The 'Festival of Rio' which began in 1999, is one of the most important film festivals in the world and has showcased some of the biggest and best talent in direction, including Costa Gavras and Joăo Pedro Rodrigues, as well as world-famous actors such as Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irons and Helel Mirren - One of the key aims of the festival is to disseminate Brazilian culture to the rest of the world.

Rio also hosts an international book fair, in which publishers, booksellers authors, connoisseurs, and enthusiasts gather to learn about and discuss a wealth of different literature, offering a space for provocative and fruitful communication between intellectuals and the public.

Since 2003, Rio de Janeiro state has been home to the highly prestigious FLIP festival.