Brazilians and Americans Have Date with Brazil’s Culture This April, in Florida

The first International Congress of Culture and Communication in 2006 opened a new page in the story of Brazilian communicators who live and work outside of Brazil. It took that first initiative and the Congress is already the number one event, much expected by Brazilians in the US and abroad.

This year, the Congress will be at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 13 and 14.

The event, this time around, will focus on the Brazilian cultural production that travels overseas, in music, cinema, literature, tourism, arts, events and the press, cultural and community institutions, all that promotes Brazilian culture.

Last year the I Congress brought together surprising 1600 participants to Fort Lauderdale, who took part in 10 panels. For the 2007 version, the coordination is expecting many more people coming from all over the US, Canada, Europe and Asia.

The interest of academic, cultural and entrepreneurial institutions from different areas of the US and other countries grew beyond the most optimistic expectations, bringing a whole new direction to the event.

The II International Congress of Culture and Communication will be presented by TAM-Brazilian Airlines, Banco do Brasil, Broward Center Cultural Center of Florida, Embraer and Dish Network, with sponsorship from Confiança Van Lines and Inter-Learning Center and Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, and the Ministry of Foreign Relations through the General Consulate of Brazil in Miami.

Besides the conferences by Brazilian and American experts, there will be exhibitions and meetings, according to Carlos Borges, journalist and event coordinator, who says that "this second event will show a much clearer vision of the stage of the Brazilian cultural production abroad, calling attention not only of Brazilians but of all those Americans who are seriously interested in such themes."

Borges also stated that four major themes shall be the most important during the event: The Press, Brazilian Music, Brazilian Cinema, Literature & Language, and Tourism.

You can get all the details at www.midiabrasileira.com.

Clara Angelica Porto is a Brazilian bilingual journalist living in New York.  She went to school in Brazil and at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.  Clara is presently working as the English writer for The Brasilians, a monthly newspaper in Manhattan.  Comments welcome at clara.angelica@gmail.com.