Brazil's Gramado Film Festival is launching its first Residency for Young Filmmakers, a new addition to the Gramado Film Market that will run from 17 to 19 August. The programme aims to support emerging talent in the country's audiovisual industry by giving early-career professionals structured access to masterclasses, industry panels and networking opportunities alongside the festival's main screenings.

Sixty filmmakers aged between 18 and 35 were selected from more than 200 applicants, most from Rio Grande do Sul, the state where Gramado is based, with others coming from Bahia, Goiás, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Sergipe, Pernambuco and the Federal District. The intensive three-day schedule comprises 17 sessions covering distribution, screenwriting, directing, sound, production, post-production, career internationalisation and environmental sustainability, with masterclasses led by figures including Paris Filmes CEO Marcio Fraccaroli and producer Veronica Stumpf, who both stressed the importance of training new professionals to strengthen Brazil's film sector.