the spotlight is often shone on brazilian filmmakers, giving them the chance to showcase their films to an audience they might otherwise not have access to.

during the festival numerous awards are handed out such as best film, best documentary feature, best short film, and best actor/actress.

the festival is one of the largest festivals of its type in latin america, and it is estimated that over 250,000 spectators attend festival do rio during its duration.

the rio jazz festival - one of newest rio's cultural landmarks - is a free, city-wide jazz festival sponsored by the secretary of culture for rio de janeiro state.