Transformações na indústria audiovisual brasileira no período Ancine 2003-2018: políticas e processos de internacionalização

Abstract

The aim of this research is to understand the transformations in the Brazilian audiovisual industry that occurred during the period of operation of the National Cinema Agency (Ancine) between the years 2003 and 2018, focusing on the processes and policies for internationalization of cinema. Based on the Political Economy of Communication and Media Economy studies, taking Ancine's actions as a starting point, we assume that the economy, audiovisual policies and international flows develop through interdependent relations and, therefore, can be better analyzed togehter. We thus seek to: analyze the historical development of policies for the audiovisual sector until 2018; investigate the processes of cooperation and internationalization of brazilian cinema led by Ancine during the period; and to identify the economic transformations in the audiovisual industry both in the domestic market and in matters of the internationalization of its production. After a period of decrease of audiovisual policies in the early 1990s, the creation of the National Film Agency sought to establish a new relationship between the state and the industry, through the implementation of structural and sustainable policies in the long run. We argue that in Ancine's operating period until 2018, the audiovisual policy, despite the instability in the cultural sector, managed to develop without major disruptions, despite being permeated by several disputes between the agents involved. Thus, advances have been made, albeit with limitations. Even with the growth of policies and programs, the internationalization was a secondary importance dimension compared to the prioritization of the internal market. Similar to the policy for the domestic market, the focus of international policies has favored the production link, having less concern with the circulation of audiovisual products, which is also observed in the cooperation initiatives with countries in the Latin and Ibero-American spaces. The increase in production was reinforced in the period with the unprecedented integration between cinema and television under a unified audiovisual sector. Even so, it did not give rise to a similar increase in the public participation of total brazilian films nor in international co-productions, although it has increased the number of titles released inside and outside the country. In the domestic market, the biggest American studios continue to have the best market results. The distribution of brazilian films, however, is now mostly done by national companies after a period of predominance of foreign companies. However, this process was established through a new internal concentration in distribution. The exhibition saw the expansion and decentralization of movie theaters in the national territory without, however, changing the concentration in the largest exhibiting groups. In the face of new challenges for the future, it is essential to discuss regional information policies that can guide public cooperation policies, in addition to a necessary regulatory discussion on video-on-demand services that are the next vector of changes in the audiovisual industry.