São Paulo Attracts Big International Shoots Like Michael Almereyda’s ‘Zero K’ as State Readies to Launch 20 Year Plan to Ensure Industry Stability
Despite Brazil not having this yaer a film at Cannes’ major sections from a Brazilian director, representatives from the Latin American country still arrived confidently at the Marché du Film to build on the extraordinary momentum created by films like last year’s Cannes-winning political drama “The Secret Agent.” Members of the government of São Paulo state were present at the market to spread the word about the great success of their recent investments in film and television and celebrate the release of the first round of films benefited by the pioneering Paulo Gustavo Law.
A post-pandemic recovery initiative named after lauded comic and actor Paulo Gustavo, who tragically died of complications of COVID-19 in 2021, the Paulo Gustavo Law released R$2.8 billion ($571 million) for Brazil’s audiovisual sectors in May of 2023. The cash pot was delivered to the country’s 27 states and 5,000 cities to use in production and distribution incentives or the creation of a local knowledge economy, with the state of São Paulo receiving a $50 million slice.
Last year, the state launched its audiovisual development plan, which included strategic investments in various areas, such as governance, infrastructure, training, funding, and international promotion. Now, the team at the helm of the state initiatives is gearing up to launch a 20-year plan titled Plano de Desenvolvimento da Indústria Audiovisual Paulista, or São Paulo’s Audiovisual Industry Development Plan. That plan, which is expected to be turned into legislation, will ensure the state’s recent efforts to boost the film industry are safeguarded from the volatility of changing federal and state governments.
Speaking with Variety at Cannes, Secretary of Culture, Economy, and Creative Industries of Brazil’s State of São Paulo, Marília Marton, recalls how, soon after the establishment of the Paulo Gustavo Law, the state realized that producing large-scale, quality films was “an expensive, arduous task.”
“I feel we had the right sensibility at the right time of choosing to listen to the industry and understand their needs and how we could meet them,” she adds. “From that moment onwards, the state of São Paulo began offering a continuous support program, which was key if we wanted to think about the long-term success of the industry. We obviously no longer have the same amount of money at hand that we first had with the Paulo Gustavo Law, but we do have this sense of stability and continuity, which is very valuable.”
Marton notes how we are now starting to see the results of those three years of investment, with films like the Paulo Gustavo Law-backed political thriller “A Conspiração Condor,” directed by André Sturm, now arriving on screens in Brazil.
“We focused on film as an industry, one that brings great economic return to the state,” she points out. “When we talk about the audiovisual industry, we are talking about 1.6 million jobs in the state of São Paulo alone. This has a huge impact. We also invested in talent development, with the opening of a training school, and wanted to have this sense of continuity where professionals would share their learnings with the next generation.”
Now that the Paulo Gustavo Law pot is emptied out, Marton has turned her attention to ensuring the industry can not only sustain a great momentum but also experience some much-needed stability. “The industry needs predictability,” she says. “Filmmakers need to think ahead of certain dates, and producers need calendars. That’s how we can negotiate international partnerships and build our visibility abroad, which is also a key part of our mission. We need to strengthen our reputation so we can come to events like the Marché du Film and know that people will take us seriously as possible partners.”
“By listening to the industry and truly hearing about their deepest issues and grievances with public support, we have understood that the solution is not about a single strategy, it’s about coordinating efforts over an extensive period,” emphasizes the secretary. “We can’t bet on isolated initiatives alone. We’re coming from the Paulo Gustavo to take a wider look at the audiovisual production chain, from development to exhibition. We are working on bringing audiences back to cinema.”
In an election year, cementing a solid plan for the future becomes even more pressing. “Governments come and go, but the state remains, and we need to ensure that we have stable, long-lasting policies in place,” says Marton. “As we reach the end of a mandate, it’s natural that people grow worried about what will come next, but we are working hard to tranquilize the sector.”
São Paulo is investing heavily in the internationalization of its industry, with Michael Almereyda’s sci-fi “Zero K” starring Peter Sarsgaard, Caleb Landry Jones, and Britt Lower currently shooting in the state. Netflix’s recent chart-topping “Emergency Radioactive” was also shot in the interior of São Paulo state.
“This was part of a thorough work by the São Paulo Film Commission, which we launched last year,” notes Marton. “We mapped 1,600 locations in the state, working on strategies to attract productions across the state and to ensure we could offer the best possible logistical and financial support. We have other film commissions in the state, like in Ribeirão Preto, and are seeing big strides when it comes to attracting national and international productions thanks to our available infrastructure, talent, and the fact that our currency is still quite weak when compared to the euro and the dollar, so it’s still relatively cheap to shoot in Brazil.”
