Short answer: the 13th Mostra de Cinema de Gostoso takes place from November 20 to 24, 2026, at Praia do Maceió, in São Miguel do Gostoso (RN). The program is free, devoted exclusively to Brazilian cinema, and runs in two venues: an open-air cinema for 700 people on the sand and a second, air-conditioned room, the Sala Petrobras, for daytime screenings. If November was already in your plans for Gostoso, this is the week to book the trip.
What the Mostra de Cinema de Gostoso is
The Mostra started small and is now recognized as a cultural and tourist heritage of Rio Grande do Norte, a title it received in 2025. It is put on by the Ministry of Culture, Petrobras and the Government of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, and the selection criteria are clear: only Brazilian films get in, feature, short or medium-length, fiction, documentary or animation.
2026 is the 13th edition. Film submissions closed in August, so the full schedule of screenings by day and time should come out in the weeks before the festival. Keep an eye on the official Mostra website for the final program.
Dates and venues
The festival takes over Praia do Maceió from November 20 to 24, 2026, with two rooms running in parallel:
- Open-air room: a 12m x 6.5m screen, 4K projection and 7.1 sound, with 700 lounge chairs on the sand. The main screenings are at night, with the beach as the backdrop.
- Sala Petrobras: an air-conditioned geodesic tent, also with 4K projection and 7.1 sound, open during the day. It is the venue that carries the Mostra Panorama program and special screenings without depending on sun or rain.
Program: competition, panorama and awards
The selection is divided into blocks:
- Mostra Competitiva: features and shorts competing for the Popular Jury Trophy and the Press Trophy, the latter voted by invited journalists and critics.
- Mostra Panorama: films out of competition, with room for less conventional formats and narratives from recent Brazilian cinema.
- Special screenings and debates: meetings with directors, masterclasses and re-screenings of restored classics. The Sala Petrobras has hosted, for example, a commemorative screening of "Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus", by Marcelo Gomes.
In the 2025 edition, the winners were the documentary Aqui Não Entra Luz, by Karol Maia, in the feature category, and the short Pupá, by Osani. Watching those two before you travel gives you a yardstick for the level of the selection.
Why Petrobras is part of this
The Sala Petrobras is the festival's most visible sponsorship, in place since 2023. Besides paying for the projection setup, the investment supports a technical audiovisual training program for young people in the region: since 2013, there have been 52 workshops and 28 short films produced by local participants. It is one of the few beach festivals in Brazil where sponsorship turns, in practice, into training a workforce in the town itself, not just a room with a name on it.
How to fit the festival into your trip
November is already strong-wind season in São Miguel do Gostoso, so you can end the day with a kitesurf lesson in the morning and a film screening at night. A few things to arrange beforehand:
- The program is free, but the town fills up during festival week, so book lodging well ahead.
- Praia do Maceió is a few minutes from the center; use the days without screenings to see the rest of the Gostoso coast.
- From Natal airport to Gostoso it is 110 km, about 1h40. See the options in how to get to São Miguel do Gostoso.
Practical information
- When: November 20 to 24, 2026
- Where: Praia do Maceió, São Miguel do Gostoso (RN)
- Admission: free, subject to room capacity
- Full program and submissions: mostradecinemadegostoso.com.br
Frequently asked questions
Does the Mostra de Cinema de Gostoso cost money?
No. The whole program is free, subject to room capacity.
How many days does the festival last in 2026?
Five days, from November 20 to 24.
Do I need to buy tickets in advance?
There are no tickets for sale. Since seating is limited, 700 in the open-air room and about 130 in the Sala Petrobras, the most popular screenings tend to fill up first, so arriving early helps you get a seat.
Is the Sala Petrobras open during the day?
Yes. Unlike the open-air room, which runs at night, the Sala Petrobras is an air-conditioned tent designed for daytime screenings, keeping good picture and sound quality even under strong sun.