Beirut Film Center Summer 2024 Workshops!

Calling all aspiring filmmakers! The Beirut Film Center (BFC) is excited to unveil our summer 2024 workshop lineup, designed to empower both budding and experienced filmmakers. This year, we’re offering three distinct workshops catering to a range of filmmaking experience:

 

  • Basic Filmmaking Bootcamp: Perfect for beginners, this intensive 2-week workshop offers a comprehensive introduction to film production, covering everything from the first steps to the final cut.

  • Script to Screen Lab: Calling all storytellers! This one-month workshop will guide you through the collaborative scriptwriting & directing process. Once your team’s script is complete, you’ll have the opportunity to bring it to life by filming it with top-notch equipment provided by our partners, Solo Films.

  • Painting with Light: This blended workshop is designed for intermediate to advanced filmmakers. Delve into the artistic interplay between cinematography, art direction, and color grading. The workshop will culminate in a collaborative music video shoot for Safar.

 

Don’t miss this opportunity to hone your filmmaking skills and connect with other passionate creators!

  • Early-Bird reduced fees in effect until June 16
  • Register now, pay on first day of workshops.
  • Register early & benefit from reduced prices
  • Scholarships: If you plan on applying for a scholarship please do so before registering and wait till we get back to you.  Available for the “Script to Screen Lab” & “Painting With Lights” workshops. Scholarships for the Basic Bootcamp workshop have reached their limit.
Scholarship Application Form

INSTRUCTORS

Samer Beyhum

Samer Beyhum is a Lebanese-Canadian polymath, excelling as a filmmaker, writer, director, editor, sound engineer, post-production specialist, technician, artist, and vegan chef. With a rich history of socially engaged cinema and a diverse body of work, Samer’s award-winning films tackle pressing social issues with authenticity and depth. His versatile interests extend to innovative pedagogy methods, socially relevant content creation, and the artistry of vegan cooking, embodying a holistic approach to education and ethical living. Through his creative endeavors, Samer inspires audiences worldwide to envision a more compassionate and inclusive future.

Mazen Hashem

Mazen Hachem, a passionate storyteller, was born and raised in Lebanon and attended Detroit Film School. He believes that a picture can tell a thousand words, and he has been a cameraman, director of photography, and editor for 20 years, filming in over 20 countries. Mazen has covered major breaking international news stories, including wars and humanitarian crises. He has worked on feature films, short films, corporate videos, TV commercials, and documentaries for Al Jazeera Network, Discovery Channel, UNICEF, UNHCR, VICE, and MBC. Although he likes to call himself old-school and has filmed on 16mm and 35mm film, he is always up-to-date on the latest technology in the film industry.

Robert Minassian

Robert Minassian, a Lebanese filmmaker of Armenian origins, is a practitioner in the realm of visual storytelling. Recognized for his work as a Production Designer on various Lebanese projects, including short films, music videos, and commercial advertisements, he incorporates diverse cultural influences into his creative endeavors. Embracing a multifaceted approach to storytelling, he has also ventured into the world of play performances, where he integrates set design to craft visually immersive experiences. Through a poetic lens, his films address themes of healing and transformation, inviting audiences to engage with reality from a unique perspective. No matter the medium, his art has always been linked to nature and moments in our everyday life.

Rym Zawk

Rym Zawk, who is also known by the name Ré, is a Lebanon-based multipotentialite Artist. Graduated from the Lebanese University of fine Arts with a Cinematic background of Film and Visual Arts, recognized for her dominant visual expression, non-conforming to one medium; had also become a self-taught digital illustrator afterwards. Experienced in the Film industry for around 10 years; navigated the various positions within the directing department from script supervising to on-ground assisting the director’s vision to come into reality. Rym is passionate about the creative play that can occur in the choice of cinematic language, and it’s effect on the viewer’s psyche.

