'Amora' debuts at Festival do Rio, bringing lesbian narratives by Natalia Borges Polesso to Brazil’s biggest film showcase

Series premiere at Festival do Rio spotlights sapphic stories

On October 7, the Festival do Rio hosted the first public screening of Amora, a new Brazilian series adapted from the book by Natalia Borges Polesso. The show, directed by Juliana Rojas among others and featuring actors including Bruna Linzmeyer and Ana Hikari, held its premiere as part of the festival’s Première Brasil Séries strand. The debut brings four self contained stories of love between women to one of Latin America’s most important film events, placing television work alongside cinema in a national showcase.

What the premiere means for Brazilian television and representation

Amora’s arrival in Rio is significant on several fronts. First, it is an example of literary adaptation that keeps queer female desire at the center, translating Polesso’s intimate vignettes for a broader screen audience. Second, its presence in Première Brasil Séries underlines how festivals are increasingly treating high quality domestic television as part of national audiovisual culture, not just cinema. Festival programmers say curating series alongside feature films creates opportunities for industry exposure, critical debate and press attention that can shape distribution paths.

Creative pedigree and expectations

The series gathers established names from Brazilian film and television. Juliana Rojas is known for films that blend genre and social themes, and the cast includes performers who have been prominent across contemporary Brazilian drama. Festival listings and program notes indicate that Amora’s episodes are adapted and written by Thais Guisasola and Julia Anquier. The production’s opening screening at the festival anticipates a later run on Canal Brasil, where the series is expected to reach a national audience in 2027.

Festival context and programming choices

Festival do Rio runs across the city through October 11, featuring dozens of Brazilian premieres and hundreds of screenings across competitive and noncompetitive sections. Première Brasil remains a major showcase for national productions, and this year’s edition includes a broad slate of features, documentaries and series episodes that reflect current industry trends: literatures to screen, auteur directors working in serial forms, and an emphasis on narratives from outside the traditional commercial mainstream.

Audience and industry response so far

Early reactions at the premiere highlighted the work’s sensitivity to character and tone, as well as its commitment to centered lesbian stories without relegating them to secondary status. Industry attendees at Première Brasil Séries noted that platforms and broadcasters have grown more willing to back productions that explore sexuality and gender beyond token representation. For creators, the festival slot provides a chance to court buyers, programmers and critics who can influence festival runs, broadcast windows and streaming deals.

Why this development matters

Amora’s premiere matters because Brazilian festivals act as gatekeepers between production and wider public attention. A Sundance or Berlin slot may propel a project internationally, but home festivals like Festival do Rio determine how Brazilian audiences and press initially engage with new work. By putting a sapphic series in a prominent festival strand, programmers send a message about the value and seriousness of queer television storytelling, which can affect commissioning and commissioning attitudes across networks and streamers.

What remains uncertain and what to watch next

Several questions remain open. Festival showings do not guarantee distribution terms or release schedules, so the timing and reach of Amora’s broadcast on Canal Brasil or other platforms will determine its ultimate cultural footprint. Critical reception across the remainder of Festival do Rio, plus any awards or juried recognition the series might receive, will also shape momentum. Finally, how broadcasters and streamers choose to market Amora will affect whether its intimate stories find mainstream audiences or remain primarily a festival and niche-streaming phenomenon.

For now, Amora’s screening on October 7 places literary, queer female narratives squarely in the public conversation at one of Brazil’s flagship cultural events, and it underlines the growing role of festivals in launching quality television that grapples seriously with identity, desire and belonging.