Italian
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — Anticipating the shape of things to come in Latin America, with cross-border collaboration a burgeoning mantra, the cities of São Paulo and Montevideo has signed a wide-ranging framework accord, facilitating collaboration across a broad front of channels.
The pact was announced Tuesday at this week’s Ventana Sur, Latin America’s highest-profile film-TV market and forum hosted by Cannes Marché du Film and ACAU audiovisual agency in Uruguay and its counterpart INCAA agency in Argentina.
Unveiled by the Spcine São Paulo Film Commission and the Municipality of Montevideo, through its Department of Culture and Montevideo Audiovisual, the deal links two of the fastest-growing film-TV hubs in Latin America, São Paulo, the biggest city in the region, weighing in as by far the biggest city in South America and the biggest film-TV center in Brazil which is bouncing back thanks to renewed financing lines from its Fundo do Setorial Audiovisual federal fund, plus the energies of regional film forces such as São Paulo city and state.
Concentrating the vast part of Uruguay’s film-TV industry, Aiming to become a hub which punches far above Uruguay’s weight of 3.5 million inhabitants, Montevideo and Uruguay at large is benefitting from a balanced double whammy of an an ever more ambitious homegrown industry and a significant international shoot scene powered by the high quality of crews and talent and notable low costs of production.
Popular on Variety “We are excited to participate in Ventana Sur, which is an extremely important and strategic spotlight for the creative economy of Latin America,” said Spcine President Lyara Oliveira.
“This agreement with Montevideo Audiovisual is another step for Spcine to demonstrate the political, economic, and social potential of São Paulo’s audiovisual industry, with actions that meet the demands of the contemporary world,” she added.
The deal is “a significant step in establishing both cities as international references in the production, distribution, and exhibition of Latin American audiovisual content,” the partners said.
It was signed by María Inés Obaldía, director of the department of culture of the Montevideo City Government, Oliveira, President of Spcine, Fabiana Goyeneche, director of the vivision of international relations and cooperation of the Montevideo City G¡government and Ricardo Crachineski Gomyde, São Paulo’s municipal secretary of international relations.
Montevideo and São Paulo’s are already official sister cities.
Essentially, the deal can also further one of the holy grails of he Brazilian and Spanish-language industries in Latin America: a more fluid release of Spanish-language – here Uruguayan films – in the huge market of São Paulo and beyond, and the release of Brazilian films in Uruguay. Though neighbors, their films are relatively unknown in the other territory.
A breakdown on the multi-point deal:
*Development of professional training and capacity-building programs;
*Technical and content exchange in public cinema venues;
*Development of projects that promote the distribution and dissemination of audiovisual productions from São Paulo and Montevideo;
*Technical exchange of experiences for implementing VOD technologies;
*Joint research on the audiovisual market in São Paulo and Montevideo;
*Bilateral actions at events, showcases, and festivals;
*Exchange of information and best practices in promoting public policies for the audiovisual sector.
“Additionally, the accord highlights the use of cinema and audiovisual content as tools for cultural and educational development, regional identity and diversity, “ the partners observed.
