FIAT/IFTA World Conference 2026

[Simultaneous translation POR-ENG will be available]

The objective of this presentation is to reflect upon the state of digital preservation in Brazil within both the public and private sectors. This analysis is conducted through two case studies: Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) and Rede Globo. This work summarizes research compiled for an academic article currently in its final stages of preparation.

Established in 2007, EBC represents the unification of what is estimated to be nine public communication outlets, including TV Brasil. In addition to the television archives produced by the station itself, EBC inherited collections from defunct educational broadcasters: TVE Maranhão, founded in 1969, TVE Rio de Janeiro, created in 1975, and TV Nacional de Brasília, which was inaugurated in 1960. Over its nearly twenty-year history, the company has sought to adapt to technological innovations in the preservation of and access to television archives. Since 2015, EBC has utilized a Media Asset Management (MAM) platform, which enables the digital archiving of raw footage and television programs, as well as the viewing, downloading, and keyword-based searching of assets. This system is gradually replacing the legacy IAcervo platform, which primarily recorded media formats and metadata such as cataloging details, synopses, and production dates. In line with this modernization, the Archives and Research Department implemented a digitization project in 2019 for U-matic (KA) media. These tapes contain some of TVE Rio’s most significant programming, such as Sem Censura, No Mundo da Bola, and Edição Nacional.

Rede Globo, Brazil’s largest broadcaster, was founded in 1965. Its documentation efforts began in 1974 in Rio de Janeiro, though the CEDOC (Documentation Center) department was not officially inaugurated until 1976. The collection is stored on a wide variety of media formats developed over the decades for audio and video storage, ranging from Quadruplex and U-matic tapes to contemporary LTO (Linear Tape-Open) technology. Content that was originally captured on magnetic tape is now captured digitally via binary code; however, this still necessitates storage solutions, whether physical media or virtual environments such as the cloud. Rede Globo has also undergone a significant evolution in its processes, progressing from paper-based cataloging stored in folders to sophisticated computerized systems. Initially, these systems were developed by in-house engineers; subsequently, the company entered into agreements with Dalet, and later Vizrt and DIVA, to outsource these services. Concurrent with this process is the digitization of analog media, generating digital assets that allow for a fully digital production workflow. This transition further facilitates the long-term conservation of original physical documents by reducing the need for repeated handling, as digital versions become the primary point of access. The purpose of this thirty-minute presentation is, therefore, to reflect on the Brazilian preservation landscape through a dialogue between these two distinct institutional experiences.

[Simultaneous translation POR-ENG will be available]

A significant portion of the collection managed by Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), a federal public broadcasting company, was produced before the company was established. The state-owned company was created by Law No. 11,652 of April 7, 2008, and all assets previously managed by the Roquette Pinto Educational Communication Association (Acerp) and Radiobrás were transferred to EBC. Although the transfer of assets was provided for by law, this was not sufficient to avoid questions regarding the ownership of this collection. In addition to the legal aspects, the lack of existing documentation on the audiovisual and radio works created challenges for management, particularly regarding licensing, access, and distribution.

The growing interest among audiovisual professionals, teachers, researchers, and students in the content produced over the course of 100 years of Brazilian public broadcasting history calls for solutions to existing challenges and strategic decision-making to enable access to and dissemination of this collection.
Accordingly, the purpose of this presentation is to share the experience of the Archive and Research Management Department (GARPE)—which oversees EBC’s collection—in addressing these challenges and the measures being taken to find solutions that ensure broader access, dissemination, and licensing, not only for students and professionals in the audiovisual industry but for society as a whole.

[Simultaneous translation POR-ENG will be available]

During the 2025 Club World Cup, Globo’s Archive department, in partnership with the Sports Editorial team, conducted a proof of concept (PoC) using Google Vision Warehouse to explore new possibilities for content discovery and usage in live production environments.
 
The initiative focused on evaluating how artificial intelligence can transform the way content is retrieved and utilized in sports journalism and live broadcasting.
 
By leveraging automated video processing, the solution was able to interpret specific contexts and situations within the footage. This enabled a shift from traditional keyword-based searches to a contextual approach, significantly expanding the scope of content discovery.
 
