Rules & Terms
1. General Information
1.1. The LAFF is the first festival in Portugal exclusively dedicated to cinema from the Arab world. It aims at promoting a deeper understanding of the Arab world and its culture through the universal language of cinema, challenging stereotypes and fostering intercultural dialogue with Portugal and the Lusophone world.
The LAFF festival also offers an annual platform for the promotion of contemporary Arab cinema, bringing works by talented and committed directors and offering an unprecedented cinematic experience to the public.
Following the success of our first two editions, which achieved high attendance rates and featured numerous national premieres, we are preparing the 3rd edition which is scheduled to take place in Lisbon between 23rd February and 2nd March 2027.
By participating in LAFF, filmmakers will have the opportunity to:
● Screen their work in prestigious venues like Culturgest Center (one of the leading venues for contemporary arts and culture in Lisbon)
● Engage with an urban, culturally active audience and industry professionals.
● Participate in debates, round tables, and networking opportunities.
● Contribute to a project that fosters social awareness and intercultural dialogue.
1.2. The 3rd edition of the LAFF - Lisbon Arab Film Festival will take place between 23rd February to 2nd March 2027.
1.3 All entries of films made to Lisbon Arab Film Festival (LAFF) presuppose knowledge of and acceptance of these regulations.
2. Eligibility Criteria
2.1 The selection committee is looking for contemporary Arab cinema works with cinematographic qualities that offer a deeper analysis of the Arab world.
We welcome:
● Genre: Fiction and documentaries.
● Format: Feature films.
● Themes: We prioritize committed and independent cinema addressing themes such as human rights, migration, identity, empowerment, freedom, and the environment.
● Geographic Focus: Films from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, Oman, Syria, Kuwait, Bahrain Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine.
● Language: Films in Arabic (various dialects) or French are welcome.
● Subtitles: Selected films must have English or Portuguese subtitles.
2.2 Priority will be given to films making their national premiere in Portugal.
3. Festival Sections
For the 2027 edition, we are particularly interested in submissions for the following categories:
● Contemporary Arab Cinema: A selection of recent works (last 10 years) by talented and committed directors from Arab countries.
● Country of Honour: we will pay special attention to works from Lebanon since a section of the festival will be dedicated to this country.
● "The Bridge" (Luso-Arab Section): A new section for films focusing on the rich shared history and cultural exchanges between the Arab and Lusophone worlds.
4. How to apply
The call for entries will open on July 15th 2026. Regardless of the submission date, the film screeners can be sent to the festival until the 15th December 2026.
4.1 Deadline and submission costs
Submission deadline: 15th December 2026 at 23h59 GMT+1
Submission fees:
Feature films - 30 euros
4.2 Submission method and materials
The submission of films for the festival must be done through an online form (Filmfreeway) and proceeding with the payment of the registration fee.
Please note that the submission will only be complete once the submitter receives an email confirmation of the registration fee payment.
When submitting, Lisbon Arab Film Festival should receive:
a) submission form duly completed through the official submission platform.
b) screener with English subtitles (or Portuguese if available).
c) the screener for consideration may be sent using one of the following methods:
- through the registration form, in the field specifically dedicated to it, include a private viewing link for the film that does not require immediate download (Vimeo, YouTube, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.).
- after completion of the submission, a private viewing or download link can be sent via direct email to info@laffportugal.com.
If needed, other options for the sending of the screener can be discussed with the Programme Coordination team.
4.3 The applicant is responsible for informing the festival, should the premiere status mentioned upon the submission of the film changes within the selection process (in case screenings are booked), as well as should the film version submitted changes.
4.4 In case you have got any question about the submission process, please contact:
Saoussen Khalifa
Festival Director
info@laffportugal.com
5. Selection Process
5.1 Selection Announcement
LAFF is responsible to inform the applicants of the Selection Committee’s final decision up to one month prior to the opening of the festival.
The absence of notification of film selection from the festival by the above-mentioned dates, will mean that the respective film was not selected for the 3rd edition of LAFF. However, efforts will be made so that all candidates are informed via e-mail of the status of their films.
After confirming the selection, the festival must be informed of any change on the film’s premiere status.
5.2 Screenings
The dates, times and venues of the screenings will be determined by LAFF and shared with the rights holder upon completion of the scheduling process.
6. Communication and Press Materials
6.1 Immediately after being confirmed the selection, it should be sent by email:
- A script of the dialogue continuity of the films in English for translation and subtitling purposes (if applicable);
- Screener of the film – identical version to the exhibition copy – for subtitling and press promotion purposes;
- Film’s synopsis and credits;
- A minimum of 2 film stills (minimum resolution: 300 dpi – 10x10cm) in a digital format;
- Trailer (or excerpt of up to 3 minutes) of the film;
- Film’s poster (if available), for online promotion;
- Film’s press kit and/or clipping (if available);
- Photo of film director(s) (HD), in JPG or PNG format;
- Director(s)’ short biography and filmography;
- Film’s premiere status, as well as previous festivals and awards (if applicable).
6.2 The texts used for the promotion of films, sections and programmes in the festival’s communication materials (catalogue, programme, website, media platforms) are entirely at the discretion of LAFF and based on the selected films’ details shared by the rights holders.
6.3 The festival is responsible for the affixation/divulgation of posters, postcards or any other physical promotional materials of the selected films. These can be delivered by post-office/courier services (costs borne by the rights holders) or brought by any representative of the film who attends the festival.
6.5 The remaining materials (press kit, clipping, digital posters, etc.) can also be included in the festival promotion.
7. Technical Requirements (Screening Copies, Shipping and Other Important Arrangements)
7.1 The screening copies of the selected films must be provided in the following format: DCP. Compliance with this screening format is important to ensure the screening of the film in the best conditions.
7.2 The festival is not responsible for the possible need to convert files whose characteristics differ from the previously mentioned.
7.3 Until 15th January 2027, the copy of the selected film (in DCP format) should be delivered to the festival.
7.4 The delivery should be made via any digital platform or physically in a NTFS formatted drive, duly arranged with the festival's Print Traffic Team.
7.5 If any costs related to courier or costumers delivery should take place, will be borne by the participant.
7.6 All physical and digital copies will be kept by the Festival during its official dates.
For further inquiries, please contact:
Festival Coordination Team
info@laffportugal.com
www.laffportugal.com
https://www.instagram.com/lisbonarabfilmfestival/
