Spcine, the São Paulo-based film agency, has partnered with South Africa’s National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) to promote international co-development initiatives in the film industry. Spcine CEO Lyara Oliveira emphasised enhancing Brazil’s global presence in audiovisual storytelling and ensuring that Brazilian films and filmmakers gain the recognition they deserve.
A significant step in this international collaboration will be unveiled at the Cannes Marché du Film, where Spcine, Brazil’s Riofilme, and Projeto Paradiso will announce a joint initiative called HBF+Brazil. In partnership with Rotterdam’s Hubert Bals Fund, this program is designed to support the development of film projects by emerging Brazilian filmmakers. In its inaugural year, HBF+Brazil will provide grants of $11,300 to nine selected projects, all in the early stages of development.
The Hubert Bals Fund will manage the call for projects, which will launch in the latter half of 2025. The initiative highlights innovative and culturally significant Brazilian storytelling while facilitating international collaboration. Many established Brazilian filmmakers, such as Kleber Mendonça Filho and Julia de Simone, have previously benefited from HBF support, showcasing the fund’s impact on the industry.
The collaboration between Spcine and NFVF will initially focus on co-developing two projects, with plans to increase that number to four. This partnership aims to foster connections among writers and producers from both countries, with a shared interest in exploring themes related to the African diaspora in Brazil and envisioning a reimagined future for the Global South.
Ary Scarpin, Spcine’s new director of economic development, highlighted the partnership’s importance in building a diverse audiovisual industry and fostering dialogue among Global South countries. The first collaborative projects are anticipated to be showcased at the Durban FilmMart in late July, marking an exciting phase of collaboration between Brazil and South Africa in the film sector.
