Union & Non-Union Talent Management

Here is how this works in practice. Brazilian union talent running routes through SATED (Sindicato dos Artistas e Técnicos em Espetáculos de Diversões), ordered state-by-state. This covers SATED-RJ covers Rio de Janeiro state including all Globo Estúdios Jacarepaguá and Cinedia engagements, SATED-SP covers São Paulo state including O2 Filmes, Gullane Filmes, Casablanca Studios, Conspiração Filmes, and Estúdio MD operations. With parallel syndicates in Bahia (Salvador), Pernambuco (Recife and Olinda), Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte and Ouro Preto), Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre), Paraná (Curitiba), and Distrito Federal (Brasília). SindCine (Sindicato dos Trabalhadores na Indústria Cinematográfica) covers cinema-industry below-the-line workers.

Here is the breakdown. On the ground, the Brazilian Cinematographers Society (ABC) anchors DP-and-camera-department membership. Cesar Charlone (City of God 2002 Oscar nominee), Lula Carvalho (Walter Salles regular), Walter Carvalho (Central Station 1998), and Adrian Teijido all hold credentials. ANCINE-registered shoots seeking Lei do Audiovisual Article 1A/1B tax-credit access must engage union-credentialed talent and below-the-line crew. CLT labour-law collective-bargaining-agreement clauses apply across each contract.

Here is the short of it. Cross-border union liaison expands the scope a lot. US co-productions through O2 Filmes (Fernando Meirelles's Netflix work on The Two Popes 2019), Conspiração Filmes, or Gullane Filmes route SAG-AFTRA on US-talent buy-in, DGA on US-director scale, WGA on US-writer scale, and IATSE Local 600 cinematographer and Local 728 lighting/grip on US-crew engagements. Wagner Moura (Narcos), Rodrigo Santoro (300, Westworld, Love Actually, Lost), Alice Braga (Queen of the South USA Network), and Sônia Braga (Aquarius, Kiss of the Spider Woman 1985) all carry dual SAG-AFTRA plus SATED credentials.

Here is what that looks like on the ground. On the ground, brazilian-tier payroll runs INSS social-security employer input (~28% loaded above gross), FGTS termination-fund 8% monthly, 13º salário accrual at one-twelfth annual pay monthly, 30 days paid-vacation accrual, aviso prévio reserves. CLT late hours hits 50% surcharge after the 44-hour week and 100% Sundays and feriado nacional. Mercosul co-production (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile) routes through equivalent Argentine SICA and Uruguayan syndicate clearance. Lusophone Brazil–Portugal axis runs through PROD-PT (Portuguese producer syndicate) parallel papers. Festival eligibility for Festival de Gramado Kikito awards routes through ANCINE-registered shoots exclusively.