Festival do Rio was founded in 1999 as the result of the merger of two earlier film festivals: the Rio Cine Festival, founded in 1984, and the Mostra Banco Nacional de Cinema, founded in 1988. In its first edition, held between September 16 and 30, the festival featured a program of more than 400 titles, including premieres by Brazilian filmmakers such as
Carlos Reichenbach,
Eduardo Coutinho, and
Walter Salles, alongside a wide range of international works. In the 2007 edition, the festival achieved the historic milestone of screening more than 300 previously unreleased films, both Brazilian and international, from 60 countries, including award-winning titles from major festivals such as
Cannes,
Sundance, and
Venice, as well as from the
Academy Awards. In 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the festival’s 21st edition was postponed to the following year. The 2021 edition was broadcast on the Telecine network between July 17 and 30, 2021, via streaming and on the Telecine Cult TV channel. Subsequently, free festival screenings were announced on digital platforms and through an in-person extension at Estação Net Botafogo. The full selection of the 2021 edition was presented from December 9 to 19, 2021, also in a hybrid format, both in-person and virtual. In December of the same year, it was announced that the festival’s business market, RioMarket, would be held virtually for the first time. == Troféu Redentor for the Best Picture==