Writers & Directors Congress – Rio 2016

The Annual Writers & Directors Worldwide Congress was held in September in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It took place on the 28th, 29th and 30th of September and a large number of authors from all over the world participated in the event.

For the first time, the Annual Writers & Directors Worldwide Congress was held in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the participation of numerous collective management societies from around the world together with international and local authors and representatives from Brazil’s Ministry of Culture that attended to participate and offer their support in the defense of copyright at a global level.

The importance of carrying out this notable congress in Brazil, has major significance for the host societies BDCA – Diretores Brasileños de Cinema e do Audiovisual – and also for GEDAR – Gestão de Direitos de Autores Roteiristas – in their fight for the “Nelson Pereira Dos Santos” Bill, which protects the rights of Brazilian Directors and Screenwriters. The support and representativeness that the collective management societies gave at this event are crucial to Brazilian authors, and to authors from around the world.

The first day, the 28th of September, was held at the National Historical Museum, a Rio de Janeiro landmark, where the GEDAR – Gestão de Direitos de Autores Roteiristas – and DBCA – Diretores Brasileños de Cinema e do Audiovisual societies made their presentations by means of two panels, which included the presence of important authors and representatives from societies. Always together with the major Law Firm Siqueira Castro, a firm which is fighting alongside the authors in defense of this Bill. This day was very special and emotional because for the first time, Brazilian authors received their first payment for the use of their works, this was administered by DBCA, who received the first payment from DAC Argentina.

On the 29th and 30th, the event was held at the Windsor Atlantica Hotel, in the Copacabana area, in Rio de Janeiro. GEDAR was formally introduced as a management society of Brazilian Screenwriters, and received the support and congratulations of those present. The congress was fruitful, the exchange of ideas and projects encouraged the management societies from all around the world to keep defending our authors.