“Last year we had the first edition of the São Paulo Audiovisual Hub with key names of the international industry, and Netflix opened their offices in São Paulo,” she goes on. “All of this shows how friendly São Paulo has become to big players.”
A post-pandemic recovery initiative named after lauded comic and actor Paulo Gustavo, who tragically died of complications of COVID-19 in 2021, the Paulo Gustavo Law released R$2.8 billion ($571 million) for Brazil’s audiovisual sectors in May of 2023. The cash pot was delivered to the country’s 27 states and 5,000 cities to use in production and distribution incentives or the creation of a local knowledge economy, with the state of São Paulo receiving a $50 million slice.
Last year, the state launched its audiovisual development plan, which included strategic investments in various areas, such as governance, infrastructure, training, funding, and international promotion. Now, the team at the helm of the state initiatives is gearing up to launch a 20-year plan titled Plano de Desenvolvimento da Indústria Audiovisual Paulista, or São Paulo’s Audiovisual Industry Development Plan. That plan, which is expected to be turned into legislation, will ensure the state’s recent efforts to boost the film industry are safeguarded from the volatility of changing federal and state governments.
Speaking with Variety at Cannes, Secretary of Culture, Economy, and Creative Industries of Brazil’s State of São Paulo, Marília Marton, recalls how, soon after the establishment of the Paulo Gustavo Law, the state realized that producing large-scale, quality films was “an expensive, arduous task.”
“I feel we had the right sensibility at the right time of choosing to listen to the industry and understand their needs and how we could meet them,” she adds. “From that moment onwards, the state of São Paulo began offering a continuous support program, which was key if we wanted to think about the long-term success of the industry. We obviously no longer have the same amount of money at hand that we first had with the Paulo Gustavo Law, but we do have this sense of stability and continuity, which is very valuable.”
Marton notes how we are now starting to see the results of those three years of investment, with films like the Paulo Gustavo Law-backed political thriller “A Conspiração Condor,” directed by André Sturm, now arriving on screens in Brazil.
“We focused on film as an industry, one that brings great economic return to the state,” she points out. “When we talk about the audiovisual industry, we are talking about 1.6 million jobs in the state of São Paulo alone. This has a huge impact. We also invested in talent development, with the opening of a training school, and wanted to have this sense of continuity where professionals would share their learnings with the next generation.”
Now that the Paulo Gustavo Law pot is emptied out, Marton has turned her attention to ensuring the industry can not only sustain a great momentum but also experience some much-needed stability. “The industry needs predictability,” she says. “Filmmakers need to think ahead of certain dates, and producers need calendars. That’s how we can negotiate international partnerships and build our visibility abroad, which is also a key part of our mission. We need to strengthen our reputation so we can come to events like the Marché du Film and know that people will take us seriously as possible partners.”
“By listening to the industry and truly hearing about their deepest issues and grievances with public support, we have understood that the solution is not about a single strategy, it’s about coordinating efforts over an extensive period,” emphasizes the secretary. “We can’t bet on isolated initiatives alone. We’re coming from the Paulo Gustavo to take a wider look at the audiovisual production chain, from development to exhibition. We are working on bringing audiences back to cinema.”
In an election year, cementing a solid plan for the future becomes even more pressing. “Governments come and go, but the state remains, and we need to ensure that we have stable, long-lasting policies in place,” says Marton. “As we reach the end of a mandate, it’s natural that people grow worried about what will come next, but we are working hard to tranquilize the sector.”
São Paulo is investing heavily in the internationalization of its industry, with Michael Almereyda’s sci-fi “Zero K” starring Peter Sarsgaard, Caleb Landry Jones, and Britt Lower currently shooting in the state. Netflix’s recent chart-topping “Emergency Radioactive” was also shot in the interior of São Paulo state.
“This was part of a thorough work by the São Paulo Film Commission, which we launched last year,” notes Marton. “We mapped 1,600 locations in the state, working on strategies to attract productions across the state and to ensure we could offer the best possible logistical and financial support. We have other film commissions in the state, like in Ribeirão Preto, and are seeing big strides when it comes to attracting national and international productions thanks to our available infrastructure, talent, and the fact that our currency is still quite weak when compared to the euro and the dollar, so it’s still relatively cheap to shoot in Brazil.”
“Last year we had the first edition of the São Paulo Audiovisual Hub with key names of the international industry, and Netflix opened their offices in São Paulo,” she goes on. “All of this shows how friendly São Paulo has become to big players.”