This September the historic city of Batroun in northern Lebanon will host the first-ever Batroun Mediterranean Film Festival, screening short films from 21 Mediterranean countries.

The film festival comes as an extension of the Batroun International Festival, a music event running since 2009.

This year the music festival featured names such as Carole Samaha, Bonnie Tyler, and Wael Kfoury.

The film festival, which will run from 7 to 10 September, will hold two main competitions, the national competition for Lebanese entrants, and the international competition in which other Mediterranean countries compete. Many other short films will be also be screened outside the competitions.

It will also feature workshops and concerts.

Batroun is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back over three millennia. 

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