Anewly created film market in Sao Paulo has been set up to boost thebusiness of Brazilian audiovisual industry. The numbers are still very modestwhen compared to the largest American and European film markets but the first InternationalFair of the Cinema and Audiovisual Industry (FIICAV) expects its 150 exhibitorsto attract 15,000 visitors over three days.

FromAugust 23-25, the film market budgeted at $450,000 (R$1m) will beheld at the Imigrantes Exhibition Center,simultaneously with the 15th edition of Broadcast & Cable, an internationalfair for television, radio and telecommunications engineering industries.

"Ourmotivation to launch the FIICAV was the success of Broadcast & Cable andthe recent announcement that Brazil selected a high-definition digitaltelevision system, based on a Japanese standard. Digital TV can deliver morecontent, which will definitely expand the audiovisual production,'' says Christina Castello, director ofCertame Group, the organizing event company responsible for both fairs.

Producers,distributors, trade groups, film commissioners and international sales agents,such as Sydney Levine (Filmfinders -US), Donald Ranvaud (Buena Onda - UK), Ida Martins (Media Luna - Germany) and Max Saidel(Latido Films - Spain), have registered to attendthe event. They will also take part in the seminar program, parallel to filmthe market.

David Corredor (RunnerEntertainment-Colombia), Pablo Iraola (Patagonik-Argentina),Christina Littin (MC Films-Chile) and otherdistributors from South America will also attend, taking the opportunity to discussthe international market for Latin American films during this seminar.

Amongthe exhibitors will be Cinema do Brasil, acooperation program between the Brazilian ExportPromotion Agency (Apex) and the local film industry union. More than 30 local filmcompanies that are already affiliated to the program will be negotiating its featuresat the market.

Oneof the highlights will be the romantic comedy If I Were You (Se EuFosse Voce), the most successful Brazilian film of the year, with 3.6mtickets sold and a gross of $13m (R$28.9m).