The BIG Interview with Laís Bodanzky on São Paulo cash rebate

The scheme is now in its consultation phase and international producers are invited to join a Zoom conference at 1300hrs BST on the 29th June 2020 to discuss the application terms.  Watch the full interview here:

“Spcine just announced that we will be offering a Cash Rebate attraction for filming. The program is linked to the Culture and Tourism Secretariats of São Paulo city, which are providing the budget for the program, with the mayor’s backing to stimulate the economy and job creation. The program is a way of getting money into circulation.” (Public hearings for those wishing to contribute ideas and comments or just have questions will be on 29th June).

“The idea of a cash or tax rebate program has been tested by 97 city, state and federal governments around the world. São Paulo is just getting into the game of attracting filming and video. We chose to adopt the cash rebate model because it’s very fast, immediate and dynamic. The Mayor’s Office recognized that this was a way for the city to promote itself around the world and that’s why there are many lines set out in the cash rebate program, which has adopted many of the details in other similar programs run around the world.”

“We also added some unique components to our program such as environmental questions of projects that must be taken into consideration with the possibility of carbon credits to offset the impact of the production. We’ve coupled São Paulo’s environmental issues to the program, issues such as waste and air quality, which are very serious concerns of city hall. The audiovisual industry will be a tool to stimulate green cinema.”

“Spcine, which is now four years old, has formalized its affirmative anti-racial policy, following the movement that started in the United States and spread around the world. Brazil is roughly half black and half white but you don’t see this reflected in any economic sector, including audiovisual. Spcine has an affirmative racial policy to correct our historical mistakes in terms of race and gender in the audiovisual industry. For this reason, the affirmative action policy will be included in the cash rebate program. The rebate ranges from 20% to 30%, but to reach 30% we expect attention will be given to these considerations in the planning of the project.”

“There are several lines of the cash rebate. São Paulo city is able to receive and connect international applicants interested in shooting all over Brazil in a co-production structure and even has a special line for advertising, which is uncommon.”

“There are two other lines that are not really rebates but like a grant in nature for foreign projects of a certain minimum scale. It must be a big production project. A minimum value of spending on the project must be spent in São Paulo, which doesn’t have to be filming. We are looking for content that would familiarize the outside world with São Paulo and Brazil. We have a stimulus program that would cover the pre-shooting scouting, that requires some of the team to come to Brazil for planning. We realize it’s important to guarantee research on location.”

“There are four phases to the cash rebate application. If it is done in an automatic format it can move very fast especially with advertising, which we know is more urgent. The last phase is always linked to showing that the work was produced and distributed abroad because the funds for the program are coming from the Tourism Ministry, to promote travel to Brazil. Two-thirds of the production team has to be from São Paulo, and this applies to animation or a reality show, a series, new formats. There are a wide array of possibilities from a feature film to streaming.”

“So the money doesn’t travel and its stays and is spent in São Paulo, it is important for the company to find or establish a local partnership for paperwork. Spcine and the Film Commission system are the partners and a local representation of the international company is set up to receive the funds and spend them.”