As Brazil’s explosion on the Oscar and A-Fest scene turns its leading actors into international stars, two of its biggest revelations, “I’m Not Here” co-star Selton Mello and “The Secret Agent” star María Fernanda Cândido, will be honored at Brazil’s Gramado Film Festival, bringing the aura of burgeoning international renown to one of the country’s biggest and oldest film events.

The 54th edition of Brazil’s Gramado Film Festival, taking place in a mountain resort famous for its alpine-style architecture, snow, chocolate shops and fondue restaurants, will appropriately open with a world premiere that again contrasts the country’s tropical image: “Antarctica,” set on a South Pole base.

Produced by Brazilian media giant Globo, “Antártida” is directed by Bruno Safadi, director of the hit television series “Aruanas.” It is written by Claudia Jovin, one of Brazil’s most promising writers after writing the Globoplay 2025 smash hit “Perfect Days.”

Six Brazilian feature films will compete in Gramado for the main Kikito award, five of them world premieres, among them “Chorão: Só os Loucos Sabem”, “Justino – Nos Bastidores do Reino”, “Leite em Pó”, “Nosso Segredo” and “Pele de Rinoceronte”. The sixth, “Gugu’s World” (“Feito Pipa”), won the best film award at the Generation KPlus in Berlin this year.

From August 12 to 22, Gramado will close with “La Perra”, by the Chilean Dominga Sotomayor, well received at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes and co-produced by the important Brazilian company RT Features.

Four feature films compete for the documentary Kikito de Gramado: “Afrontosa”, by Coraci Ruiz and Julio Matos; “Empeleitada”, by Micaele Xukuru, Chico Ludermir and Sergio Borges; “Gonzaguinha, da Maior Liberdade”, directed by Susanna Lira; and “O Projeto”, directed by Sabrina Fidalgo and Yvan Rodic.

Gramado will also present the long-awaited Brazilian premiere “Emergência 53”, episode 1, a Conspiração production for Globoplay by two driving forces behind Globo’s small hit “Under Pressure”. Andrucha Waddington and Cláudio Torres. In a rallying moment, artistic television caution stood out at this year’s Berlinale Series Market for its audacity: the mobile procedural medical emergency unit won the event’s first Studio Babelsberg Production Excellence Award for outstanding creative projects that combine artistic ambition with international potential.

Actresses Ana Flavia Cavalcanti and Camila Morgado and film critic Marcos Santuario were the curators of this year’s festival selection.

Mello, a child star of Globo soap operas who went on to headline several Brazilian films, played the role of Father Rubens Paiva in “I’m Still Here,” the first Portuguese-language Brazilian feature film to win an Academy Award, in addition to making a splash in Brazil’s art scene by directing “The Clown” and “The Movie of My Life.”

Cândido is known internationally for her roles in 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.

The president of the Brazilian Film Academy, producer Renata Almeida Magalhães (“Favela Gay”) will receive the Eduardo Abelin Trophy. Andrea Beltrão, nominated for an International award. Emmy Award for his performance in “Hebe”, he will take home the Oscarito Trophy. The actor, screenwriter and director Marcos Caruso (“Avenida Brasil”) will be honored with the City of Gramado Trophy.

The Gramado Film Festival is organized by Gramadotur, the tourism and culture authority of the Gramado City Council. This mountain resort town of 40,000 inhabitants is located in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state. It has a distinctly Bavarian feel, reflecting the influx of German settlers in the 19th century.

Rosa Helena Volk, president of Gramadotur, highlighted that all feature films in this year’s competitive sections will offer audio description and interpretation in Brazilian Sign Language and subtitles.

A closer look at some of the festival’s biggest films:

opening movie

“Antarctica” It stars Andrea Beltrão, Marina Ruy Barbosa, Leandra Leal, Antonio Calloni, Lázaro Ramos and João Vitor Silva. The film was filmed at Globo’s modern studios in Rio, with technology that simulated sequences in Antarctica. He turns on Inês, who is assaulted at a Brazilian base at the South Pole with scientists and military personnel, turning all the men into suspects. Deputy Commander Elisabeth leads an investigation to find the perpetrator. Paris Filmes will release “Antartida” in local theaters on September 17.

“I come from auteur cinema, but I had the opportunity to make a great production with all the resources and time we needed,” said Safadi at the event announcing the festival’s poster.

“It took me nine years to see this project come to life. What was missing was the technology. I can’t wait to feel the warmth of the audience,” Jouvin said.

METROMain films in competition:

“Corão: Só os Loucos Sabem” (Hugo Prata and Felipe Novaes) narrates the life of Chorão, leader of the local pop group Charlie Brown Jr. José Loreto and Nanda Marques star in the film produced by Bravura Cinematographic in co-production with Globo Filmes.

“Justin – Our Racks of the Kingdom” (José Eduardo Belmonte). Set in the 1980s in Rio de Janeiro in the 1980s and produced by Mercado Filmes. Vet Belmonte directs the film starring Christian Malheiros, Antonio Pitanga and Caio Blat. In the story, the protagonist finds an opportunity to escape poverty in a powerful neo-Pentecostal church.

“Leite em Pó” (Carlos Segundo). Produced by O Sopro do Tempo, Vitrine Filmes and Les Valseurs, the story of a rock-obsessed musician whose life falls apart after the loss of his family. The cast includes Vinicius de Oliveira, Antonio Pitanga, Zezita Matos and Rejane Faria.

“Nosso Segredo” (Grace Passô). Produced by Entre Filmes and co-production with Globo Filmes, the story of a family’s attempt to rebuild their routine after a recent loss. The film stars Robert Frank, Efraim Santos, Jéssica Gaspar, Flip and Ju Colombo.

“Rhinoceros Pelé” (Marcello Ludwig Maia). Set in the 1970s and starring Débora Falabella as a reporter for a popular newspaper whose life changes after a murder that shocked Brazil. The drama also features Naruna Costa and Irandhir Santos. República Pureza produced the film, in co-production with Canal Brasil and Telecine. “’Pele de Rinoceronte’ is a deeply personal story that addresses what I consider a major problem in Brazil: violence against women,” Maia said.

“The world of Gugu” (“Feito Pipa”, Allan Deberton) focuses on a boy who dreams of becoming a great soccer player. Raised by his grandmother, he fears having to live with his father again. Starring Lázaro Ramos, Yuri Gomes and Teca Pereira and produced by Deberton Filmes and Biônica Filmes (“Charcoal”, “Toll”).