Performance of Film Commissions in Southeastern Brazil:

Interfaces with the Film Tourism

Abstract

Film Commissions (FCs) are non-profit public or private bodies working to promote audiovisual in a particular region. They seek to attract audiovisual productions, promoting regional competitive advantages, organizing support and negotiating services with the government bureaucracy, which can establish direct and indirect relationships with tourism in the filmed locations. The objective of this research is to analyze the performance of the four CFs of southeastern Brazil, aiming to understand their possible interfaces with tourism. The methodology of this qualitative research involved bibliographical study and interviews with the responsible for the CF of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Santos and São Paulo. It was found that these four FCs are in different stages of performance, but all seek to improve the production of audiovisual in their regions. Even though the four CFs are supported by governmental decrees, the lack of public investment in this type of venture restricts the attracting of new producers to Brazil, making it difficult for both the audiovisual sector and tourism to be boosted. Although they do not have data to measure indirect tourism, three respondents (from the Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Santos CFs) report the significant increase in direct tourism as a result of the productions filmed in the cities in which they are based. It can be concluded that the Southeast CFs, even though they have not yet reached their maximum performance, establish interfaces with tourism, being their fundamental contribution to the promotion of cinema tourism in the country.