MUMBAI: Brazil‘s box-office registered a 33.3 per cent rise last year with ticket sales getting close to R$1 billion mark for the first time.

According to figures released by film company and market researcher Filme B, revenue climbed to R$970 million ($549m) and admissions totaled 112.6 million that was 25.7 per cent ahead of 2008 levels.

The box-office record can be partially attributed to the Brazilian economic growth and the fact it is as one of the first economies to recover from the recession.

Said Filme B‘s editor Pedro Butcher, "The new Brazilian films with commercial potential and the release of blockbusters ‘out of season‘, such as 2012 and New Moon, that came out in November, not a school holiday season, helped the
box-office growth as well.‘‘

With a total of 84 titles released, 16 million people saw Brazilian films that accounted for a market share of 14.2 per cent, the best figure seen since 2004.

The local champion was Daniel Filho‘ Se Eu Fosse Voce 2, a sequel to the 2006 romantic comedy released through Fox. By selling 5.7 million tickets last year (now it is more than 6.1million), the comedy became the highest domestic-grossing film since the Brazilian renaissance, beating Breno Silveira‘s Two Sons Of Francisco, which 5.3 million people saw in 2005.

Se Eu Fosse Voce 2 grossed R$47.5 ($26.8m), taking the second spot in the 2009 ranking behind Fox‘s Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs.