CONNE opposes lawsuit challenging audiovisual fund regionalization

The Conexão Audiovisual do Norte, Nordeste e Centro-Oeste (CONNE) has publicly repudiated a civil public action filed by the Sindicato da Indústria Audiovisual do Estado de São Paulo (SIAESP) against Ancine and the Brazilian Union.

The lawsuit challenges the regionalization criteria and affirmative action policies used to distribute resources from the Fundo Setorial do Audiovisual (FSA). SIAESP argues that the current system creates “reverse exclusion” and seeks to suspend market reserves that guarantee production diversity. The union claims that the historical concentration of audiovisual infrastructure in the Rio-São Paulo axis justifies a larger share of public funds for those regions.

In response, CONNE, which represents 19 states and the Federal District, argues that the legal quota—which mandates at least 30% of FSA investments go to the North, Northeast, and Center-West regions—is essential to combat historical inequalities. CONNE notes that between 2013 and 2023, the number of registered production companies in these regions grew by 500%, rising from 682 to 4,092. Data from Ancine's 2023 management report shows that projects based in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo accounted for 43.31% of contracted resources.