30 years of films, stories, encounters and cultural exchange between Lebanon and Europe.

This October, the European Film Festival in Lebanon celebrates its 30th edition: three decades of bringing European cinema to Lebanon and creating a space for audiences, filmmakers and cultures to meet through film.

This year’s poster, created by Miled Sebaaly, captures this spirit of movement and connection. A woman rides forward on wheels made of film reels, her scarf transforming into a strip of film, a trail of stories and memories in motion.

As Miled puts it: “Stories are never still. They travel, evolve and connect us.”

Around Metropolis Cinema, European landmarks form a symbolic bridge between Europe and Lebanon, reflecting the exchange of films, ideas and perspectives at the heart of the festival.

 8–17 October 2026

The European Film Festival in Lebanon is organised by the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and in partnership with the Metropolis Cinema Association and in cooperation with the EU Member States.

In the framework of the 30th European Film Festival in Lebanon, an exciting animation workshop will be held in partnership with YAP (Youth Animation Platform), allowing young participants to learn about the vast and creative world of animation, and acquire technical skills needed to create small animated clips!  

Over 2 days, participants will put their creativity into practice, experimenting with different techniques and working together to create short animated videos. 

The workshop is free and open to youngsters aged 12-14.

This September, Écrans du réel | Doc Screens returns to Metropolis Cinema for its 21st edition from 16 Sept to 24.

A festival that brings together documentaries, films, filmmakers and audiences, Écrans du réel explores the many ways cinema can engage with reality , through stories that observe, question, investigate and create new perspectives on the world around us.

Alongside the screenings, the festival is a space for conversations and encounters, inviting filmmakers and audiences to reflect together on the films, the realities they portray and the questions they raise.
 

AFAC Film Week returns from September 6 to 13 at Metropolis Cinema in Beirut. Screening nine films from across the Arab region, the program will bring filmmakers and audiences together through post-screening Q&As and in-depth conversations on the realities of making independent cinema in the Arab region today. Ahead of AFAC’s 20th anniversary, this event celebrates cinema as a space for memory, dialogue, resistance, and imagination.

Metropolis Cinema is excited to launch a filmmaking workshop designed for curious young minds aged 10 to 17! 

Over the course of six sessions, young creators will get hands-on guidance from experts as they bring stories to life: from scriptwriting and directing to camera work and editing.

The workshop will wrap up with the screening of the participants' short films, opening the Metropolis Youth Film Fest in mid-November 2026! 

Sessions will take place on Saturdays, from September 26 to October 31, 2026.

The participants will be divided into groups based on their age. 

Ready to create your own film? If you’re 10 to 17 years old, apply today through the form on our website.

Deadline: September 12, 2026

Award-winning filmmaker Jacques Tati remains one of the great innovators of post-war cinema. Across a remarkably concise body of work, he redefined cinematic comedy through an extraordinary attention to framing, sound, rhythm, and movement. His films, often centered on the iconic Monsieur Hulot, observe the transformations of modern society with precision, humour, and an unmistakable visual style.

This August, Metropolis Cinema presents a Film Cycle bringing together five of his feature films: Jour de fête, Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot, PlayTime, Mon oncle, and Trafic. Spanning more than twenty years of filmmaking, the programme offers an opportunity to revisit Tati's singular vision of modernity, architecture, leisure, and everyday life.

The screening of PlayTime on 17 August will be preceded by Open the Door, Please (12 min), a short film by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige.

Presented in restored versions, the cycle invites audiences to rediscover one of cinema's most influential filmmakers on the big screen.

This film cycle is part of our celebration of European cinema throughout this year, which marks the 30th anniversary of the European Film Festival in Lebanon. The European Film Festival is organised by the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, in partnership with the Metropolis Cinema Association and in cooperation with the European Union Member States.

À l'occasion de la commémoration du 4 août, Metropolis Cinema organise deux projections exclusives du documentaire « 4 Août, anatomie d'une catastrophe annoncée », produit et réalisé par L'Orient-Le Jour.

Les projections auront lieu les 6 et 7 août 2026 à 18 h, au cinéma Metropolis, à Mar Mikhaël.

Prix du ticket : 500 000 LBP.

This August, Metropolis Cinema presents "Cinema of Love", a three-night open-air screening of musical cinema unfolding over three consecutive weeks in the Metropolis Garden.

Bringing together three landmark films from France, India, and Egypt, the program offers timeless stories of love through unforgettable music, iconic performances, and newly restored prints that return these classics to the big screen in all their original splendor.

Call for Entries | “Writing on Film” Workshop

Deadline to submit: August 4, 2026

This coming fall, and in conjunction with the 21^st edition of Ecrans du reel (Doc Screens), Cinematheque Beirut will launch the second cycle of the “Writing on Film” workshop, where young cinephiles are given the space to broaden their understanding of film criticism and writing about films, engaging directly with the program of the Doc Screens Festival.

This workshop will take place in September 2026, offering a group of participants the opportunity to develop and publish film reviews, essays or interviews with the support of the Cinematheque Beirut project.