Brazil’s oldest film festival in Paraíba opens free submissions today, April 2, for short and feature films. The deadline is July 2.
The Fest Aruanda International Audiovisual Festival of Paraíba reaches its 21st edition with submissions opening this Thursday, April 2. The festival is scheduled for December 2–10, 2026, in João Pessoa, in Brazil’s northeastern state of Paraíba.
Cinema on the beach and in the theater
Screenings will take place in two iconic settings: the Cinépolis theater at Manaíra Shopping and the sands of Tambaú Beach, through the special program AruandaPraia (Cinema & Music). Festival founder and executive director Lúcio Vilar confirmed that the 2026 edition will feature three beachside festival days, building on the success of the previous year.
“We are already working to put together an audiovisual lineup that honors 21 years of history, inspired by the film that gives the festival its name.” — Lúcio Vilar, founder and executive director of Fest Aruanda
Submission categories
Submissions are free of charge at www.festaruanda.com.br/inscricao until 11:59 PM (Brasília time) on July 2. Filmmakers may enter works in the following categories:
- National Feature Film
- National Short Film
- Sob o Céu Nordestino (Under the Northeastern Sky) — short films from Paraíba and feature films from the Northeast region
- University TV (National) — documentary, TV program, interprogram, and news report
- Music Video — exclusive to productions from Paraíba
- Undergraduate Thesis (audiovisual format) — exclusive to productions from Paraíba
Short films must be up to 15 minutes long. Each filmmaker may submit up to two works per category.
Selection committee and curation
The national short film selection committee includes Amilton Pinheiro (journalist, curator, and film critic, São Paulo), André Dib (critic, researcher, and curator, Paraíba), and Vivi Pistache (screenwriter and critic, Belo Horizonte). Feature film curation is handled by Lúcio Vilar and Amilton Pinheiro.
International partnerships
The festival is produced by Bolandeira, Arte & Films in partnership with the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). International partners include Universidade Lusófona (Portugal), San Diego State University (USA), the Animation and Digital Arts School of the University of Communication of China (UCC), and the Franco-German Film Academy/Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris.
Event Info
- Event: 21st Fest Aruanda International Audiovisual Festival of Paraíba
- Festival dates: December 2–10, 2026
- Venues: Cinépolis (Manaíra Shopping) and Tambaú Beach — João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
- Submissions open: April 2, 2026
- Submission deadline: July 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM
- Entry fee: Free — www.festaruanda.com.br/inscricao
- Instagram: https://bit.ly/Insta_FestAruanda
- YouTube: https://bit.ly/Youtube_FestAruanda
- Facebook: https://bit.ly/Facebook_FestAruanda
- Podcasts: https://bit.ly/Podcast_Aruanda
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