First Oscar for Brazil adds zest to Rio Carnival extravaganza

"I'm Still Here" earned Brazil's first Oscar in the best international film category, sparking a national fervor usually reserved for the Rio Carnival or the football World Cup.

"The Oscar is ours," an announcer shouted over the loudspeakers, news greeted with screaming and hugs from some 70,000 people who packed the legendary catwalk, the symbol of the world's most famous carnival.

A screen broadcast the news, and colorful sparklers lit up in the stands.

The expectation for the possibility of winning a golden statuette had grown in recent weeks, and the coincidence of the Hollywood gala with the carnival celebrations doubled the enthusiasm.

"It's really crazy. We were at the parade when we found out we had won, and it was a very big thing. Long live Brazilian cinema," said Brazilian actor Wesley Torquato.

The film, directed by Walter Salles, tells the story of former congressman Ruben Paiva's disappearance in 1971, and the actions by his widow Eunice during the country's military dictatorship, which lasted from 1964-1985.

It also earned nominations for best picture and best lead actress for Fernanda Torres, who already won a Golden Globe award for her performance.

"Today is a day to be even more proud to be Brazilian. Proud of our cinema, of our artists and, above all, proud of our democracy," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a post on social platform X after the award was announced in Los Angeles.

Oscars buzz was all over the streets of Rio, as billboards and posters touting support for Torres were displayed alongside revelers dressed up as her in the carnival parades -- with some displays dedicated entirely to the actor.

Among the crowds, many attendees wielded plastic golden statuettes sold by street vendors.

Similar celebratory scenes were seen in others cities such as Recife, Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo.

"There is no better day than a carnival Sunday to win the Oscar," Rebecca Maria Darakjian Batoni, a 25-year-old celebrant in the northeast city of Olinda, told AFP.

"Fernanda is an example, an idol for all of Brazil, and today we're all going to stop to see her win the Oscar," said Cristina Leite de Moraes, a 25-year-old doctor.

Torres, 59, has said she felt "very proud" that the streets were filled with her image.

At Rio's Sambadrome, the top 12 samba schools will compete from Sunday until Tuesday, in a new three-day format instead of the traditional two.

The change will give each group a little more time, up to 80 minutes, for its thousands of dancers and musicians to go down the catwalk in front of some 70,000 attendees and millions of television viewers around the world.

Authorities said that excitement over the Oscars win could help amplify economic activity generated by the carnival, with estimates for the festival approaching the $1 billion dollar mark.