RioFilme, Rio de Janeiro's official film and TV agency, is set to launch a R$15 million (roughly $3 million) fund to support up to four international co-production projects involving companies based in the city. Agency president Leonardo Edde will unveil full details of the initiative at his panel during the Gramado Film Market at Brazil's Gramado Fest, with the scheme forming part of a wider push to cement Rio's status as a major global production hub while expanding into new markets, including China.

Fiction and animated feature projects will be eligible, provided they comply with Brazilian regulations. Where the foreign partner comes from one of 13 countries with existing co-production treaties with Brazil, terms must follow those agreements; otherwise, the Rio-based partner must hold at least 40% of the film's rights and ensure two-thirds of cast and crew are Brazilian, per rules set by national film agency Ancine. The move follows strong growth in international filming in Rio, which hosted 40 productions in the first half of 2026, up from 28 a year earlier, and builds on efforts to deepen ties with Brics partners, particularly China, ahead of a planned November visit by the China Film Producers' Association and a prospective Brazil-China co-production treaty.