The Brazilian government wants to use cultural products, such as TV programs and movies, to project the country’s image abroad. There will be a budget of close to 5 million dollars for that.
An agreement signed November 10 between the Ministry of Culture, the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex-Brazil), the Brazilian Association of Independent TV Producers, and the Brazilian Cinema Promotion organization, which is in charge of exporting Brazilian films, will pave the way for a US$ 4.6 million (13 million reais) investment to promote Brazilian audiovisual products in other countries.
“Brazil is in fashion,” the Minister of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade, Fernando Furlan, remarked at the signing ceremony.
A proof of this was the international success of Fernando Meirelles’s film “City of God.”
This production, which recounts the history of one of Rio de Janeiro’s largest slums, was exhibited at more than 32 international film festivals, as well as winning five Oscar nominations, including best foreign film of 2004.
The Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil, observed, in turn, that the prospect of exporting Brazilian cultural products will contribute not only to the development of foreign trade but will also strengthen Brazil’s positive image abroad.
“It will lead to the strengthening of tourism by publicizing new tourist spots, as well as bringing in dollars and euros,” Gil pointed out.
Agência Brasil
Translator: David Silberstein