Gramado Film Festival Makes Its Young Filmmakers Residency Permanent, With a Second Edition Set for 2027
The Gramado Film Festival has decided to make its Residency for Young Filmmakers a permanent fixture, with a second edition scheduled for the festival's 2027 run. The announcement came from Rosa Helena Volk, president of Gramadotur, the festival's organizing body, on August 20, 2026 — one day after the inaugural edition wrapped. Variety
The first residency gathered 60 filmmakers aged 18 to 35 from nine Brazilian states. Over three days, they sat through 17 masterclasses and talks totalling 27 hours, led by executives and talent from across Brazil's film industry. Ralfe Cardoso, general coordinator of the Gramado Film Market — the festival's industry arm, where sales agents and buyers do business — oversaw the programme alongside the broader market operations.
Volk said Gramadotur will evaluate the first edition before the 2027 return. The question is whether to keep the current format or adjust specific elements. No changes have been announced yet.
The residency sits inside a festival that is drawing interest from well beyond its home in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Gramado received 1,100 film registrations for its upcoming edition, with productions submitted from 25 Brazilian states, according to the festival's own site. Festival de Cinema de Gramado Volk has also noted that the festival held its event in Rio de Janeiro for the fourth consecutive year. Instagram
In May 2025, Volk and Tatiana Ferreira, Gramadotur's director of events, attended the fifth edition of a forum held in Paris, part of the festival's effort to build international connections. Instagram
What stands out is the scale of the launch. Sixty participants from nine states, 27 hours of programming, and a decision to lock in a permanent slot — all inside a first edition that lasted three days. For a festival already receiving over a thousand film submissions, the residency adds a pipeline for the people who will make those films, not just screen them.
The next step is the evaluation Volk described. Whatever adjustments come, the commitment to a 2027 return means the residency now has a fixed place on Gramado's calendar.
