FID:RIO – Festival Internacional De Documentales De Río De Janeiro (2)

Festival Start: 04 Juni 2026      Festival Ende: 14 Juni 2026

FID:RIO is the new International Documentary Film Festival based in Rio de Janeiro, inspired by the spirit that established FIDBA as the most important documentary festival in Ibero-America. FID:RIO envisions itself as a gathering space for non-fiction cinema, where films share a common vocation for reflection, formal exploration, and a critical gaze upon the world we live in.

Based on this premise, FID:RIO presents itself as an annual event that combines a selection of films by emerging directors with retrospectives of renowned filmmakers, as well as the recovery of essential works that remain outside the commercial circuit. The festival is an open platform for all documentary languages and for all forms that question reality and seek to understand it through cinema.

FID:RIO also aims to expand the cinematic experience toward other languages and formats, opening a dialogue between documentary and other disciplines: from photography to installations, from documentary theater to transmedia storytelling, and from traditional narration to new digital platforms. In this intersection between reality and fiction, documentary emerges as an irreplaceable form of contemporary thought.

In a world where markets tend to turn every connection into a spectacle, documentary cinema reaffirms its uniqueness: it works with uncertainty, instability, and unpredictability. And that fragility is precisely its strength. Documentary cinema invents forms, builds new maps, and explores territories that we do not yet fully know.

LINK:RIO is the industry section of FID:RIO, the direct successor of the work consolidated by LINK at FIDBA, one of the most important documentary gatherings in Latin America. Its aim is to strengthen documentary production through various instances of support, training, networking, and project development.

Its activities include:

Work in Progress – Presentation of projects at an advanced stage.

One-to-One Meetings – Individual meetings between filmmakers and decision-makers.

DocLab – A laboratory for projects in development.

Masterclasses and Conferences – Spaces for training and inspiration with national and international leaders.

FID:RIO grants official trophies and diplomas to the winners of each competition category:

International Feature Documentary Competition

International Short Documentary Competition

Brazilian Short Documentary Competition

Latin American Feature Documentary Competition

International Emerging Directors Competition (Debut Films)

International New Narratives Competition (Experimental Cinema)

Brazilian Feature Documentary Competition

Thematic Panorama Competition (Human Rights, Environment, Gender, etc.)

International Reality Fiction Competition (Fiction Based on Real Events)

International Queer Doc Competition (LGBTQI+ Documentaries)

International Human Rights Competition

International Children and Youth Competition

Each category will grant a FID:RIO Award (official trophy and diploma). In addition, special mentions and parallel awards may be granted by institutions, associations, and partners from the audiovisual sector.

FID:RIO 2026 Regulations

1. General Conditions
The 2nd International Documentary Film Festival of Rio de Janeiro (FID:RIO) will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 4 to 14, 2026.

SUBMISSION:

1.1 – Eligibility
The call for entries is open to national and international documentary short and feature films completed after January 1, 2025.

1.2 – Competition Categories
FID:RIO’s program will include several competitive sections. Films must be submitted in the category the applicant deems appropriate; however, the selection committee reserves the right to reassign them if necessary.

1.3 – Submission
Submission is exclusively through authorized digital platforms. Submitting the entry form will be considered a sworn statement of knowledge and acceptance of these regulations.

1.4 – Participation
Once selected, a film may not be withdrawn from the festival. The film’s team must not publicly announce its selection before the festival does so officially.

2. COMPETITION CATEGORIES

International Feature Documentary Competition

International Short Documentary Competition

Brazilian Short Documentary Competition

Latin American Feature Documentary Competition

International Emerging Directors Competition (first or second film)

International New Narratives Competition (experimental cinema)

Brazilian Feature Documentary Competition

Thematic Panorama Competition (Music, Sports, Architecture, Cinema)

International Reality Fiction Competition (fiction with documentary elements)

International “LATERAL” Competition (LGBTQI+ documentaries)

International Virtual Reality Documentary Competition (VR Docs)

International Human Rights Competition

International Children and Youth Competition

All Brazilian films must be submitted under the NATIONAL category, regardless of theme or duration.

Only works that have not premiered or been screened in Rio de Janeiro—either in festivals or cinemas—will be eligible.

3. OFFICIAL AWARDS
Each competitive category will grant the following awards:

1st FID:RIO Award – Official trophy + diploma

The jury may also grant up to two special mentions per category.

Partner associations and entities may present additional parallel awards.

4. REQUIRED MATERIALS

4.1 – For Pre-selection:

Completed online entry form

Online screener link (Vimeo, YouTube, etc.)

Subtitles in Spanish or English (if the original language is neither Spanish nor Portuguese)

Indicate whether the submitted version is a final cut, rough cut, or work in progress

4.2 – If Selected:

Subtitles in Spanish (.srt) and English (.srt)

Dialogue list in both languages

Technical and artistic information, director’s bio and filmography, synopsis, and a high-resolution photo

5. SCREENING FORMAT AND PRESENTATION

5.1 – Accepted Screening Formats:

DCP (Digital Cinema Package)

MOV or MP4 digital file (H.264 / max bitrate: 12 Mbps)

Other formats may only be used with the festival’s express approval

5.2 – Subtitles and Original Version:
Films will be screened in their original version. International works must include Spanish subtitles (and preferably English subtitles as well) in .srt format.
No hardcoded subtitles are allowed.
Brazilian films: a subtitled copy in English is requested or, alternatively, a timecoded dialogue list in English.

6. PROMOTION AND ARCHIVE
The Festival may use up to 3 minutes of each selected film (or up to 10% for short films) for promotional purposes.
Selected films may be included in the FID:RIO Online Video Library, accessible only to accredited press and filmmakers.
Submitted materials will not be returned.
The programming, screening dates, and times will be determined by the festival organization.

7. FINAL PROVISIONS
Participation in FID:RIO implies full acceptance of these regulations. Any situation not covered herein will be resolved by the Festival’s organizing team.