Latest news with #Edde
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
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Rio's RioFilme and Brazil's Federal Government Announce $23 million Incentives Package for Film and TV Production, Distribution
RIO DE JANEIRO – Leonardo Edde, president director of Rio's state-owned film agency RioFilme announced a package of incentives for film and TV production and distribution worth a total R$ 131 million ($23 million) during a panel at Rio2C on Thursday. With Edde joined on the panel by Alex Braga, president director of Brazilian film-TV agency Ancine, and Marcio Tavares, exec secretary of Brazil's Ministry of Culture, the round table also allowed its speakers to set some priorities for federal and Rio film-TV policy. More from Variety TV Globo to Bow 'Aberto ao Publico' in July, the First Comedy Show From New Regional Hubs Across Brazil (EXCLUSIVE) 'I'm Still Here's' Fernanda Torres to Star in 'Os Corretores,' Which She Wrote, With Conspiraçao and Globo Filmes Producing (EXCLUSIVE) Spanish Mart-Meet Iberseries & Platino Industria Looks to Europe, Aims to Boost Spanish-Language International Distribution Brazil's federal government will put up R$100 million ($17.5 million) of the package tapping into its powerful Audiovisual Sector Fund (FSA), administered by Ancine; Rio's City Hall will cover the remaining R$31 million ($5.5 million) as part of a pioneering cooperation between federal and local governments. RioFilme will distribute the coin to Rio-based companies through public tenders, a usual practice in Brazil. The call for applications opens June 25. The public-sector aid package also includes incentives to different areas of production and distribution. A total of R$39 million ($6.8 million) will be destined to complement the financing of 12 live-action or animated feature film projects with strong B.O. potential. Another R$20 million ($3.5 million) will complement the financing of 10 low-budget film projects. In both cases, in order to apply, producers must already have raised part of their pics' financing, but not enough to go into production. A second line of incentives totalling R$16 million ($2.8 million) aims to complement the financing of six fictional live-action or animated series. The package also includes a R$5 million ($880,000) funding line for the development of films, TV series, animations and docs projects. For distribution, the package has an R$8 million ($1.4 million) subsidy budget to fund the theatrical release of 10 features. 'For us in Ancine, having a local partner is very positive, because it assures that the funding will be properly invested. We understand that Rio de Janeiro is strategic for the development of the film and TV industry in Brazil,' said Braga. Edde praised the cooperation with the federal government and vowed to continue. 'As of July, we will be negotiating with the federal government a second round of financing that hopefully will be in place by the end of this year,' he said. Tavares talked about one of the key issues for Brazilian producer and government alike, the creation of investment quotas for VOD players in Brazil, along the lines of those created in many E.U. states. 'In these two and a half years of (President Lula's) government, we invested more in the audiovisual sector than any other government. The next step is the regulation of the streamers,' Tavares said. 'We must pass the regulation in Congress this year. With the recent international prizes, Brazilians are proud of their films, and we must profit from this favorable scenario to approve the regulations.' Latin America's largest creativity event, Rio2C takes place in Rio over May 27 – June 1. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
RioFilme Wants to Find the ‘Gagacabana of Audiovisual,' Is Currently in Talks to Attract Netflix's ‘Boys From Brazil' and MipTV to Rio
It's been a busy few weeks for RioFilme. The company, one of the largest city-backed audiovisual funds in Latin America, just had its first-ever stand at the Cannes' Marché du Film as part of Brazil Country of Honor and is gearing to open a dedicated stand for the first time at Rio's buzzy Rio2C, Latin America's largest creativity event taking place from May 27 to June 1. The Rio2C stand is held in partnership with Quanta, the São Paulo-based studio and post-production group that won the bid for the 30-year concession to Rio's massive Polo Rio Cine Video, a complex of seven studios built by City Hall by 1988. Quanta has invested $15 million in renovating the complex and creating extra stages and plans to have a total of 15 fully operational studios in Polo Rio by March 2026. More from Variety Sofa Digital Adds Three Specialty Film Channels, as FAST Markets, Led by Samsung TV Plus, Boom in Brazil (EXCLUSIVE) Brazil Emerges as FAST Streaming Powerhouse, Set to Soon Become Its Second Biggest International Market in the World (EXCLUSIVE) Rio2C's Industry Pitching Captures a Brazil Intent on Remembering the Forgotten, Its Slaves, Extraordinary Artists and an Emblematic Guerrilla Fighter The stand will showcase some of the industry's leading tech resources. Audience members will be able to attend presentations about virtual production and motion capture, with Guel Arraes and Flávia Lacerda's box office hit 'The Rogue's Trial' serving as a key showcase — a clear decision to emphasize the use of modern techniques in Brazilian productions. RioFilme will also be present at several panels, including one on the future of the Brazilian audiovisual production with Ancine's Alex Braga and the Ministry of Culture's executive secretary Marcio Tavares, where the Rio company will announce its new R$100 million ($18 million) incentive rollout. Speaking with Variety in Cannes ahead of Rio2C, the President of RioFilme, Leonardo Edde, highlights the company's internationalization efforts, saying they are currently looking for the 'Gagacabana of audiovisual.' By that, the executive is of course referring to the history-making free Lady Gaga concert in Copacabana Beach, which attracted over 2 million spectators to the sands of Rio early in May and attracted great international attention. 'I am trying to find the Lady Gaga of audiovisual,' emphasized Edde. 