The 36th Brasilia Film Festival is to host to the first ever Brazilian Film Market from November 19th to 24th this year.

Organised by Brazilian sales and promotion company Grupo Novo de Cinema e TV, the market has already confirmed the attendance of buyers from Europe, North America, Latin America and Australia.

Among these buyers are representatives from RAI, Italy, ARTE and One Plus One from France, Samuel Goldwyn Co from the US and Artkino from Argentina. Representatives from airlines in search of product for in-flight screenings include Varig, Air France and American Airlines.

The market will present 200 Brazilian titles dating back from the year 2000. They will be available in a videolibrary at the Hotel Nacional - the festival headquarters - in VHS and DVD formats. All films are subtitled in English and can be screened at one of the five screening booths. Sixteen titles will have special screenings.

"The event is open to all Brazilian producers, film companies and formats (feature films, documentaries, short films)," explained Tarcisio Vidigal, chairman of Grupo Novo de Cinema e TV.

In recent years, Brazilian cinema has increased its presence in the international market. "To The Left Of The Father (Lavoura Arcaica) by Luiz Fernando Carvalho was screened in Paris and Buenos Aires; The Man Of The Year by Jose Henrique Fonseca in London; Possible Loves by Sandra Werneck, in Berlin. Fernando Meirelles' City Of God has screened in nine countries outside of Brazil, including the US. . "Brazilian cinema - both feature films and documentaries - deserves to be distributed to as many countries and channels as possible," says Vidigal.

The Brasilia Film Festival, held in the capital of Brazil, was founded in 1965 and is recognised as the most important showcase for Brazilian cinema in the country.

Grupo Novo is a production company that works in tandem with the Brazilian Cinema Promotion to foster and distribute Brazilian films worldwide. The company represents more than 70% of Brazilian production in the international market.