Full Breakdown
Grace Passô’s Debut Feature Takes Top Honor at the 54th Gramado Film Festival
8/24/2026, 6:00:57 AM
Award-Winning Debut
Grace Passô’s first feature film, *Our Secret* (*Nosso segredo*), received the best feature film Kikito award at the closing ceremony of the 54th Gramado Film Festival. The drama, which follows a Black family coping with loss while the youngest son hides a secret, also earned Kikitos for cinematography (Wilssa Esser) and art direction (Lucas Osório).
Festival Jury and Context
The main jury was composed of actress Cris Vianna, director-screenwriter Fábio Meira, actress Helena Ranaldi, researcher-critic Kênia Freitas and actor Marcelo Serrado. A separate critics’ jury included journalist-documentary filmmaker Flavia Guerra, journalist-professor Pâmela Eurídice, documentary filmmaker-critic Rafael Valles, journalist-director Simone Zuccolotto and researcher-critic Victor Souza. Their selections highlighted a range of Brazilian cinema, from narrative features to documentaries.
Additional Honors Across Categories
Other notable winners at the festival included Allan Deberton’s *Gugu’s World* (*Feito Pipa*), which captured the audience award along with directing, acting (Teca Pereira) and supporting actor (Lázaro Ramos) Kikitos. Carlos Segundo’s *Milk Powder* secured the critics’ jury award for Brazilian feature, screenplay (Segundo and Rafael Copel) and sound design (Waldir Xavier). Acting prizes were shared by José Loreto (*Chorão: Só os Loucos Sabem*) and Christian Malheiros (*Justino: Nos Bastidores do Reino*), while Naruna Costa earned the supporting actress Kikito for *Pele de Rinoceronte*. Honorable mentions recognized 11-year-old Yuri Gomes and Onna Silva.
Distribution Outlook
Vitrine Filmes, the distributor behind Kleber Mendonça Filho’s *The Secret Agent*, will bring *Our Secret* to Brazilian theaters later in August, expanding the film’s reach beyond the festival circuit.
The ceremony also honored industry veterans: actor Marcos Caruso received the Troféu Cidade de Gramado, producer Renata Almeida Magalhães the Troféu Eduardo Abelin, and Selton Mello and Maria Fernanda Cândido the Troféu Kikito de Cristal, underscoring the festival’s role in celebrating both emerging and established talent.
