Brazil News: A Margem do Rio, a thriller set in the mangroves of Recife, won best fiction feature at the 28th Festival do Rio on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The film by first-time feature directors Enock Carvalho and Matheus Farias took five awards in total. Elza, Eryk Rocha’s documentary about the singer Elza Soares, won best documentary.
Key facts
- Festival: 28th Festival do Rio, 1 to 11 October 2026, closing ceremony at the Cine Odeon in central Rio de Janeiro.
- Programme: 101 Brazilian features and shorts, 45 of them in the official competitive sections.
- Attendance: more than 150,000 people, according to the organisers.
- Top prize: A Margem do Rio, Troféu Redentor for best fiction feature.
- Jury president: Esther García, executive producer at El Deseo.
Why did A Margem do Rio sweep the night?
The Pernambuco production picked up four Redentor trophies: best fiction feature, cinematography (Luciana Baseggio), sound, and a shared supporting actress award for Renna Costa, Artia and Ísis Broken. It also received the Felix prize, which goes to the best LGBTQIAPN+ themed Brazilian film.
The story follows two men played by Caíque Copque and Italo Martins. Brazilian critics describe it as an erotic thriller in which the Recife mangroves serve as both setting and border. For a debut feature, five awards at Rio is a strong calling card ahead of the international festival season.
Recife has a habit of doing this. The city’s film scene has produced some of Brazil’s most-discussed auteur cinema of the past fifteen years, and this result keeps that run going.
The rest of the Première Brasil winners
- Best documentary: Elza, by Eryk Rocha. It premiered at the festival and was filmed over eight years with Elza Soares.
- Best fiction director and best screenplay: Gabriel Martins, Vicentina Pede Desculpas. The film also won the audience award and is due on Netflix in November.
- Best documentary director: Camila Valença, Cão Sem Plumas.
- Best actor: Victor di Marco, London.
- Best actress (shared): Isabel Teixeira for Diário do Fogo and Grace Passô for A Professora de Francês.
- Best short film: Santo, by Maria Luísa Alves.
Records and speeches
Grace Passô made history. According to the festival, she is the first woman to win the Redentor for best actress three times, after earlier wins in 2017 and 2023.
Victor di Marco used his acceptance speech to talk about the barriers disabled artists face in Brazilian film and television.
The special jury prize went to O Filho da Puta, directed by Otto Guerra, Erica Maradona, Tania Anaya and Sávio Leite. The festival says it is the first animated film to win that award. In the Novos Rumos section for new talent, Não Estamos Sonhando by Ulisses Arthur became the first feature from the state of Alagoas to compete and win at the festival.
What it means for Brazilian cinema
The festival is backed by Brazil’s Ministry of Culture and Rio City Hall. This year its biggest prizes went to productions from outside the Rio–São Paulo axis, led by Recife and a first-ever winner from Alagoas. Netflix, the Ford Foundation and Embratur are among the backers, a sign that Brazilian cinema is now attractive to both streaming platforms and the tourism board.
Money is moving too. Folha reported that distribution rights to the closing film, Club Kid by Jordan Firstman, sold for US$17 million. No international buyers have yet been announced for the Brazilian winners.
FAQ
Which film won the 2026 Festival do Rio?
A Margem do Rio, by Enock Carvalho and Matheus Farias, won best fiction feature and five awards in total.
Who won best documentary?
Elza, Eryk Rocha’s film about singer Elza Soares.
When can international audiences see the winners?
Vicentina Pede Desculpas is due on Netflix in November 2026. Release plans for the other films have not been announced.
Sources: The Rio Times; Diario de Pernambuco; Jornal do Brasil.
