ABSTRACT
On 1st January 2019 the successful far-right candidate in the Brazilian presidential elections, Jair Bolsonaro, was sworn into the presidency. Before Bolsonaro took office two film-policy-related incidents occurred that arguably contributed to setting the direction of travel of film culture in Brazil, in what seems to be a move away from support for the local film industry. In the short term, given the run-in time needed to get most films from idea to screen, the film scene in Brazil appears buoyant from the outside, with a mix of commercial and international festival hits either released or eagerly anticipated. The Brazilian Embassy in Berlin notably cancelled its annual reception for Brazilian filmmakers attending the festival, foreshadowing a worrying crisis in the relationship between Itamaraty and filmmakers in relation to promotion of Brazilian films abroad. Film production also stands to be affected by a shift in funding focus away from popular culture to more erudite forms, such as classical music.
