RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The Rio International Film Festival, which opens Thursday Oct. 2 with the screening of Luca Guadagnino’s “After The Hunt,” contributes to the city’s soft power and both the strengthening of the city’s film and TV industry and of Rio as a shoot destination, Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Paes told Variety in an exclusive interview.
Paes said Rio is currently one of the most popular cities in the world for filming. Since 2021, activity has grown exponentially, and in 2023 Rio surpassed Paris and Mexico City in the number of shoot days. According to the Rio Film Commission, Rio hosted a record 8,782 days of filming off 505 productions in 2024. Of the 505, itsaid, 27 were international productions, accounting for 748 filming days, a 100% uptick over 2023.
In the Jan.-Sept. 2025 period, Paes said, the Rio Film Commission has authorized 8,174 lensing days, indicating the 2024 record will likely be broken.
He said the cash rebate system his administration implemented in 2022 was key to attract productions to Rio, because it grants producers filming in the city with a discount of up to 35% on eligible local spend.
“Rio’s demand as a filming destination for Brazilian and foreign productions is in permanent growth, consolidating our city as an international reference. From January to September this year, at least 30 film crews were simultaneously working on Rio’s streets,” said Paes.
Paes added Rio Fest makes the city shine as the cinema capital of Latin America during 10 days. He stressed the fest’s program is comparable to running a marathon, because the numbers are large: There will be about 900 screenings in this edition of 186 films from 74 countries and of 124 Brazilian films. The international programming features the best of the world cinema, including 16 country submissions for the International Feature Film Oscar.
Paes also highlighted that the 27th edition of Rio Fest will host 120 distinguished guests, among them French cinema superstar Juliette Binoche who, in addition to presenting her first film as a director, will also celebrate 200 years of diplomatic relations between Brazil and France. Other guests take in Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Thomas Rosso, programmer for Cannes’ Critics’ Week, among many others.
“Countries like South Korea have invested heavily and transformed themselves into global audiovisual powerhouses, conquering hegemonic markets and exporting their brands, stories, and culture. We need not mention the strength of the creative industry in the U.S. economy. With streaming, this market has grown and transformed rapidly and profoundly in the past 10 years,” Paes said.
“Rio is a city that already has this consolidated vocation, thanks to the historical strength of our audiovisual production, the natural beauty of our iconic and diverse locations, and, of course, a favorable ecosystem that combines talent, qualified companies and good stories – making the city a hub for the sector in Brazil,” he added.
