Beirut International Film Festival

Beirut International Film Festival on Oct 5th till Oct 13th 2011 in Beirut.

Word from the festival director : Colette Naufal

It is with particular enthusiasm that I welcome you this year to the 11th edition of the Beirut International Film Festival.
International cinema, like fine wine, has its particularly good years, and 2011 has been a tremendously rich one. Perhaps even more importantly, it has been a uniquely dynamic year in our long-stultified region. Far from overshadowing our mission, however, the wind of change blowing across the Middle-Eastern political scene only serves to confirm it.
Whether it be the “emergency” festival held in the wake of the July War of 2006, the numerous and often won wars with censorship, or more recently, our first edition of the Forbidden Films Festival, The BIFF has tirelessly fought to promote free speech, alternative views, and fresh angles, in an environment that all too often hung on to the single voice of the status quo. And we will of course continue to do so as the festival enters its second decade, and the Middle East perhaps a new era.
None of this would have been possible, of course, without the unwavering and generous support of our official partners: la Société Générale de Banque au Liban, France 24, Edde Sands, MCD (Monte Carlo Doualiya), RFI. And our media partners: ORBIT, Future News, Time Out Beirut, TV5Monde, Al Akhbar, Radio Nostalgie, LBCI, and off course all of our sponsors…
Cinema may be a matter of art, a political tool, a forum for dialogue, but it is also, and perhaps above all, about pleasure. So do sit back, relax, and enjoy this
2011 selection.

Festival Selection :

INTERNATIONAL PANORAMA

Ages of Love by Giovanni Veronesi – Italy
Children of The Princess of Cleves by Régis Sauder – France
Cultures of Resistance by Iara Lee – USA
Habemus Papam by Nanni Moretti – Italy/France
Inconsico Italiana by Luca Guadagnino – Italy – Middle eastern Premiere
Joschka and Mr. Fischer by Pepe Danquart – Germany/switzerland
Melancholia by Lars Von Trier – Denmark/Germany/France/Sweden
Michael by Markus Schleinzer – Austria
One Way, a Tuareg Journey by Fabio Caramaschi – Italy/Niger
Outrage by Takeshi Kitano – Japan
Passione by John Turturro – Italy
Pina by Wim Wenders – Germany/France
Restless by Gus Van Sant – USA
Submarino by Thomas Vinterberg – Denmark
That Summer by Philippe Garrel – France
The Forgiveness of Blood by Joshua Marston – USA/Albania/Denmark/Italy
That Girl In The Yellow Boots by Anurag Kashyap – India
The Housemaid by Im Sangsoo – South Korea
The Light Thief by Aktan Arym Kubat –Kyrgyztan/Germany/France/Netherlands
The Love Of Books: A Sarajevo Story by Sam Hobkinson – UK
The Skin I Live In by Pedro Almódovar – Spain – Closing film
The Tree Of Life by Terence Malick – USA – Opening film
Udaan by Vikramaditya Motwane – India
We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lynne Ramsay – UK

ME FEATURE FILMS COMPETITION

Black Venus by Abdellatif Kechiche – France
Cairo Exit by Hesham Issawi – Egypt/UAE
The Quarter of Scarecrows by Hassan Ali Mahmood – Kurdistan/Iraq
Hawi by Ibrahim El Batout – Egypt/Qatar
I love Teheran by Sahand Samadian – Iran
Mandoo by Ebrahim Saeedi – Iran
Transit Cities by Mohammed Al Hushki – Jordan

ME DOCUMENTARIES COMPETITION

All About My Father by Zeina Sfeir – Lebanon
This is My Picture When I was Dead by Mahmoud Al Masaad – The Netherlands
Al Anfal-Fragments of Life and Death by Mano Khalil – Switzerland
Cola by Yahya Hassan Al Allaq – Iraq
Goodbye Babylon by Amer Alwan – Iraq
Under The Bridge by Nora Niasari – Iran
Taxi Beirut by Hady Zaccak – Lebanon
Red, White and The Green by Nader Davoodi – Iran

ME SHORT FILMS COMPETITION

Linge Sale by Malik Amara – Tunisia
Love … Older by Zaid Abu Hamdan – USA/Jordan/Lebanon
The Power of Generations by Mohammad Jassim – Bahrain
Nisf Muda’a by Jassim Mohammed Jassim – Iraq
Courte Vie by Adil El Fadili – Morocco
Not A Big Deal by Rawan Babia – Jordan
Blue Line by Alain Sauma – France
Senses by Mohamed Ramadan – Egypt
Love & Moustaches by Rabih Ibrahim – Spain
Habibti by Nour Wazzi – UK
Journey of No Return-Last stop Frankfurt Airport by Güclü Yaman – Germany
I Wish Someone Were Waiting For Me Somewhere by Babak Amini – Iran
Us, The Moon and The Neighbours by Mohammad Rifaii – Lebanon
Jacko by Jean Hatem – Lebanon
A Dog’s Life by Hana Makhmalbaf – Iran
Eaux Troubles by Carine Khalaf – Lebanon

SHORTS CORNER

Yasmine And The Revolution by Karin Albou – France
Ma Yenaad Aleik by Elie Fahed – Lebanon
Love Music Beirut by Alain Roukoz – Lebanon
Your Guide to Happiness by Elio Srour – Lebanon
Beirut My Heart by Sabah Haider – Lebanon
Pelican by Carmen Bsaibes – Lebanon
Teheran in action, Entrance, Secrets by Seifollah Samadian – Iran
My Neighbour by Jean Hatem – Lebanon

CULINARY FILMS

Toast by SJ Clarckson – UK
Divine Pig by Hans Dortmans – The Netherlands
The Pipe by Risteard Ó Domhnaill – Ireland
El Bulli: Cooking in Progress by Gereon Wetzel – Germany
Enjoy Your Meal by Walter Grotenhuis – The Netherlands
Taste The Waste by Valentin Thurn – Germany
Unser Garten Eden by Mano Khalil – Switzerland

CHILDREN FILMS

7 or Why I Exist by Antje Starost & Hans-Helmut Grotjahn – Germany – ME Premiere
Fuchsia The Mini-Witch by Johan Nijenhuis – The Netherlands – ME premiere
Ma Petite Planète Chérie by Jacques Rémy Girerd – France – ME Premiere
Magic Silver by Roar Uthaug and Katarina Launing – Norway
The Great Bear by Esben Toft Jacobsen – Denmark – ME Premiere

Festival Screen Program :

Jury :

Persident | Luca Guadanigno
Member | Karin Albou
Member | Maysoon Pachachi
Member | Raja Alsanea
Member | Christina Piccino