Measure applies to rooms across the country and was published in the Official Gazette
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a decree that renews, for 2026, the mandatory so-called screen quota in cinemas. The measure establishes a minimum percentage of national films being shown in the programming of Brazilian theaters throughout the year and was published in the Official Gazette of the Union this Wednesday (24). The rules remain practically the same as those adopted in 2025. The quota varies from 7.5% of annual sessions for exhibitors with just one room to 16% for groups with 201 rooms or more.
The decree also maintains the requirement for a minimum number of different Brazilian titles shown per year. Cinemas with a single room must present at least four different national films in 2026. The requirement increases gradually depending on the size of the complex, reaching 32 feature films for those with 16 rooms or more.
Created in 2001, the screen quota policy was in force for 20 years. In 2024, a new law made the measure mandatory until 2033. Despite being the subject of controversy and legal disputes, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) has already decided that the quota is constitutional.
The choice of films to be shown is exclusively up to the cinemas, without direct government interference. According to the decree, the measure aims to ensure balanced competition in the sector, strengthen the self-sustainability of the film industry and expand the production, distribution and exhibition of Brazilian works.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
