Rio de Janeiro is hosting the 6th edition of the Marginal Film Festival through October 24, featuring 123 Brazilian and international films, all free of charge.
The program features independent productions from the country’s five regions, spanning fiction, documentary, animation, experimental film, science fiction, magical realism, and horror.
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Cinema and the Climate Crisis Is the Theme of the 2026 Edition
The films selected for the 6th edition of the Marginal Film Festival address the climate crisis and its social, cultural, and political effects. Among them, global warming, environmental racism, land rights, housing, indigenous rights, feminism, and sexual diversity run through the selection.
Among feature-length, medium-length, and short films, audiences will have access to independent productions from the country’s five regions, spanning a wide variety of genres and styles.
Rio de Janeiro leads in the number of productions, with 20 films. São Paulo follows with 18, Rio Grande do Norte has 10, and Pernambuco and Bahia have eight each.
There are also films from Minas Gerais (six), Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Mato Grosso (four each), as well as from 14 other states and the Federal District, in addition to inter-state co-productions.
Films from the Marginal Film Festival to keep an eye on!
According to Uilton Oliveira, the festival’s founder, the number of Indigenous films—many directed by women—is particularly noteworthy, such as “A Floresta das Mulheres-Peixe” (The Forest of the Fish Women), from Amazonas.
In addition, it’s worth highlighting other standout films in this edition. Among them is “Samba Infinito,” a short film by Leonardo Martinelli, a Rio de Janeiro native from Andaraí, which premiered at Cannes in 2025.
Another film is “Onde Estamos Seguros” (Where We Are Safe), a Black horror feature by Thais Scabio and Gilberto Caetano from São Paulo, which was also screened at Cannes. Meanwhile, “Capim Navalha” (Razor Grass), by Michel Queiroz, explores the lives of transgender characters in Chapada dos Veadeiros (Federal District).
In all, there are 123 Brazilian and international films, with free screenings at various locations throughout the city, such as the Arena Dicró in Penha Circular; the Galpão Bela Maré in Maré; the Casas Casadas in Laranjeiras; the Casa Marx in Lapa; and the Cinema de Garagem in Anchieta; among others.
The festival also features debates, meetings, and discussions with filmmakers. In addition, many screenings include accessibility features, such as descriptive captions, audio description, Portuguese subtitles, and Brazilian Sign Language (Libras).
The full schedule, including dates, locations, and showtimes, is available on the festival’s website and on the event’s Instagram page.
Six editions of independent cinema
Created in 2017, the festival received 36 submissions for its first edition. This year, there were 356. The curators are Leila Xavier, Milena Manfredini, Rosa Miranda, Rosy Nascimento, and Uilton Oliveira.
“The festival exists to promote independent audiovisual works, blaze new trails, raise awareness, and strengthen narratives that society often tries to render invisible,” says Oliveira.
For curator Leila Xavier, cinema is “a critical language capable of giving visibility to populations living on the front lines of environmental impacts.” More information is available on the official website.
