MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – Anticipating the shape of things to come in Latin America, under the banner of burgeoning cross-border cooperation, the cities of São Paulo and Montevideo have signed a broad framework agreement to facilitate cooperation across a broad front of channels.
The agreement was announced on Tuesday at Ventana Sur, Latin America’s most prominent film and television forum and market this week hosted by the Cannes Marché du Film, Uruguay’s audiovisual agency ACAU and its counterpart INCAA in Argentina.
The deal unveiled by the Spcine São Paulo Film Commission and the Municipality of Montevideo, through the Ministry of Culture and Montevideo Audiovisual, links two of the fastest growing film and television centers in Latin America. São Paulo, the largest city in the region, is considered the largest city in South America and the largest Cinema and television in Brazil, which is thriving thanks to renewed lines of financing from the Federal Fundo do Setorial Audiovisual, as well as the energy of regional cinema powers such as the city and state of São Paulo.
By focusing on the bulk of Uruguay’s film and television industry, with the aim of becoming a center far exceeding Uruguay’s weight of 3.5 million, Montevideo and Uruguay overall benefit from a balancing double whammy of a more ambitious and significant growth local industry. A world-class filming scene supported by high quality crews and talent and remarkably low production costs.
“We are excited to participate in Ventana Sur, which is a very important and strategic highlight of the creative economy in Latin America,” said Liara Oliveira, President of Spcine.
“This agreement with Montevideo Audiovisual is another step for Spcine to demonstrate the political, economic and social potential of the audiovisual industry in São Paulo, through actions that meet the demands of the contemporary world,” she added.
The partners said that the deal is “an important step in establishing the two cities as international references in the production, distribution and display of audiovisual content in Latin America.”
It was signed by María Ines Ubaldia, Director of the Department of Culture of the City Government of Montevideo, Oliveira, President of the City of Sepcin, Fabiana Goyeneche, Director of the Vision of International Relations and Cooperation of the City Government of Montevideo, and Ricardo Kraczynski Gumede. São Paulo Municipal Secretary for International Relations.
Montevideo and São Paulo are already official sister cities.
Essentially, the deal could also advance one of the sacred goals of the Brazilian and Spanish industries in Latin America: a more flexible release of Spanish-language films – here Uruguayan films – in the huge market in São Paulo and beyond, and their release. Brazilian films in Uruguay. Although they are neighbors, their films are relatively unknown in the other area.
Details about the multi-point deal:
* Developing vocational training and capacity building programs.
*Artistic and content exchange in public cinemas;
* Develop projects that encourage the distribution and dissemination of audio-visual products from São Paulo and Montevideo;
*Technical exchange of experiences in the field of implementing video-on-demand technologies.
*Joint research on the audiovisual market in São Paulo and Montevideo;
* Bilateral actions at events, fairs and festivals;
* Exchanging information and best practices in the field of strengthening public policies for the audiovisual sector.
“In addition, the agreement highlights the use of cinema and audiovisual content as tools for cultural and educational development, regional identity and diversity,” the partners noted.