Brazils Gramado Fest set to honor Mello and Cândido
Brazils Gramado Fest set to honor “I’m Still Here” star Selton Mello and “The Secret Agent” standout Maria Fernanda Cândido at the 54th Gramado Film Festival, running Aug. 12–22 in Rio Grande do Sul as Brazil’s Oscar- and A-fest breakouts bring global buzz home.
Key Takeaways
- Gramado’s 54th edition (Aug. 12–22) will honor Selton Mello and Maria Fernanda Cândido.
- Mello starred as Rubens Paiva in Oscar-winning “I’m Still Here”; Cândido broke out in four-time Oscar-nominated “The Secret Agent.”
- The fest opens with Globo’s Antarctic-set “Antártida” and closes with Dominga Sotomayor’s “La Perra.”
- Globoplay’s “Emergência 53” Episode 1 gets its awaited Brazilian premiere during the event.
- Six Brazilian features compete for the main Kikito prize, five of them world premieres.
As Brazilian talent surges on the Oscar and A-festival circuit, Gramado is folding that international heat into one of the country’s oldest and biggest film events. The mountain resort town in Rio Grande do Sul—known for Alpine-style architecture, snow, chocolate shops, and fondue—hosts the lineup curated by Ana Flavia Cavalcanti, Camila Morgado, and critic Marcos Santuario.
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Who is Gramado honoring, and why now?
According to Variety, Mello—a former Globo telenovela child star who later headlined Brazilian features—played father Rubens Paiva in “I’m Still Here,” the first Portuguese-language Brazilian film to win an Academy Award. He also directed arthouse titles including “The Clown” and “The Movie of My Life.”
Cândido is known internationally for Marco Bellocchio’s “The Traitor,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” and “The Secret Agent,” which earned four Oscar nominations—an all-time record for Brazil. Their tributes underline how Brazil’s recent awards run is turning top actors into global names.
What else is on Gramado’s 2026 slate?
The festival opens with the world premiere of “Antártida” (“Antarctic”), produced by Globo and directed by Bruno Safadi, a director on breakout series “Aruanas.” Claudia Jovin wrote the screenplay after lead-writing Globoplay’s 2025 hit “Perfect Days.” Paris Filmes plans a Sept. 17 theatrical release in Brazil.
Six Brazilian features compete for the Kikito, including world premieres of “Chorão: Só os Loucos Sabem,” “Justino – Nos Bastidores do Reino,” “Leite em Pó,” “Nosso Segredo,” and “Pele de Rinoceronte,” plus Berlin Generation KPlus winner “Gugu’s World” (“Feito Pipa”).
Gramado closes with Chilean filmmaker Dominga Sotomayor’s “La Perra,” well received at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight and co-produced by Brazil’s RT Features. Four documentaries also vie for a Kikito, while additional trophies go to producer Renata Almeida Magalhães, actress Andrea Beltrão, and Marcos Caruso.
Why does the Globoplay premiere matter for viewers?
Beyond the red carpet, Gramado will stage the Brazilian premiere of “Emergência 53” Episode 1, a Conspiração production for Globoplay from Andrucha Waddington and Cláudio Torres—key creatives behind Globo’s “Under Pressure.” The mobile emergency-unit procedural stood out at Berlinale’s Series Market and won the first Studio Babelsberg Production Excellence Award there.
Organizer Gramadotur says all competitive features will offer audio description plus Brazilian Sign Language interpretation and subtitles, widening access as the fest rides Brazil’s global film wave.