Cinema City informed us at the last minute of unacceptable conditions!
– Colette Naufal, Festival’s Director

The director of the Beirut International Film Festival (BIFF), Colette Naufal, announced the immediate and unexpected transfer of the festival to Abraj – Furn el Chebbak (Circuit Planete) due to unacceptable conditions just submitted by the management of Cinema City [This edition of BIFF was originally scheduled to take place at Cinema City (Beirut Souks)].

We are forced to reorganize our entire program at the last minute after the management of Cinema City informed us that the cost of the BIFF’s opening ceremony would be 20,000 USD. After the mediation of influential film distributors , the management accepted to waiver the 20,000 USD on one condition: banners and other advertising material of BIFF’s sponsors would not be displayed, mainly SGBL. This is absolutely unacceptable, as the financial support of our sponsors, the main one being Société Générale de Banque au Liban (SGBL) is essential to the survival of BIFF.

July 31, two months before the opening of the festival and after having made arrangements with guests and film distributors, the management of Cinema City notified BIFF of the cancellation of the agreement, because the timing coincided with Adha, a time of significant income for the theaters, with the screening of mainstream films. After the intervention of a major film distributor, Cinema City finally accepted to keep the initial agreement. – Colette Naufal, Festival’s Director

Colette Naufal regrets the narrow and purely financial perspective of the management of Cinema City, which leaves no room for a cultural event of the importance of BIFF, nor does it take into consideration the prestigious guests who will be attending this year’s edition and who would have promoted Cinema City worldwide.

Therefore, we are transferring the festival to Planete Abraj, Furn el Chebbak, where the management has always supported us efficiently and welcomed us with open arms, aware of BIFF’s cultural wealth. All bookings for the opening as well as the seats numbers will be the same. The only difference is that people will go to Abraj instead of Cinema City. – Colette Naufal, Festival’s Director

For more information or booking:

• Please call : 76 300901 or 01 291291 (Cinéma Abraj), between 4pm and 10pm
• Send an e-mail: [email protected]