Synopsis
Blurring truth and fiction, ALIENS IN BEIRUT finds alienation and desire at home through scripted improv, New Wave wildlife-esque cinematography and visual experimentation. Filmmaker Raghed Charabaty (who also stars in the film as 'Amir') reimagines events from their life leading up to the fateful 2020 Beirut Port Explosion. Returning to Beirut from Toronto, desperately in search of roots, Amir falls in love with a stranger by the sea. In the end, the explosion cares for nobody – leaving behind traces of undeniable desire.
CREDITS
Starring Raghed (Ray) Charabaty & Fabio Makary
Written & Directed by Raghed Charabaty
Produced by Karel Malkoun
Cinematography by Xin Liu
Art Direction by Joyce Ghanem
SFX makeup by Moe Maanieh
Runtime: 17 min.
Country of Production: Lebanon, Canada
Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts
SCREENINGS
World Premiere: GLASGOW SHORTS, Scotland 2025
Swiss Premiere: Zurich Arab Film Festival, Zurich 2025
CANADIAN Premiere: Inside Out Film Festival, Toronto 2025
Berlin: XPOSED Film Festival 2025 - WINNER of LOLLY AWARD (best short)
Art Gallery of Guelph, Deeply Rooted Guelph - 2025
Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest, London - 2025
47th Douarnenez Film Festival, France - 2025
Cinema Queer MX, Mexico (Mexico City (CDMX), Michoacán (Morelia, Pátzcuaro), Chihuahua, Yucatán (Mérida) Querétaro, University Circuit (Tonalá, Puebla, and Tijuana)) - 2025
Hamburg International Queer Film Festival - 2025
Reel Q, Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival - 2025
Clare Pride, UK - 2025
(Festival run ongoing)
Film Poster
FILM STILLS
FULL FESTIVAL RUN:
Queer Lisboa | Portugal | September 19-27, 2025
Queer Porto | Portugal | November 4-8, 2025
Falasteen Film Society Pride Short Film Festival 2025 | WEA Hall | Christchurch | New Zealand | Jun 29, 2025
Justice for Palestine, Te Tira Ahu Pae, Student Justice for Palestine Massey | Massey University Theater | Wellington | New Zealand | Jun 18, 2025
Transfeminist Coordinator for Palestine – Watermelon | The Tribe Shows | Buenos Aires | Argentina | Jun 26, 2025
Queers for Palestine Naarm & Sedition Cinema | Catalyst Social Center | Melbourne (Naarm) | Australia | Jun 24, 2025
Palestinerekiko Erantzukizuna, Sare Lesbianista, Garaion Sorgingunea, Zokorrak | GaraiOn Sorgingunea | Barrundia | Basque Country | Jun 7, 2025
United Screens for Palestine | Cinéma Galeries | Brussels | Belgium | Jun 10, 2025
The Clit Pit, ACA Antwerp Anarchistic Collective, Antwerp for Palestine | De Peperfabriek | Antwerp | Belgium | Jun 27, 2025
Habibi netwerk Gent, Merhaba | Olijftak | Gent | Belgium | Jun 28, 2025
Feminist Mobilisations, Kopriva Space, CHUDATSI, NBU for Palestine | Toplocentrala | Sofia | Bulgaria | Jun 20, 2025
Toronto Queer Film Festival, Toronto Palestine Film Festival, Queer Muslim Network etc. | Innis Town Hall | Toronto | Canada | Jun 4, 2025
From the River to the Sea Collective, MENA Film Festival, grunt gallery | Reliance Theatre, Emily Carr University | Vancouver | Canada | Jun 12, 2025
Embassy Cultural House | London Public Library | London, Ontario | Canada | Jun 14, 2025
Cinéma Public | Cinéma Public | Montreal | Canada | Jun 14, 2025
Wildfires Bookshop, Vancouver Dyke March, SAGAH | Wildfires Literary Lounge | New Westminster | Canada | Jun 14, 2025
Sudbury Pride, Coalition for a Livable Sudbury | Sudbury Indie Cinema Co-op | Sudbury | Canada | Jun 14, 2025
Cinema Politica Concordia | J.A. de Sève Cinema, Concordia University | Montreal | Canada | Jun 25, 2025
Demand The Stars Collective | Odell Park Lodge | Fredericton | Canada | Jun 27, 2025
Mask4Mask Queers, Chaverim Inclusive Jewish Community | Bus Stop Theatre | Halifax | Canada | Jul 6, 2025
ReFrame Film Festival, Nogojiwanong2Palestine, Peterborough PRIDE | Peterborough Public Library | Peterborough | Canada | Jun 25, 2025
Purple | Private Venue | Beijing | China | Jun 2025
Various grassroots collectives | Private Venues | Chengdu, Guangzhou, Kunming, Foshan, Shenyang | China | Jun 28, 2025
PRESAGIO THEATER Foundation | Teatro Del Presagio | Cali | Colombia | Jun 9, 2025
MIX CPH | Byens Lys | Copenhagen | Denmark | Jun 24, 2025
