More than 10 film production companies will be taking part in Connection, an international event taking place from May 11 to 13 in Gramado. Culture and tourism have always been intertwined, but now this relationship can be enhanced, generating benefits for both sectors. To this end, Connection will expand the debates on topics such as film tourism and film commissions, with the aim of fostering this market in Rio Grande do Sul and Brazil.
The event's content program, which on the first day will pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Gramado Film Festival, will take place in the iconic Palácio dos Festivais. Rosa Helena Volk (Gramado Film Festival) and Jorge Cespedes (Punta Del Este Film Festival) will speak about the importance of festivals for destination development.
Film commissions will also feature in the thematic grid with the participation of André Faria (Executive Director of the Brazilian Film Commission Network), Joana Braga (Porto Alegre Film Commission), Vanessa Lombardi and Raquel Pellegrini (Santos Criativa). During the Connection, the Gramado Film Commission will also be appointed, marking an important step for the destination towards becoming an audiovisual hub.
Discussing film tourism will be actors Thiago Lacerda and Werner Schunemann - who have strong cultural ties to the locations where they have filmed - Cláudia Mara Borges (Tourism of the State of Rio Grande do Sul) and Carlos Alves (CEO of Grupo Record RS). Filmmaker Zeca Brito, who has vast experience in audiovisual productions, will be one of the event's moderators.
For more information on Connection and to buy tickets, visit www.festurisgramado.com/connection.
INTERVIEW
"Audiovisuals have a lot to offer in consolidating destinations and promoting scenarios"
To expand on the theme, we spoke to Zeca Brito, who, as well as being a filmmaker, is the director of the Rio Grande do Sul State Film Institute (Iecine). Zeca has directed and scripted short and feature films screened in Brazil and abroad. His short film Aos Pés was chosen Best Popular Jury Film at Festin Lisboa 2009, and his first feature film, O Guri, was shown at international festivals and on Canal Brasil.
More recently, the filmmaker has directed works such as the documentary A vida Extra-Ordinaria de Tarso de Castro (2017) and the fiction feature Legalidade (2019), which won an award at the "Mostra: Brazilian Film Series" in Chicago, USA. Check out the interview in full:
How important and interesting is it that more than 10 film production companies from RS are taking part in Connection?
Zeca Brito - "This rapprochement is very important. These are production companies that have legitimized themselves through commercially and artistically successful audiovisual works. They are producers who know the territory of RS and its potential for the development of a solid, long-lasting creative industry, with guaranteed job creation. The Connection will provide an opportunity to debate and plan actions that can boost the audiovisual industry in line with the tourism sector."
In your view, how can cinema take advantage of the wealth and tourist potential of different regions? What weight does the location/destination have in audiovisual productions?
Zeca Brito - "It's a relationship of exchange, where an ecosystem of artistic production linked to tourism is established. Audiovisuals have a lot to offer in terms of consolidating destinations, publicizing scenery, landscapes and locations. It's important to note that regions that already have tourist infrastructure are closer to filmmaking. Audiovisual production uses the same chain of services as the tourism sector: hotels, food, transportation, security and infrastructure. For this reason, areas that already have these consolidated services are closer to attracting the audiovisual industry."
In Legalidade, one of your productions, the feature film explores the culture and history of Rio Grande do Sul, including scenes shot in the countryside. In addition to the final product itself, the legacies of your productions include preserving memory and encouraging culture and tourism?
Zeca Brito - "I believe that yes, memory and culture are also elements that add to the implementation of a favorable environment for tourism. Cultural tourism, which includes festive dates, regional attractions, traditions and folklore, perpetuates values while generating jobs and services. The interior still has a lot to be explored in audiovisual works, and this rapprochement with the tourist chain is strategic for the development of both sectors."
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