RioFilme President Leonardo Edde met on Friday (October 10) with Ranolfo Vieira Júnior, CEO of the Southern Regional Development Bank (BRDE), Renê Garcia Júnior, BRDE Vice President, and Alex Braga, CEO of Ancine (National Film Agency), at the Agency's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. The meeting aimed to discuss the integration between the three institutions in the implementation of the Audiovisual Sector Fund (FSA). Also participating in the meeting were Paulo Starke, Superintendent of the BRDE Agency in Curitiba; Paulo Marques Ferreira, the Bank's Planning Analyst; Maurício Hirata, RioFilme Investment Director; and members of the boards and technical staff of Ancine and RioFilme.
During the meeting, technical and operational flows were aligned for the management of FSA resources within the scope of the RJ Specific Project Arrangement, a regional co-investment model created through an agreement between Ancine and RioFilme, approved at the end of 2024. The alignment between the teams aims to improve the Fund's governance and accountability, reinforcing the institutions' commitment to integrity and efficiency in promoting the national audiovisual sector.
"RioFilme stands out for its predictability, efficient and fast hiring process, combined with our expertise in completing selection and hiring processes innovatively. All strategies adopted are guided by the principles of transparency and legal certainty. Since January 2025, RioFilme has joined the Brazil Pact for Business Integrity, launched by the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU), to generate trust in the industry and expand its investment sources," said Leonardo Edde.
The presidents of the institutions commented on the successful results already being achieved through the partnership. Plans for the next edition of the agreement were discussed at the meeting, which, in this version agreed upon in 2024, foresees an investment of R$100 million in the Development, Production, and Distribution of Films and Series produced by Rio de Janeiro-based production companies. The meeting also discussed topics such as the contractual amendment between BRDE, Ancine, and BNDES, which will define the new system for direct remuneration of financial agents by RioFilme, the formalization of a tripartite institutional channel for joint monitoring of the execution of the public notices, and the definition of the timeline.
"The initiative is part of Riofilme's strategic plan. One of our goals is to attract and multiply investments, attracting more third-party funding sources and leveraging the funds already made available by the City Hall. In return for the Federal Government's partnership, the City Hall has already invested R$36 million through RioFilme in 2025 to fund 83 projects, including production, distribution, cash rebates, short films, web series, video games, film clubs, exhibitions, and festivals," stated Leonardo Edde.
The meeting also celebrated Ancine's 25th anniversary and the 15th anniversary of the partnership between the Agency and BRDE. Since 2012, BRDE has served as the financial agent for the Audiovisual Sector Fund, in partnership with BNDES. The bank is responsible for the technical and operational implementation of public policies defined by Ancine and the Fund's Management Committee, conducting document analysis, formalization, and financial monitoring of selected projects.
RioFilme presented the positive results of the partnership
During the second part of the meeting, Maurício Hirata Filho detailed the 2025 Rio de Janeiro Audiovisual Development Program, which is managing the resources agreed upon in the agreement through calls for proposals launched by the company last July. The calls for proposals saw 40% more participation compared to the same investment lines launched in 2024, receiving 1.302 project applications from the sector.
RioFilme is expected to be the only public funding agency in the country to issue a call for proposals and announce the proposals selected by the selection committees by 2025. Hirata presented the schedule prepared by the City Hall company. The schedule foresees that, starting November 14th, the final results of the program's selection process will begin to be announced, and by January 25th, they will be eligible for contracting with RioFilme. RioFilme is expected to award the contract by February 2026.
