Festival do Rio 2026, Day 2: Full Programme Under Way
Brazil · Life & Culture, 2 October 2026
Key Facts
—The festival. The 28th Festival do Rio runs 1–11 October across Rio de Janeiro, screening more than 350 features, shorts, series and documentaries at Latin America’s largest film festival.
—Opening night. The Spanish Cannes title A Bola Preta (The Black Ball), directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi from an unfinished Federico García Lorca play, opened the festival at Thursday’s Cine Odeon gala.
—Today. Friday is the first full day of screenings across the city; the festival has presented the juries for this year’s competitions, and the free Cinema Circulação strand begins in neighbourhood cinemas.
—Brazilian cinema. The Première Brasil showcase brings 110 new national films competing for the Troféu Redentor, and the edition stages the world première of 100 Dias, the new film by Carlos Saldanha.
—Why it matters. The festival is the season’s main launchpad for Brazilian Oscar campaigns and the anchor of Rio’s October cultural economy, with the RioMarket industry meeting running alongside in the port district.
Rio de Janeiro’s eleven days as Latin America’s capital of cinema are under way. After Thursday’s gala opening at the Cine Odeon, the 28th Festival do Rio settles into its first full day on Friday — more than 350 films, free neighbourhood screenings and a Brazilian line-up with Oscar ambitions.
A Lorca-Inspired Opening Night
The festival opened on Thursday evening at the Cine Odeon, the historic cinema at Cinelândia that hosts the event’s gala sessions. The opening film was A Bola Preta (The Black Ball), a Spanish production directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, inspired by an unfinished play by Federico García Lorca.
The title arrived in Rio as one of the most talked-about European films of the season after its Cannes run, and the festival bills it as a contender for the 2027 Academy Awards. Beyond the invitation-only gala, two public sessions of the film are scheduled during the edition.
What Friday Brings
Friday marks the first full day of the programme, with sessions spread across the festival’s cinema network from the city centre to the south zone and neighbourhood venues. The organisers have also presented the juries that will elect this year’s winners ahead of the closing on 11 October.
The free Cinema Circulação strand, which takes the festival into community cinemas, begins on Friday afternoon: a Brazilian animation screens at 4 p.m. at the CineCarioca Penha, with tickets distributed directly at the box office. Further free sessions follow through the week.
Among the international highlights screening in the coming days are Werner Herzog’s Venice competition entry Bucking Fastard and Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care. The edition also stages the world première of 100 Dias, the new film by Carlos Saldanha — the Brazilian director of Ice Age and Rio — inspired by sailor Amyr Klink’s account of his Atlantic crossing.
Why Festival do Rio Matters Beyond Eleven Days
Founded in 1999, the festival is the largest film event in Latin America and the anchor of Rio’s cultural calendar. Its Première Brasil strand — 110 new national films this year, selected from close to 1,500 submissions and competing for the Troféu Redentor — is the world’s biggest annual showcase of Brazilian cinema.
It is also where Oscar campaigns begin. Last year’s edition screened Kleber Mendonça Filho’s O Agente Secreto, which went on to become Brazil’s Academy Awards submission, and this year’s Brazilian hopefuls include Feito Pipa by Allan Deberton.
Beyond the screens, the RioMarket industry meeting runs at the Armazém da Utopia, a converted warehouse in the redeveloped port district, drawing producers, distributors and streaming executives from across the Americas and Europe. For the city, eleven festival days mean full cinemas, busy restaurants and a cultural economy that reaches far beyond Cinelândia.
How to Attend
Screenings run daily through 11 October, with galas at the Cine Odeon, the festival hub at the port zone and sessions in cinemas across Rio. Tickets are sold on the festival website and through Sympla, with prices shown at checkout; several strands, including Cinema Circulação, are free.
International films screen with Portuguese subtitles, and many Brazilian sessions carry English ones, making the festival one of Rio’s most foreigner-friendly cultural events. For venues, prices and programme picks, see our full Festival do Rio 2026 guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Festival do Rio 2026 take place?
The 28th edition runs from 1 to 11 October 2026 across cinemas in Rio de Janeiro. Galas take place at the Cine Odeon in Cinelândia, and the industry hub sits at the Armazém da Utopia in the port district.
Which film opened the festival?
A Bola Preta (The Black Ball), a Spanish production by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi inspired by an unfinished Federico García Lorca play, opened the festival at the Cine Odeon gala on Thursday 1 October.
How many films are screening?
The festival screens more than 350 productions — features, shorts, series and documentaries — including 110 new Brazilian films in the Première Brasil showcase.
What is Première Brasil?
Première Brasil is the festival’s flagship competitive showcase of new Brazilian cinema, presenting 110 national premieres in 2026. The films compete for the Troféu Redentor, the festival’s main award.
Sources
Festival do Rio (official programme) · G1 Rio · Agência Brasil · Riotur
Connected Coverage
The festival anchors a busy October in Rio, alongside bossa nova nights and the city’s spring events calendar.
Festival do Rio 2026: The Full Guide
Sources: Festival do Rio; G1 Rio; Agência Brasil; Riotur.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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