Brazilian cinema is going through one of its most visible and symbolic periods on the international scene, driven by a combination of public policies, institutional continuity and recognition at major festivals. For industry experts, The current moment, marked by awards, presence in global showcases and talent renewal, is not the result of chance, but the result of decades of investment and construction of a State policy for audiovisual.
The assessment is from the president of RioFilme, Leonardo Edde, who highlights the importance of transforming the good moment into a lasting cycle.
“The moment in Brazilian cinema is really fantastic. It’s a momentum, like others we’ve had over the decades, always with ups and downs. What we’re trying to do now is for this momentum to be as extensive as possible,” he stated.
According to him, the recent sequence of highlights ─ which ranges from productions recognized at the Oscars and the Golden Globes to films selected at Cannes and, now, at the Berlin Festival ─ reveals the country’s regional and creative diversity.
“You have Rio, with I’m Still HerePernambuco, with The Secret Agent, and now Brazil arriving in Berlin with projects from young filmmakers. It’s São Paulo, it’s diversity, it’s Brazil appearing”, he said.
Scene from the movie I’m still here. Photo: Alile Dara Onawale/Sony Picutres
For Leonardo Edde, the key to sustaining this growth lies in the continuity of public policies.
“What we are structuring is a perennial public policy, with long cycles, without interruptions as we have seen in other moments in history.”
“If there is no interruption, Brazilian cinema will always be on the rise, because we have incredible directors, artists, producers and companies”, he stated.
He remembers that international recognition dialogues directly with the creative economy and other sectors. “This goes hand in hand with tourism, GDP, industry. Audiovisual is an industry.”
In the assessment of the president of RioFilme, Brazil is moving towards a more solid audiovisual industry, but still faces structural challenges.
“We are growing. Brazil is the hot ticket, but it needs to be the hot spot more frequently. We have a strong domestic market, but we need to become more international,” he said.
Leonardo Edde also reinforces that the role of public authorities goes beyond financing production. “It’s not just promotion. It’s distribution, promotion and movie theaters. The theater is still the most noble environment for the film, and it is our responsibility to take care of this ecosystem.”
Incentive Policies
In this sense, public policies such as the Audiovisual Sector Fund (FSA) and the Federal Culture Incentive Law, known as the Rouanet Law, fulfill complementary roles: Rouanet establishes specific segments that can receive support through tax incentives, such as short and medium-length audiovisual productions and the construction and maintenance of movie theaters, while feature films mainly rely on the FSA.
In case of The Secret Agent and I’m Still Herethe awarded works did not use Rouanet resources, as the law does not finance feature films.
In recent statements, in January 2026, Wagner Moura emphatically defended the Rouanet Law and other development mechanisms, reacting to criticism and misinformation on the topic, by stating:
“I cannot explain the Rouanet Law to those who have not yet assimilated the Lei Áurea”, suggesting that resistance to cultural policies reflects a historical misunderstanding of the role of the State.
The FSA, administered by ANCINE, is today one of the main instruments in the sector, investing in all stages of the production chain: from development to distribution and being widely used for most of the most successful Brazilian feature films.
Actor Wagner Moura and director Kleber Mendoça Filho during a press conference with the cast of the film The Secret Agent, at the Renaissance hotel. Photo: Paulo Pinto/Agência Brasil
Challenge of attracting the public
For film critic Flávia Guerra, the current recognition of Brazilian cinema, driven by titles such as The Secret Agenthas an impact that goes beyond the immediate box office.
“Every time we experience a good phase like this, which began last year and continues now, it is important to remember that this is the result of decades of work and state public policy for audiovisual,” he stated.
Flávia considers that International prestige does not automatically translate into audience in theaters, a challenge magnified by the pandemic and the advancement of streaming.
“We still face difficulties in bringing Brazilian films to the cinema, in winning over the public and in remaining in theaters. But there is an immense gain in prestige. The public is beginning to see Brazilian films as something natural in the multiplex.”
In this context, she highlights Kleber Mendonça Filho’s speech at the Golden Globes, aimed especially at young people.
“This ‘World Cup’ atmosphere in culture is very important. Just like in sport or music, seeing our artists out there inspires young people to see audiovisual as a profession, as a possible career”, said the director.
For critics, Kleber’s message speaks to a global moment of crisis, but also of opportunity. “Don’t give up on audiovisual. It employs an entire chain, from the van driver to the cateringfrom the inn to the grocery store. It’s industry. South Korea has been teaching in this sense for years.”
Berlin and the new generation
The Brazilian presence at the 2026 Berlin Festival is consolidated with productions selected from different exhibitions: Done Kite (Gugu’s World), by Allan Deberton, is part of Generation Kplus; Papayaby Priscilla Kellen, the first Brazilian animated feature selected in the festival’s history, is also on Generation Kplus; The Fabulous Time Machinea documentary by Eliza Capai, completes the Brazilian presence in the same exhibition; and If I Were Alive… I Would Liveby André Novais Oliveira, was chosen for the Panorama exhibition, one of the central showcases at the Berlinale.
For Flávia Guerra, the prominence of films by young filmmakers in Berlin exemplifies the positive effect of the current phase. “Seeing Brazilian films occupying these spaces is essential to guarantee continuity. It is not being the country of just one film, but of cinematography.”
She also cites the strength of works that dialogue with young audiences and with historical themes under new approaches.
“They are genre films, period films, which talk about very current issues. This creates dialogue with the public and expands the reach of our cinema.”
For experts, the challenge now is to transform recognition into lasting policy and constant presence in theaters and festivals. “When a film like The Secret Agent it opens the minds of the international public, it takes all of Brazilian cinema along with it”, summarizes Flávia Guerra.
“Nominations and awards depend on many factors, but the most important thing is to ensure that Brazil is recognized not for an isolated title, but for a diverse, continuous and lively cinematography.”
