Gramado Film Festival 2026: Day-by-Day Schedule

The Gramado Film Festival 2026 runs from August 12 to 22 and brings together 61 films, competitive screenings, debates, tributes, ceremonies, the Gramado Film Market and Cinema in the Neighborhoods. Below you’ll find a clickable schedule: just tap or click a date to open that day’s lineup. The schedule was checked against the official program of the 54th edition on August 11, 2026.

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When does the Gramado Film Festival 2026 take place?

The 54th edition runs from Wednesday, August 12, to Saturday, August 22, 2026. The first four days focus on student showcases, the opening and the start of the competitions; from August 16 onward, the schedule adds reruns, debates, Cinema in the Neighborhoods and daily competitive screenings.

The Sedac Accessible Cinema Showcase remains available throughout the entire festival, with no specific time slot, featuring three films and free admission. The organizers note that the schedule may change up to the eve of each screening, so it’s worth checking the official page again before heading out to the event.

Where to stay in Gramado

Gramado Film Festival 2026 schedule by day

The calendar below reproduces the official day-by-day lineup, with times, activities, venues and every title tied to each screening. Click a date to switch the schedule. The program was audited again, item by item, on August 11, 2026.

Important: the Sedac Accessible Cinema Showcase, with three films and free admission, appears in every day’s schedule. For last-minute changes, titles shown within each block and age ratings, check the full day-by-day lineup.

Tickets and free activities

Evening screenings with films at the Palácio dos Festivais require a ticket. Debates, Cinema in the Neighborhoods, daytime screenings and student showcases are listed as free activities in the schedule; the Educavídeo Showcase is by invitation. Since each event has its own access rules, confirm the information shown in the official program.

The rule is detailed both in the program and in the official notice about the festival’s free activities. Confirm availability and ticket pickup before heading to the Palácio, especially for the opening, closing and awards ceremonies.

Where the festival takes place

The Palácio dos Festivais hosts the main screenings and ceremonies. The debates and part of the professional programming take place at the Hotel Serra Azul, while the red carpet openings fill the Rua Coberta. Cinema in the Neighborhoods brings screenings to municipal schools; the exact location of each activity appears in the calendar above.

• Palácio dos Festivais: Av. Borges de Medeiros, 2697.
• Hotel Serra Azul: Av. das Hortênsias, 1530.
• Rua Coberta: Rua Madre Verônica, downtown.
• Cinema in the Neighborhoods: EMEF Mosés Bezzi, EMEF Senador Salgado Filho, EMEF Presidente Vargas, EMEF Nossa Senhora de Fátima and EMEF Maximiliano Hahn, depending on the day.

Accessibility at the screenings

According to the organizers, films in the competitive showcases will feature audio description, Libras and descriptive subtitles through the MovieReading app. The Sedac Accessible Cinema Showcase is also available online from August 12 to 22 with these resources.

Since availability varies by film, check the app before choosing your screening. This check is especially important for the shorts blocks, where resources may vary between titles shown at the same time.

Films and showcases of the 54th edition

The official selection brings together 61 films across 10 showcases: opening, closing, special screenings, Petrobras Children’s Showcase, Sedac Accessible Cinema Showcase, Brazilian features, Brazilian documentaries, Gaúcho features, Brazilian shorts and Gaúcho shorts. The Educavídeo and University student showcases are part of the parallel programming.

A balanced combination is to pick one Brazilian feature, one Gaúcho production, one documentary and at least one shorts block. The free debates at the Hotel Serra Azul help deepen the experience, while the morning reruns offer an alternative for those who couldn’t get a ticket to the evening screening.

Actors, filmmakers and tributes

Gramado connects the current program to a long memory of actors, directors and producers. Among the Brazilian names cited in the official history are Othon Bastos, José Wilker, Sônia Braga, Fernanda Torres, Marieta Severo and Marília Pêra; on the Ibero-American scene, Pedro Almodóvar, Javier Bardem, Marisa Paredes and Norma Aleandro appear.

In the 54th edition, Andréa Beltrão receives the Oscarito Trophy; Renata Almeida Magalhães, the Eduardo Abelin Trophy; and Marcos Caruso, the Cidade de Gramado Trophy. The Crystal Kikito will be awarded for the first time to two artists in the same edition: Selton Mello and Maria Fernanda Cândido. The official list also includes Jorge Henrique Boca and the Iecine and Leonardo Machado recognitions.

History of the festival and the Kikito

The Gramado Film Festival was made official in 1973, and its first edition took place from January 10 to 14 of that year. The Kikito, created by Elisabeth Rosenfeld as the “God of Good Humor,” became the symbol of the awards and of the bond between the event and the city.

In 1992, facing a crisis in Brazilian cinema, the festival broadened its focus to Ibero-American production. In 2012, in its 40th edition, it adopted a more democratic profile, with greater participation from industry organizations and the return of shorts to the Palácio. Gramadotur took over the organization in 2014. These milestones can be found in the official history of the festival.

How to plan your trip to Gramado

If the festival is the priority, staying downtown reduces travel between the Palácio, Rua Coberta and Hotel Serra Azul. Save the evenings for ticketed screenings and use the mornings for reruns, debates or short outings. Lago Negro, Rua Torta and the budget Gramado guide fit better into windows without mandatory programming.

If you have a free day, you can book a tour of the region, but avoid long activities on days with priority films. Traveling to Canela or far-flung attractions works best before the competitions begin or after the final ceremony.

On the eve of each screening, open the official schedule again, confirm the venue and check whether the activity requires a ticket, invitation or advance pickup. This routine keeps you from relying on an old screenshot when the organizers make adjustments.

With your program chosen, leave gaps between the Palácio and Hotel Serra Azul and arrive early for the evening screenings. That way, the calendar works as a starting point, not as a marathon that leaves no time to talk about the films.

You can already plan the next one: see the Gramado Film Festival 2027.

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