Festival do Rio 2026 announces lineup with 16 Oscar contenders

The Festival do Rio 2026 has announced its official programming, scheduled to take place from October 1 to 11. The selection features 16 films currently considered contenders in the race for the Best International Feature Film Oscar.

Brazil will be represented by the film ‘Feito Pipa’, directed by Allan Deberton. The production, which stars Lázaro Ramos and follows a young boy's dreams of becoming a football player, has previously earned awards at the Berlin and Gramado festivals and has been selected to represent Brazil in the 2027 Oscar race.

The festival's opening gala will feature the Spanish film ‘A Bola Preta’ (La Bola Negra), directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. The film, which won Best Direction at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, explores themes of desire and identity across different eras of Spanish history. Other notable international titles in the lineup include ‘Cartas Amarelas’ by İlker Çatak, winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.