Toufic, a solitary man in his 80s, finds his quiet life unexpectedly stirred when a younger, attractive neighbour mistakes his house for another. The encounter rekindles a long-dormant passion for living, leading him into an emotional late-life awakening. Karim Rahbani’s latest short is a tender and humorous reflection on desire, connection, and the timelessness of the human spirit.
Australian Premiere – Special Festival Presentation
Making its Australian premiere as part of our 2025 Opening Celebration, One Last Time will screen alongside two other works by Karim Rahbani, honouring him as an award-winning director shaping the future of Lebanese cinema. This triple-film tribute showcases his exceptional talent and his profound ability to tell stories that resonate both locally and internationally.
Biography – Karim Rahbani
Karim Rahbani is a Lebanese award-winning director. His first two short films, With Thy Spirit and Cargo, have been widely screened in numerous festivals around the world and garnered over 30 awards collectively.
His body of work in the film industry encompasses a diverse range of projects, spanning from fictional films and documentaries to TV shows and advertisement videos in the Middle East and the Gulf region.
In 2020 he was selected to write and direct a short film part of the International Emmy-nominated series Beirut 6:07 following the tragic blast on August 4, 2020, that decimated the city.
Recently, Rahbani directed Dark Minds, the first Arab docu-series about the serial killers of the region (produced by SRMG Studios and now on Netflix).
In 2022 he co-founded RAHBANI 3.0, a music and film production company. He served as the director and co-producer of the 2024 Lebanese National Tourism Campaign Meshwar Rayhin Meshwar, which has received extensive promotion both domestically and among the diaspora.
Karim Rahbani is part of the third generation of the Rahbani family renowned for their vibrant oriental music and musical plays.
