NNA – The Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, in partnership with the Metropolis Cinema Association and in cooperation with the European Union Member States, is pleased to announce the 28thnbsp;European Film Festival in Lebanon. This new edition will be held from 25 September to 4 October 2023.
The European Film Festival will open onnbsp;Mondaynbsp;25 Septembernbsp;with thenbsp;Spanishnbsp;filmnbsp;Ramonanbsp;bynbsp;Andrea Bagney, which won the Best Screenplay Award atnbsp;the 2022nbsp;Rome Film Fest.nbsp;
The programmenbsp;of this 28thnbsp;editionnbsp;presentsnbsp;a wide variety of screenings and events:
bull;nbsp;27nbsp;recent feature films from Europenbsp;allowing the audience tonbsp;watchnbsp;prize-winning films, which werenbsp;screened atnbsp;majornbsp;internationalnbsp;filmnbsp;festivals, as well as the first or second productions of emergingnbsp;directors;
bull;nbsp;1nbsp;cineacute;-concertnbsp;with live music;
bull;nbsp;1nbsp;classicnbsp;feature filmnbsp;ldquo;Criacute;a Cuervosrdquo; in tribute tonbsp;Spanishnbsp;filmmakernbsp;Carlos Saura;
bull;nbsp;1 Lebanese productionnbsp;ldquo;Riverbedrdquo; by Bassem Breche to close the Festival;
bull;nbsp;12nbsp;short filmsnbsp;produced by young emerging Lebanese filmmakers, and competing to winnbsp;awards offered by Member States;
bull;nbsp;1 Film Expression Workshop: ldquo;Taabirrdquo;.
Thenbsp;feature filmsrsquo; selectionnbsp;includesnbsp;two animatednbsp;films fornbsp;thenbsp;young audience. The Festivalnbsp;willnbsp;invite children from disadvantagednbsp;socio-economic backgrounds to these screenings.
Hans Christian Andersenrsquo;s classic talenbsp;ldquo;The Little Match Girlrdquo;nbsp;(published in 1845)nbsp;was adapted into a silent film in 1928nbsp;by Jean Renoir. In collaboration with Metropolis Cinema and Irtijal, the Festival will present a uniquenbsp;cineacute;-concert experience with the original music of Frequent Defect.
The Festival will award three prizes for the films participating in the Short Film Competition. Winners will be invited to attend a leading international film festival in Europe in 2024, in partnership with Goethe-Institut Libanon, lrsquo;Institut franccedil;ais du Liban and the Embassy of Poland in Lebanon.nbsp;
The Film Expression Workshop: ldquo;Taabirrdquo;, led by filmmaker Corine Shawi and university professor Yara Nashawaty, will invite six participants aged fortynbsp;andnbsp;abovenbsp;to produce short video diariesnbsp;and train them to develop their ownnbsp;cinematicnbsp;style.
Thisnbsp;editionrsquo;snbsp;posternbsp;wasnbsp;designed by Lebanesenbsp;graphic designernbsp;Zeina Eid, following a competition launched online.nbsp;The artistnbsp;aimed to encapsulate the sense of wonder and awe experienced insidenbsp;anbsp;cinema.
The Festivalnbsp;closesnbsp;on Wednesday 4 Octobernbsp;with the Short Film Competition Award Ceremony, followed by the Lebanese premiere of the film ldquo;Riverbedrdquo;nbsp;by Bassem Breche, in the presence of the filmmaker and film team.
The 28thnbsp;edition of the European Film Festival will run in Beirut in: Galaxy Grand Cinemas, Theatre Caracalla, Beirut Art Center and the Italian Embassy Garden. In its continuous effort to promote and disseminate European culture to the widest possible audience, the Festival is schedulednbsp;to run in regions across Lebanon throughout October, includingnbsp;Hermel, Saida, Tripoli,nbsp;Jounieh, Byblos and Zahle.
Tickets for the film screenings at Galaxy Grand Cinemas and Beirut Art Center:nbsp;200,000 LBP (Student price:nbsp;100,000 LBP). Reservations can be madenbsp;on metropoliscinema.net.nbsp;Opening nightnbsp;by invitation only.
The full programme is available on the website andnbsp;social media accountsnbsp;of:
The Delegation of the European Unionnbsp;to Lebanon:
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/lebanon
@EUinLebanon onnbsp;Facebook,nbsp;Instagramnbsp;andnbsp;Twitter/X.
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Metropolis Cinema Association:
metropoliscinema.net
@MetropolisCinema onnbsp;Facebooknbsp;andnbsp;Instagram.
@Metropolislb onnbsp;Twitter/X.
City Hill,nbsp;Bloc 61-10 Barbir Street, facing Mouawad Museum, Zokak El Blat, Beirut, Lebanon
Tel:nbsp;(01)nbsp;956 900nbsp;- Fax: (01)nbsp;987 780nbsp;- E-mail:nbsp;delegation-lebanon@eeas.europa.eu
Website:nbsp;http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/lebanon
EUinLebanon onnbsp;Twitter/X,nbsp;Facebook,nbsp;Instagramnbsp;andnbsp;YouTube
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