By bringing the best of contemporary Arab cinema to Portugal, the Lisbon Arab Film Festival presents itself as a cultural initiative that aims to foster intercultural dialogue and develop knowledge about the Arab world and promote the excellence of its cinematography.

The historical ties between Portugal and the Arab world are deep and notable, in culture, architecture, and the Portuguese language - among many other areas. However, these influences are often overlooked. At the same time, the reality, complexity, and richness of the contemporary Arab context are also little known.

By showing a selection of recent and outstanding films – in close collaboration with partners from Portugal and the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) – LAFF aims to contribute to the dialogue between cultures and offers a multifaceted view of contemporary Arab societies, which goes beyond stereotypes. The success of the first edition of the festival, which took place at Culturgest last year, clearly shows the relevance of this platform in the city's cinematic landscape as a “window” into the diversity of these communities.

PROGRAMME

27 SEP
SAT 9:00pm | OPENING SESSION

Promised Sky, by Erige Sehiri, com Aissa Maiga, Laetitia Ky, Debora Lobe Naney
2025, Drama, Tunisia, France, 95 min.
Subtitles in  PT, EN
Emílio Rui Vilar Auditorium

30 SEP
TUE 7:00pm  

The Burdened, by Amr Gamal, with Hoda Ramzi, Samah Alamrani, Khaled Hamdan
2023, Drama, Yemen, Sudan, Arabia Saudita, 91 min.
Subtitles in PT, EN
Small Auditorium

9:30pm  

Mother of All Lies, by Asmae El Moudir, with Asmae El Moudir, Mohamed El Moudir, Zahra Jedat
2023, Documentary, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, France, 96 min.
Subtitles in PT, EN
Small Auditorium

1 OCT
WED 6:45pm  

The Insult (O Insulto), by Zied Doueiri, with Adel Karam, Kamel El Basha, Diamand Abou Abboud
2017, Drama, Lebanon, France , 113 min
Subtitles PT, EN
Small Auditorium

9:30pm 

A Son, by Mehdi Barsaoui, with Sami Boajil, Najla Ben Abdallah
2019, Drama-thriller, Tunisia, France, 96 min
Subtitles in PT, EN 
Small Auditorium

2 OCT
THU 7:00 pm 

Thank You For Banking With Us, by Laila Abbas, with Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury
2024, Comedy, Palestine, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, 92 min
Subtitles on PT, EN
Small Auditorium

9:30pm

From Ground Zero, by Rashid Masharawi
2024, Documentary, Palestine, Jordan, France, Qatar, USA, 115 min
Subtitles in PT, EN 
Small Auditorium

3 OCT 
FRI 7:00 pm

Beirut Hold’em, by Michel Kammoun, with Salah Bakri, Fadi Abou Samra, Issam Bou Khaled
2022, Crime/Drama, Lebanon, France, 97 min
Subtitles in PT, EN
Small Auditorium

9:30pm

Happy Holidays, by Scandar Copti, with Manar Shehab, Toufic Daniel, Wafa Aoun
2024, Drama, Palestine, Germany, France, Italy, Qatar, 123 min
Subtitles in PT, EN
Small Auditorium

4 OCT
SAT 3:30pm  

Seeking Heaven for Mr. Rambo, by Khaled Mansour, with Essam Omar, Rakeen Saad and Ahmed Bahaa
2024, Drama, Egypt, Saudi Arabia,100 min
Subtitles in PT, EN 
Small Auditorium

6:30pm 

Frantz Fanon, by Abdenour Zahzah, with Alexandre Desane, Gérard Dubouche, Nicolas Dromard
2024, Drama, Algeria, France, 91 min
Subtitles in PT, EN
Small Auditorium

21:00 | CLOSING

Aicha Can’t Fly Away, by Morad Mostafa, with Buliana Simon, Emad Ghoniem, Ziad Zaza
2025, Drama/Thriller, Egypt, Qatar, Tunisia, France, Germany, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, 123 min 
Subtitles in PT, EN
Emílio Rui Vilar Auditorium