Grace Passo’s debut feature Our Secret has won the Best Film Kikito at the 54th Gramado Film Festival, just days before its Brazilian theatrical release on August 27. Written and directed by Passo, the drama follows a Black family attempting to rebuild their lives after a recent loss, while the youngest child carries a secret that could force the family to confront its grief together.
Originally titled Nosso Segredo, Our Secret was among the major winners announced at the festival’s closing ceremony on August 22. In addition to the top award for a Brazilian feature, the film won Kikitos for Best Cinematography for Wilssa Esser and Best Art Direction for Lucas Osório. The three awards made it one of the strongest performers in this year’s Brazilian feature competition.
The Gramado recognition arrives at an important moment for the film, with Our Secret scheduled to open in Brazilian cinemas on August 27. For Passo, the award provides a significant boost ahead of her feature directorial debut reaching a wider theatrical audience. The film had already begun building international attention earlier this year through its festival appearances.
Our Secret had its world premiere in the Perspectives section of the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival. The Brazil-Portugal production was presented as Passo’s debut feature, marking a new stage in the career of a filmmaker already known for her work as a playwright, actor and writer. Its journey from Berlin to Gramado and now into Brazilian cinemas gives the film a growing international festival profile.
The story centres on a family living with the aftermath of a recent death. Each member struggles to process the loss and find a way back to everyday life, while the youngest child holds a secret that gradually becomes a catalyst for confronting the grief the family has been trying to avoid. The cast includes Efraim Santos, Flip, Jéssica Gaspar, Ju Colombo and Marisa Revert.
Passo’s Best Film victory came during a competitive year for Brazilian cinema at Gramado. Allan Deberton’s Feito Pipa won the Audience Award for Best Brazilian Feature, while Deberton also received the Best Director prize. Teca Pereira won Best Actress and Lázaro Ramos took Best Supporting Actor for the film. Carlos Segundo’s Leite em Pó received the Critics’ Jury Award and also won Best Screenplay and Best Sound Design.
The 54th Gramado Film Festival ran from August 12 to 22 and featured films across 10 sections. According to the festival, the 11-day edition screened 61 films and presented 59 awards, including 40 Kikitos, with more than $500,000 in prize money distributed across the competition.
For Our Secret, the immediate significance of the Gramado win extends beyond another festival trophy. The film now heads into its Brazilian theatrical release with the Best Film Kikito as a major point of recognition, while its earlier Berlin premiere has already introduced Passo’s debut feature to an international festival audience.
Brazilian audiences will be able to watch Our Secret in cinemas from August 27. Whether the film continues its awards run or secures further international recognition remains to be seen, but its Gramado triumph gives Grace Passo’s debut feature a strong platform as it begins its theatrical journey.
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