Although the market is less active in the request for large fiction productions, Adriana “Dida” Silva, VP and general director of Floresta, Sony’s production company in Brazil, anticipates a greater demand in the next two years, so 2024 will be a good time for the development of fiction.
“I feel the Brazilian market is a little withdrawn regarding fiction, particularly large productions, and very focused on entertainment. I think 2024 will be a good year for the development of entertainment and fiction in the next two years. I do not see many commissioned fiction projects today, but I think that will move in 2024. I hope 2025 will be better in terms of fiction. In terms of entertainment, we are well covered with productions in the upcoming years,” she said.
She explained that Content London – a market she is attending for the second consecutive year – is a great space to update with trends. “Last year, I saw a big focus on script, and I am happy this year to see that entertainment projects are having a space, which I see as a trend due to the interest that streaming platforms and other players are showing. We are very happy about it because Floresta has a strong entertainment pipeline,” she said.
She considers that 2023 has been a challenging year for Floresta, as it is the first time they have produced a period novel. “It has been a good year, at the same challenging time due to the issue of fiction productions. I would say that it was a turning point year for Floresta in terms of their strength in unscripted and scripted shows.”
She said it also was a good year for her since she had the opportunity to be at global events, such as LA Screening, Content London, Mipcom, and the International Emmy. “It is good for our market to have the possibility of showcasing Brazil, not only Floresta but Brazilian production companies in general, and thus discuss possibilities of co-production and taking our content to other territories.”
She mentioned that she feels excited about the upcoming releases: Luz for Netflix and Da Ponte Pra Lá for HBO Max, which will likely premiere next year.
“We are excited about these two productions, and last week we premiered Rio Connection by Globo Play with Sony on the Globoplay platform. We are waiting for its results. It premiered in two parts, last week four episodes and this week another four,” she said.
She also mentioned the relevance of having a sustainability and diversity agenda. “All our productions are sustainable, even reality shows produced in distant locations. We take this issue very seriously, and diversity is an important agenda to Floresta. So we have an important job in training and adding new professionals to the market. We work together with organizations in Brazil to find and train these professionals.”