São Paulo Launches Brazil’s First Cash Rebate for Foreign Advertising Campaigns

In a bid to promote the city and its local production sector, São Paulo City Hall has launched a cash rebate scheme this week for foreign productions – including advertising campaigns – filmed in the city. 

Latin America’s financial capital has become one of the top destinations in the region for international productions. The likes of Sense8, Black Mirror and Keanu Reeve’s recent sci-fi series Conquest all had scenes filmed in the city. São Paulo not only has an impressive local talent pool as well as world-class studio and equipment hire, it also has a staggering diversity of locations that make filming in São Paulo an attractive and affordable destination for foreign productions. 

The cash rebate scheme was launched by Spcine (São Paulo city’s film and audiovisual agency) and will be open for applications from October 6 through to December 31, 2021. It’s the first scheme of its kind in Brazil and its aim is to promote the city of São Paulo by providing financial support for productions shot in the city, or which make reference to the city in their narratives. 

There are five different categories of production eligible for the funding, including feature films (both live action and animation), TV series and foreign advertising campaigns so long as they are filmed partially or entirely in the city. São Paulo City Hall has set aside R$8.5 million ($1.6 million) to spend in this first round of the scheme. There is no cap specified on the rebate amount available to each production, but there is a minimum amount that the production must spend in the city via a local production partner; R$2 million ($382,254) in the case of foreign advertising campaigns.  

The rebates for successful applicants will be between 20 to 30 per cent of the production budget spent locally. To achieve the maximum 30 per cent rebate will require the production to comply with certain sustainability criteria or affirmative action, such as hiring women as well as Black, indigenous and transgender people for key production roles. A 30 per cent rebate would equate to upwards of R$600,000 ($115,000) for advertising campaigns.  

There is also an incentive of R$15,000 ($2,900) for location scouts to explore the city. To read the full criteria for the funding click here.

"São Paulo is such a diverse city, it has huge potential as a filming location, whatever the genre. We're excited to see that the cash rebate scheme has now launched, and look forward to seeing how our international clients take advantage of this,” says Nick Story, executive director of Story Productions. “Over the past year or two, we've shot productions in São Paulo with our clients directing the action entirely remotely. It has revolutionized the way we work, not only keeping budgets down but making it possible to shoot in Brazil while travel here has been restricted."

Story Productions is based in São Paulo and has a multi-lingual crew with experience shooting commercials and branded content as well as documentaries and TV series.