Oliva Colectiva | Flacso University, National Film Library, UArts Film Club | Quito & Guayaquil | Ecuador | Jun 13, 2025
Kirjakahvila | Kirjakahvila | Turku | Finland | Jun 19, 2025
Ciné-Palestine Festival | Le Gyptis | Marseille | France | May 24, 2025
Ma3na Marseille | La Dar | Marseille | France | Jun 6, 2025
Festival Ciné-Palestine | Cinéma Saint-André des Arts | Paris | France | Jun 7, 2025
Festival de Cinéma de Douarnenez, Collectif Palestine Douarnenez | Le Club | Douarnenez | France | Jun 19, 2025
Wassla NGO | La Bulle | Paris | France | Jun 26, 2025
Wassla NGO | Cinéma Saint-André des Arts | Paris | France | Jun 7, 2025
Queere Theke, Palästina Netzwerk Hildesheim | Greenpeace Hildesheim | Hildesheim | Germany | May 31, 2025
Queere Theke, Palästina Netzwerk Hildesheim | Brücke der Kulturen Hildesheim eV | Hildesheim | Germany | Jun 1, 2025
Die Verabredung | Die Verabredung | Cologne | Germany | Jun 1, 2025
Regenbogenreferat, Queers for Palestine | Autonomes Zentrum KTS | Freiburg | Germany | Jun 12, 2025
QuARC Berlin | Refuge Worldwide | Berlin | Germany | Jun 11, 2025
iALE | Quxi | Leipzig | Germany | Jun 15, 2025
Casino for Social Medicine | Casino for Social Medicine | Berlin | Germany | Jun 19, 2025
Palästinensische Filmtage München | Neues Maxim München | Munich | Germany | Jun 22, 2025
Rex am Ring | Rex am Ring | Cologne | Germany | Jun 26, 2025
Athens Museum of Queer Arts, Filmmakers for Palestine Greece | TBA | Athens | Greece | Jun 20, 2025
Watermelon HK | Private Venue | Kowloon | Hong Kong | Jun 15, 2025
Nomadic Queer and Film Lovers | Private Venue | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Jun 19, 2025
QAMERAD | TBA | Bali | Indonesia | Jun 15, 2025
Qbukatabu, Peretas, Pondok Pesantren Waria Al-Fatah | Various Venues | Yogyakarta | Indonesia | Jun 30, 2025
PRAXIS, Queer Spectrum, Sonflour | Sonflour | Cork | Ireland | Jun 8, 2025
Queer Spectrum Film Festival, Outhouse LGBT+ Centre | Outhouse LGBT+ Centre | Dublin | Ireland | Jun 20, 2025
UCC Staff Together for Palestine, UCC Students' Union | The Shtepps, University College Cork | Cork | Ireland | Jun 24, 2025
DisorderDrama & partners | Ad Astra – Cinemino | Genoa | Italy | Jun 5, 2025
NonUnaDiMeno | Casa Internazionale delle Donne | Trieste | Italy | Jun 10, 2025
33 Officina Creativa | 33 Officina Creativa | Toffia (Rieti) | Italy | Jun 14, 2025
Queers for Palestine Bologna | DAS Device Arti Sperimentali | Bologna | Italy | Jun 21, 2025
Teatri di Vita | Teatri di Vita | Bologna | Italy | Jun 17, 2025
Collettivo Spiraglio | La Talpa e l'orologio | Imperia | Italy | Jun 30, 2025
Bagno Maria | Bagno Maria | Milano | Italy | Jun 30, 2025
A. Small House | A. Small House | Tokyo | Japan | Jun 18, 2025
Nam Nam Space Tokyo | House of Bijou | Shiga | Japan | Jun 21, 2025
Kansai Queer Film Festival | Seibu-kodo, Kyoto University | Kyoto | Japan | Jun 28, 2025
Black Bird Eatery, Queer Cinema Club Osaka, WAIFU | NAMNAM Space | Tokyo | Japan | Jun 21, 2025
Black Bird Eatery, Queer Cinema Club Osaka, WAIFU | Black Bird Eatery | Tokyo | Japan | Jun 22, 2025
Dylberizm & Project Space Sekhmet | Project Space Sekhmet | Prishtina | Kosovo | Jun 17, 2025
POPPIES, VAA Students for Palestine, VU Students for Palestine | Bėgių parko angaras | Vilnius | Lithuania | Jun 26, 2025
MGRM, Moviment Graffitti | Moviment Graffitti | Valletta | Malta | Jun 12, 2025
NBTA & GFM | NBTA | Tangier | Morocco | Jun 26, 2025
GAFM | Jacket Kueer Festival | Marrakech | Morocco | Jun 18, 2025
BDS Nederland, Bloemstraat, Liberatory Visions | Fan Cinema | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Jun 6, 2025
Droog Amsterdam | Droog | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Jun 17, 2025
Palestine Café Utrecht, Queer Film Festival Utrecht | Tivoli Vredenburg | Utrecht | Netherlands | Jun 20, 2025
Cafe Saarein | Cafe Saarein | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Jun 29, 2025
Kitab Ghar | Kitab Ghar | Lahore & Karachi | Pakistan | Jun 7, 2025
Pelicula Union & partners | Puón Books, Arts & Design | La Union | Philippines | Jun 21, 2025
LIGHT*, Včera bolo neskoro, A4 | A4 – Priestor súčasnej kultúry | Bratislava | Slovakia | Jun 1, 2025
Včera bolo neskoro | Diera do sveta KC | Liptovský Mikuláš | Slovakia | Jun 21, 2025
