Festival do Rio Goes to Cannes Spotlights New
Why it matters: The 2026 Festival do Rio Goes to Cannes will introduce two new awards, the OCS+ Award and another, to works in progress.
- Festival do Rio Goes to Cannes will showcase five Brazilian films in post-production, teasing new works after recent Oscar and Golden Globe triumphs, with excerpts to be shown at the Marché du Film.
- Jô Serfaty's fiction debut, 'Beyond the Edge,' explores a coastal village being swallowed by the sea, portraying inhabitants as resilient rather than mere victims, according to Serfaty.
- Maju de Paiva and Bernardo Florim's 'Days of Fire' highlights the strength of Brazilian genre films, exploring fantastic realism and horror, following their feature debut's top award at the 2024 Festival do Rio.
- Thais Fujinaga's 'Talented' focuses on a mother-daughter relationship, examining expectations and projections, building on her previous success with 'The Joy of Things' and writing for Netflix's 'Omniscient.'
- The lineup also includes a film on the true story of Carolina Maria de Jesus, a favela waste picker who became an international literary sensation, and Fabio Mendonça’s 'The Character,' which, like 'Beyond the Edge,' addresses social suffering through resistance.
- Ilda Santiago, executive director of the Festival do Rio, emphasizes the vigorous and diverse nature of current Brazilian cinema, expressing confidence in its global perception and adventurous spirit despite local audience challenges.
Brazilian cinema is making a strong global comeback, highlighted by the Festival do Rio Goes to Cannes showcase featuring new directors and diverse films, from Jô Serfaty's 'Beyond the Edge' exploring coastal erosion to Thais Fujinaga's 'Talented' delving into mother-daughter bonds. Executive director Ilda Santiago notes the selection's adventurous spirit and diversity, aiming to build on recent international successes despite challenges in local audience reconquest.
