Rio de Janeiro launches 35% production incentive

Rio de Janeiro's local film agency, RioFilme, has introduced a new tax incentive worth up to 35% of local spend.

The cash rebate has been launched in an effort to attract major Hollywood projects into the city, as well as more national and other international projects.

Productions from other Brazilian states such as São Paulo and Rio Grande, and other international productions will receive an initial 30% incentive, increasing to 35% if Rio de Janeiro is used as the project's main location.

International producers must use a Rio-based production company or the city's local services as a co-production partner or service producer to qualify and the project must be completed within 18 months from the date of the deposit from RioFilme.

Eligibility criteria:

1. Productions filmed in Rio with major international scope will be eligible for $2m Brazilian Real (approx. $380,000), if the project uses two locations or sets identifying Rio with a minimum of one scene in each, and must be premiered in at least six non-Portuguese speaking countries. Formats that qualify for this criteria include fiction and animated features and TV series (including reality shows) with at least three episodes.
   
   
2. Productions with national reach from other Brazilian states filmed in Rio will be eligible for $1m Brazilian Real (approx. $185,000), if the project uses a minimum of five locations or scenes depicting the city. And at least three of the Brazilian co-producing leads must evidence Rio-based residency of two years minimum. Formats that qualify for this criteria include fiction and animated features and TV series' (including reality shows) with at least three episodes.
   
   
3. International commercials filmed in Rio will receive $500,000 Brazilian Real (approx. $93,000) if the project uses a minimum of one location or scene identifying Rio, and at least three of the Brazilian co-producing leads must evidence Rio-based residency of two years minimum.

This follows Netflix opening an office in Sao Paulo to shoot originals. Narcos producer José Padilha produced The Mechanism series for Netflix Brazil, and City of God director Fernando Meirelles produced 7 Prisoners for the streaming giant.