In 2025, Rio de Janeiro achieved a remarkable milestone in its audiovisual industry, hosting an unprecedented 10,930 filming days, marking a substantial 24.6% increase over the previous year. This impressive figure was unveiled by Leonardo Edde, the president-director of RioFilme, at the Audiovisual and Tourism Forum on March 12th. This event served as a platform to explore the symbiotic relationship between film and television productions and their capacity to bolster Brazil's tourism sector and economic growth. Edde further elaborated, drawing upon data from RioFilme's Film Commission, that Rio maintained more than 30 production sets operating concurrently throughout the year, encompassing a diverse range of projects from feature films and series to television programs and commercials.
While local Brazilian productions constituted the vast majority, accounting for 95.5% of the total shooting days in Rio during 2025, foreign productions also made a notable contribution, representing 4.5% of the activity, with 28 international projects choosing Rio as their backdrop. This strong domestic market is a source of pride, yet a primary objective for the coming year is to further attract a greater number of international productions to the city. Rio's burgeoning appeal as a filming location is evident, as it surpassed Paris in shooting days in 2023 and is now closely trailing Madrid, which registered 11,001 filming days in 2025. The inaugural Audiovisual and Tourism Forum, held at the Rio Art Museum (MAR) as part of the broader TurisMall 2026 event, featured prominent figures such as Sérgio Sá Leitão, Brazil's former Minister of Culture, and Steve Solot, formerly the senior VP for Latin America of MPA, acting as curators. Solot emphasized in his keynote address that cinematic works are inherently more effective than conventional advertising in promoting tourist destinations due to their extensive reach, enduring impact, and ability to forge emotional connections with audiences.
The synergy between the audiovisual and tourism sectors is a powerful engine for economic prosperity, generating substantial revenue and employment opportunities. As Sá Leitão pointed out, while several Brazilian cities have successfully leveraged film and TV productions to enhance their tourist profiles, there remains considerable potential for further development and innovation in this area. This remarkable growth in Rio de Janeiro's filming industry not only highlights the city's artistic and technical capabilities but also its increasing importance as a global cultural hub, offering a vibrant and dynamic environment for creative endeavors and contributing significantly to the national economy.