In practice, the Sports team gained the ability to access content through contextual queries—such as specific game situations, crowd behavior, or visual elements—even when this information had not been previously indexed in the metadata. This new model increased the speed of content retrieval, added depth to editorial coverage, and enabled the discovery of previously underutilized assets.
 
The PoC demonstrated the strategic potential of AI within the Archive, making content more accessible, reusable, and relevant across diverse editorial contexts.

[Simultaneous translation POR-ENG will be available]

The panel proposes a reflection on preservation and access to films made by women in Brazil, focusing on short films. Nayla Guerra presents a survey of a filmography she compiled, comprising 222 short films directed by 121 women during the Brazilian military dictatorship, and analyzes the importance and challenges involved in recovering these works. Often regarded as a format of less cultural, social, and historical importance, short films tend to receive less attention and are frequently overlooked when decisions are made regarding preservation, restoration, and access initiatives. Many of these works are lost, damaged, or available only in analog formats, making access to shorts made by women during this period particularly difficult.
Next, Carolina Vergotti presents a study on the preservation of these 222 shorts, including the conditions of the films in the Cinemateca Brasileira’s collection, analyzed using the methodologies adopted by the institution. The diagnostic aims to demonstrate the gaps in the collection, the risks faced by some of these films, as well as possible paths for the preservation and access to these works for restoration, research, and diffusion.
Finally, Patrícia Machado introduces a recent initiative she has been leading for the digitization and expanded access to these works. She presents a platform created by her project that provides what she calls the “biographies of films”, making information about the production contexts of these films, how they circulated, which archives hold them, and their preservation conditions accessible. The project also involves digital preservation and access to films that remain forgotten or are undergoing deterioration.
By combining theoretical and practical perspectives, the panel aims to draw attention to the gaps in the representation of women within archival collections and to present possible actions for recovering these works and, consequently, the contributions of women to the history of cinema.

[This session will be in Portuguese. Simultaneous translation will not be available.]

The Museum of Image and Sound of Ceará (MIS CE) was established with the mission of preserving and promoting the state’s audiovisual heritage. Today, its collection is estimated at around 160,000 items, including part of the archive of Educational Television (TVE). Founded in 1974, TVE was created to produce educational content for the Ceará State Secretariat of Culture and Education through a tele-education system.
When the museum was founded in 1980, part of the TVE collection was incorporated into its holdings. This material includes records, 16 mm film reels, and slides. As one of the earliest collections within MIS CE, it was affected over time by relocations and interruptions in preservation processes.
In 2022, the museum was reopened and expanded with a new annex building. This facility includes updated storage areas as well as preservation and digitization laboratories. With new technologies, such as a film scanner, the museum has significantly enhanced its ability to process and share its collections, particularly the TVE archive. A recent assessment helped identify losses that occurred during past relocations and determine how much of the collection still requires digitization.
During the digitization process, numerous materials of historical, cultural, and political significance to the state were identified. This collection reinforces the role of television archives in shaping identity, as it reveals transformations within communities and traces the development of regional social values.
In this context, the history of audiovisual production and television in Ceará - home to the third television station established in the region -, can now be revisited through previously inaccessible sources. It also opens new avenues for research into these materials, contributing to a broader understanding of television history in Brazil.

[This session will be in Portuguese. Simultaneous translation will not be available.]

PAVIC – Audiovisual, Iconography, and Content Researchers is a Nationwide, a nonprofit professional association in Brazil. We were established to raise awareness of and give proper recognition to the research professionals working in cultural, artistic, educational, and entertainment markets.

Founded in January 2022, PAVIC brings together 196 research professionals. As an association, one of our key missions is to promote and strengthen this professional field, as well as to drive improvement and efficiency in the production processes within the audiovisual and cultural sectors, which directly enhances the quality of the final products.

In the audiovisual field, research professionals preserve the memory of the entire production process for films, series, and soap operas. This includes details about the raw materials—such as images, sounds, or characters, which is especially vital when dealing with archival materials.

In ongoing collaboration with audiovisual archive institutions, researchers actively engage in processes of reuse, reinterpretation, and cultural mediation of media collections, helping to preserve and celebrate this important memory.