'Rio is ready for a production of this dimension. Today, Rio is capable of hosting major Hollywood productions that need studios as well as offering the natural beauty of the city and its surroundings.' One project that can fit this ambitious bill is Netflix's series adaptation of the Ira Levin novel 'The Boys From Brazil,' which Edde says they are 'actively trying to attract' to shoot in Rio. The project is set to star 'Succession' star Jeremy Strong and hails from Peter Morgan, the creator of the critically-acclaimed Netflix series 'The Crown.' Morgan is writing the adaptation and will executive produce along with Suzanne Mackie of Orchid Pictures. In the first quarter of 2025, Rio accounted for 80% of the Brazilian film market share. Rio has also been consolidating itself as one of the most filmed cities in the world, surpassing major cinematic destinations such as Paris and Mexico City. In 2024, the city of Rio surpassed Paris' numbers by nearly 40%, authorizing 8,782 filming days for 505 productions. 'Our goal is to pass Madrid, which had 12,000 shoot days at its highest,' adds Edde. 'For that to happen, we need skilled workers and are heavily investing in technical and artistic training. Today we have technical courses running alongside high schools, so pupils come out of high schools already trained as audiovisual technicians.' 'Another main goal for 2025 is to host more international productions,' continues the RioFilme president. 'We have a cashback program for productions coming from outside Rio and a specific program for international productions that help bring the name and image of Rio to the world. We came to Cannes to try to find a major production to bring to Rio. We want to do business. RioFilme is a public company, but it is a business.' Rio City's cash rebate, which allows foreign producers to receive a refund of up to 35% of the amount spent on filming in the city, was launched in 2022 and produced whopping results in the three years since. 'Our return on the rebate is almost 700%,' says the exec. 'We've seen a very rapid return on the rebate. In year one, it was 400%, year two was 700%, and we are now executing year three and promising a new cash rebate for 2025.' Edde says that, unlike many other cities that launch attractive rebate schemes to increase demand, Rio's rebate responded to a 'long-suppressed demand.' 'Rio is already a highly popular city that is widely recognized internationally, so the rebate was years in the making, and we are becoming more and more ambitious with it every year.' Although RioFilme maintains a firm autonomy within its territory, Edde has been quick to praise the work of the Ministry of Culture and the federal support they have received under the Lula government following years of cultural cutbacks under the Bolsonaro administration. 'Our relationship with the federal government is direct and prolific because Rio is a postcard for the country, and we want to establish ourselves as a great reference for the country's audiovisual industry.' The exec adds that Daniel Celli, the head of the Rio Film Commission, is working alongside the federal government on the development of a long-awaited national film commission, which he views as 'key' for the future of Brazil's industry. 'It's essential that we can create a national film commission that works as a hub for the whole country, because certain states and cities already have their commissions and they have to be centralized without stripping those bodies of their autonomy. I think this is the great challenge of the federal government, but also its great opportunity.' Although internationalization is a great priority, RioFilme continues its home efforts. 'We now have two main industry events where we can connect with audiences and industry members, Rio2C in the first half of the year and the Rio Film Festival in the second half. One of our focuses is the return of the Rio Film Festival as a major international festival. It has always been a reference, and we want the festival to be back to its full grandeur.' Edde also says he and his team are working to bring MipTV to Rio now that the major B2B market is looking for a new home following its Cannes departure. 'This is Brazil's moment. Rio has an Oscar with 'I'm Still Here' and an increased national interest in our national cinema. We are currently in talks to bring MipTV to Rio, we want other major events to be held in the city.' Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
End of USDA funding for fresh local produce hits Grainger County Schools
RUTLEDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — Two federal food assistance programs now canceled by the US Department of Agriculture are leaving school systems concerned for their school lunches. The Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Programs helped food pantries and schools to buy fresh produce from nearby farms. A statement from the USDA to The Hill said the programs were canceled because they 'no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.' USDA halts more than $1B in funding for local food banks, schools Grainger County Schools is among the districts impacted by the cut. Nutrition supervisor Tammy Edde said they have more than one USDA assistance program at their schools. She said while they are still offering their Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP program, which gives students two free meals a day. Axing their local Food for Schools Program could impact CEP. 'Us being the agricultural community, we should be serving those Grainger County tomatoes in our schools, and this gave us the opportunity to do that,' said Edde. With the rising cost of groceries, Edde said working with local farmers helped the school tremendously – not only by providing student's fresh produce but also keeping the cost for school lunches down. 'It's just the fact that we need the money. We need the money to pay for this food and give kids good quality meals,' she said. Edde said they were awarded $75,000 in 2024 from the Local Food for Schools Program, and no longer receiving that money may put their CEP program in jeopardy. 'We were really counting on the food for farmers for next year because we were told at the beginning of the school year that it was still in place, they had the money budgeted for it. It was – that was a shocker. I really, really hate it,' she said. With the local food for schools cut coming as such a surprise, she said she is unsure where that leaves CEP. 'When we started that, our participation skyrocketed,' she said, 'That's going to be devastating if we have to go back where students have to pay for their lunch, that's going to be extremely devastating.' In the meantime, she said they will need to cut back on the fresh produce they offer in the cafeteria. ▶ See more top stories on 'It's going to be tight, we're going to have to cut down on the variety of what we serve, just pulling in the reins a little bit,' said Edde. While the local food for schools' program was yearly, the CEP program still has three years left in their contract. Edde said despite losing the federal funding, they still plan to work with local farmers for their school lunches. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
