 71.5% pardo, due to Amerindian ancestry. Southeast and Central-Western Brazil have a more balanced ratio among different racial groups.

Language is one of the strongest elements of Brazil’s national unity. Portuguese is spoken by nearly 99.9 percent of the population. There is about as much difference between the Portuguese spoken in Brazil and that spoken in Portugal as between the English spoken in the United States and that spoken in the United Kingdom.

Culture: Since Brazil was a colony of Portugal for over 3 centuries, large numbers of settlers from Portugal brought their culture to the colony. The native inhabitants of Brazil had a strong contact with these colonists. For that reason, Brazil also holds Amerindian influences in its culture, mainly in its food and language (Brazilian Portuguese has hundreds of words of Native American origin, mainly from the Tupi-Guarani.) Black Africans, who were brought as slaves to Brazil, also participated actively in the formation of Brazilian culture. Some regions of Brazil, especially Bahia, have obvious African legacy in the music, food, language, etc. Immigrants from Italy, Germany, Spain, Japan and the Middle East played an important role in the areas they settled (mostly Southern and Southeastern Brazil). The religion of most Brazilians is Catholicism. In fact, Brazil has the largest Catholic population in the world.

Carnaval, as it is known in Brazil, is an annual celebration held forty days before Easter and marking the start of Lent. Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is known worldwide for the elaborate parades staged by the major samba schools in the Sambadrome and is one of the world’s major tourist attractions.

Safety: Brazil is politically stable with no natural enemies and no terrorist activities. In metropolitan areas, however, petty crime is a fact of life. Rio in particular is regarded as one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world and, although violent crime is generally limited to the slum areas, foreigners are advised to take precautions. Visitors should not attempt to visit slum areas unless on a guided tour. However violent crime is on the increase due to the establishment of drug and criminal gangs around Rio and Sao Paulo. Muggings, often involving firearms, are frequent and visitors should dress down and conceal cameras, and avoid wearing jewelry and expensive watches. The threat of personal attack is lower outside the main urban centers, but incidents do occur, and women should be aware that sexual assaults have been reported in coastal holiday destinations. Beware of unofficial taxis and those with blacked-out windows and be particularly careful on public transport in Rio, Recife and Salvador.