Distribution of Audiovisual Works in Brazil
What you need to know
BRAZIL DISTRIBUTION - THE BASICS
If your company is looking to distribute an audiovisual work in Brazil – be it a film, reality show, documentary or commercial – and you want it to play in movie theaters or Brazilian free-to-air or cable channels, you will have to get some government paperwork taken care of beforehand (and pay some associated fees) to allow the work to legally be eligible to be distributed in the Brazilian market.
THE PAPERWORK (ROE & CRT)
According to Brazilian law, in order for an international audiovisual work to be distributed within the Brazilian territory and on Brazilian movie theaters or television specifically, foreign producers and production companies will need to partner with a local production company in order to acquire an ROE (Foreign Work Registration or Registro de Obra Estrangeira) and a CRT (Title Registration Certificate or Certificado de Registro de Título) from ANCINE, the local government agency that regulates the audiovisual sector of the Brazilian economy before the work is allowed to be released in the country.
The CRT is a registration document and it proves that the audiovisual work is enabled by ANCINE to be commercialized. Upon completing the registration of the CRT application, a GRU (Federal Government Invoice) will be generated, with the total CONDECINE TAX (Contribution to the Development of the National Film Industry) calculated, which must be paid within 10 days.
The CONDECINE TAX for different works, such as a TV commercial, is usually valid for one year, while the validity of the CRT may vary according to the agreement between the producer and the client.
PROCEDURES TO GET YOUR AUDIOVISUAL WORK READY FOR BRAZIL DISTRIBUTION
So, here are the steps of what you'll need to go through in order to show or exhibit your audiovisual product in Brazil:
Your entity needs to associate itself with a duly-registered Brazilian production company (such as Brazil Production Services) that will serve as your local agent and will procure your Brazilian distribution and licensing rights.
If needed, your entity and ours will need to figure out details for creating the Brazilian version of your campaign / film / program using Brazilian nationals (that is, if your work hasn’t been produced in Brazil).
You will have to pay the CONDECINE TAX. This fee amount varies according to the nature of your work and where you'd like to exhibit it. The price also changes drastically if you produce your audiovisual work in Brazil versus producing it abroad.
You can access the ANCINE table with pricing (in Portuguese) at the links below:
Non-commercial works - https://www.gov.br/ancine/pt-br/arquivos/condecine-obras-nao-publicitarias.pdf
Commercial works - https://www.gov.br/ancine/pt-br/arquivos/condecine-obras-publicitarias.pdf
Do you want to distribute your project in Brazil?
Reach out to us today to start a conversation about registering your project with ANCINE for your Brazil distribution plan.