NFB signs enriching new entente with Brazil

MONTREAL , Oct. 14 /CNW Telbec/ - Today in Ottawa , the National Film Board of Canada signed a three-year Cooperation Agreement with the Audiovisual Secretariat of Brazil's Ministry of Culture (SAv/MinC). The Agreement sets the foundation for collaboration on furthering innovation in the audiovisual field. The Agreement focuses on the prototyping of new forms of documentary and animation creation in the multi-platform age and on the development of new models of international co-production for such works.

" Brazil is a dynamic economic and cultural force in Latin America with increasingly important ties to Canada ," noted Tom Perlmutter , Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB. "The many challenges of the digital age have made it even more imperative to develop international partnerships for testing new ways of doing things. Its rich cinematic culture, the depth of talent and the readiness to take risks make Brazil an ideal partner for the NFB on the groundbreaking creative lab initiatives that are the hallmark of the NFB. Importantly, we also share a commitment to public service values such as cultural diversity, support for aboriginal creativity and democratic engagement."

The Agreement is part of the NFB's ongoing commitment to fulfill its mandate to reflect Canada to the world in a way that serves Canadians, Canadian creators and the Canadian audio-visual industry. In addition to prototyping new forms of production the Agreement provides for the sharing of information and best practices as well as training and technological exchanges. A key element of the Agreement will be the development of a Brazil-Canada Summit in 2010 on International Co-production in the Digital Age.

ABOUT SAv/MinC

The Audiovisual Secretariat of Brazil's Ministry of Culture plans, promotes and coordinates actions that develop audiovisual activity in Brazil . SAv/MinC has a broad range of policy responsibilities, which include technical and creative innovation and the development and sustenance of a thriving audiovisual industry.

About the NFB

Canada's public film producer and distributor, the National Film Board of Canada creates social-issue documentaries, auteur animation, alternative drama and digital content that provide the world with a unique Canadian perspective. In collaboration with its international partners and co-producers, the NFB is expanding the vocabulary of 21st-century cinema and breaking new ground in form and content, through community filmmaking projects, cross-platform media, interactive cinema, stereoscopic animation - and more. Since the NFB's founding in 1939, it has created over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. In 2009, the works of NFB animation pioneer Norman McLaren were added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Registry. The NFB's new website features over 1,000 productions online - visit www.NFB.ca and start watching.

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For further information: Melissa Than, NFB Publicist, [phone], Cell.: [phone], [email protected]