Cinema in Rio de Janeiro – Going to the Movies in Rio
On the rainy days in Rio you may want to go to a cinema? This is obviously not the typical thing to do for a tourist. Going to the movies is something you can do at home, but on vacation you preferably want to get to know the place you are visiting.
When Going to the Cinema in Rio
One of the first questions you have to ask yourself is if the film is dubbed or subtitled. Most foreign films are subtitled, it then says legendado, that means if it’s a French film the sound is original and you have Portuguese subtitles. If it says dublado it means you have the dreaded voice-over and no subtitles. Dublado-films are more common for children’s movies and in Rio’s suburbs, but it is always good to check before paying the entrance. The price is around 35 R$ but you can get it for half the price with an international student id card!
There are two franchises that own almost all the movie theatres in Rio. The largest being Severiano Ribeiro and the other is Cinemark. Clicking on the links will take you to their sites and with a bit of navigation you can get all the info you need about which movies are on and where. You also have that same info listed in the newspaper O Globo everyday..
Film Festivals
Every year there are two film festivals. The biggest is the international Festival do Rio, two weeks of international films, lectures and events. It takes place all over the city but its base is at the oldest cinema in Rio: Cine Odeon at the Cinelândia in the old city center of Rio. You can buy movie passes for a day or for the whole event. On the site you have more detailed info. Normally the festival takes place in September or October.