Cabriolet Film Festival (16)

Festival start: 07 June 2024      Festival end: 09 June 2024

CFF is the first outdoors film festival of its kind in Lebanon. The festival, which was launched in 2009 by “Laboratoire D’art”, has become an annual short film event which celebrates and promotes local and international short films as an independent form of art in a non-competitive public event, away from competition, prizes and entrance fees.

The main purpose of the CFF is to bring short films to the public, right in the streets of Beirut, free of entrance and away from competitions. Therefore, no prizes or awards are part of this public event.

This year, the theme of CFF has been set as "The OTHER".

Cabriolet Film Festival next year’s topic is centered around the concept of "The Other" and drawing inspiration from the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas. The latter believed that this otherness – which he called alterity – was something to celebrate, and that our primary ethical responsibility is to “The Other” who is fundamentally different and separate from the self.

Instead of seeking shared traits as the foundation of our moral concern, we should acknowledge that each person is a mysterious universe, evoking feelings of wonder, curiosity, denial, empathy, rejection, or attentiveness.

Sartre states that our relationship with “the others” can be a source of conflict, tension, and anxiety. His existentialist philosophy emphasizes the individual as fundamentally free, but when we interact with others, we are confronted with their expectations and judgments, which can limit our freedom.

Otherness is an essential component of human life. It represents the diversity that characterizes our world, a diversity that, far from being a source of division, can be a precious source of enrichment and sharing. By embracing otherness, we have the opportunity to grow as individuals and build more inclusive and open societies.

When we embrace otherness as a source of enrichment, we also open the door to identification and compassion. We develop greater sensitivity to injustices and inequalities, and we realize that diversity is a treasure that must be celebrated.
The theme invites filmmakers to explore freely the idea of self and otherness in their short films. We encourage a lighthearted, humorous, and liberated satirical approach when contemplating the topic.