São Paulo – The city of Niterói (pictured above), in Rio de Janeiro, is looking to become a set for foreign film productions. The Brazilian Ministry of Culture and the Niterói City Hall launched a BRL 1 million (USD 259,223) investment line this Tuesday (17) for foreign filmmakers interested in shooting their motion pictures in the municipality.
The Ministry said a request for bids will be issued early next year. The initiative was launched during a ceremony at the Consulate of Brazil in Los Angeles, USA, with Culture minister Sérgio Sá Leão and Niterói mayor Rodrigo Neves in attendance.
Also launched was the Niterói Film Commission, designed to increase the city’s competitiveness as a location for national and international productions.
The investment line and commission are part of Niterói Cidade Audiovisual (Niterói Audiovisual City), a bigger project intended to make Niterói an audiovisual hub via a partnership established last year involving the City Hall, the Ministry of Culture and the Brazilian Film Agency (Ancine). The project relies on BRL 34 million (USD 8.8 million) in funds.
Last April, an RFB was put out to invest BRL 6 million in 12 different types of actions as parto f this project. Preliminary results came out this week, and bidding ended on June 18.
The RFB will support the production of short, medium and feature films, TV series, film distribution, audiovisual production and broadcasting, film clubs, film festivals and showings, research, etc.
Niterói has been a setting for several Brazilian films, including Elite Squad – The Enemy Within (2010), Confessions of a Teenager (2013), Os Desafinados (2008) and older productions like Carlota Joaquina – Princesa do Brasil (1995) and Anchieta José do Brasil (1977).
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
