Lebanese Film Festival Australia (LFF) returns for its 13th Edition, launching its Opening Night with a red carpet reception on Thursday 28 August 2025 at the Bryan Brown Theatre, Bankstown.
This year, the spotlight shines on Karim Rahbani — an award-winning director and third-generation member of the iconic Rahbani family, whose influence spans Lebanon’s rich cultural history in music, theatre, and now film. With a career spanning fiction, documentary, television, and internationally acclaimed shorts, Rahbani has earned over 30 awards and continues to captivate audiences around the world.
Opening Night will feature the Australian Premiere of his latest short film One Last Time, fresh from its Red Sea Film Festival debut, alongside Cargo and With Thy Spirit. Together, these three films present a rare opportunity to experience the breadth and depth of one of Lebanon’s most exciting cinematic voices.
Guests will enjoy a vibrant celebration of Lebanese culture, including authentic canapés by Tayta’s Food Co., BuBooza ice cream, Smeed Maamoul treats, Lebanese beverages, and live entertainment by Zaffet Lebnen.
Event Schedule:
• 6:15 PM – Function begins
• 8:00 PM – Theatre doors open
• 8:20 PM – Formalities & film screenings
• 10:30 PM – Event concludes
Tickets are $90 + booking fees.
A not-for-profit founded in 2012 and proudly 100% volunteer-led, LFF is the largest showcase of Lebanese film globally. LFF is made possible thanks to the generous support of the City of Canterbury Bankstown, Screen NSW, Bankstown Sports, and our valued sponsors and partners.
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.