Testimonials

Jana Maddah

Jana Maddah

The workshop skillfully demystified the intricate process of crafting a film, transforming what might seem overwhelming into manageable steps. These sessions immersed me in both the theoretical and practical aspects of each stage. It was a perfect platform to explore diverse roles within the realm of filmmaking, offering an invaluable space for experimentation and growth. It is an enriching journey that introduced me to a vibrant community of creative minds.
Rex Stretton

Rex Stretton

Participant

It is a true rarity for an educational course to be equally rigorous in theory and in practice while maintaining an encouraging atmosphere. I came to BFC knowing only the rudiments of film-making and am leaving having helped make a short film. The wealth of well-documented resources and practical experience that you get from this course is fantastic, and Samer's instruction is thorough, welcoming and charming - a real gem. For anyone looking at getting involved in film, this bootcamp is for you.
Sandra Abdelbaki

Sandra Abdelbaki

Participant

The bootcamp had a very efficient and comprehensive approach that covered all aspects of filmmaking from script to screen, combining both theory and practice. The experience was very fruitful, i was happy to be surrounded by like-minded passionate people, and it gave me a boost of confidence to continue filmmaking.
Mohamad Salhab

Mohamad Salhab

Participant

If you have a passion for film and wanted to learn about filmmaking, whether you've had any experience in this field or not at all, this Bootcamp is one serious step, taught by the highly energetic, very patient and extremely knowledgeable Samer who has been immersed in the field for a long time and knows every detail involved in this world, and the so many technical aspects and levels. I can't view films the same way as before the Bootcamp, it has involuntarily occupied my senses
Nader Jebeily

Nader Jebeily

Participant

I think the overall experience was very helpful in understanding the many steps of filmmaking. It gave me a hands-on feel for the field. It also provided detailed explanations and a look inside the film industry. The bootcamp was very fun, and the group we had was very friendly and delightful. The instructor is very sweet and accommodating.
Zeina Elzomor

Zeina Elzomor

Participant

This bootcamp was not only incredibly fun, but super beneficial. Despite being two weeks, it feels like you learn years of material in a short period of time, better preparing you for production roles. I loved how it was a mix of theoretical and practical, and the general environment that we were working in!
Lynn Chmaitelly

Lynn Chmaitelly

Participant

This bootcamp is amazing, especially if you are looking to combine theoretical knowledge with practicality. Since day 1, we have been exposed to the notions of story-telling and directly put under the test of writing a collaborative script to shoot later on. We got introduced to the notion of lightning & sound that goes on during a set and of course, we did exercises revolving it. It is an introduction to filmmaking, we touched mostly upon basic notions of each category & we ended up shooting& editing as well. Coming from a familiar background with storytelling, shooting & editing, I was genuinely mesmerized by the content of the bootcamp. It is an amazing chance to meet fellow filmmaking enthusiasts and make connections. The team that we worked with alongside our instructor was an amazing opportunity. Whether you are looking to learn from scratch, apply your knowledge to the test, meet new people, or just have fun, this bootcamp is for you!
Raya Rassoul

Raya Rassoul

Participant

I learned a lot from doing this experience. It made me meet a lot of new people. I learned about the many different fields that film has to offer. I found an interest in directing and cinematography. The teacher was able to teach us all the beginner basics in film during these 8 days.
Yara Hamadi

Yara Hamadi

Participant

Really good experience for anyone aspiring to be in the film industry. The bootcamp taught me alot in only a few days. The people there and the organizers were all nice
Raya Nasser

Raya Nasser

Participant

This bootcamp is very intensive, but very hands on, as everyone gets the opportunity to actually work with the material taught when it comes to filmmaking, instead of just sticking to a theoretical aspect; the final project is to shoot a short film from scratch, and this way we get to learn from our mistakes in the best way possible. This really helped give all of us a much better understanding of what it's like to work in this industry, especially in Lebanon.
Ahmad Kayali

Ahmad Kayali

Participant

The bootcamp was great both theoretical and practical I’ve learned a lot and gained new skills in no time
Nai Leil

Nai Leil

Participant

I had such a great time being part of the BFC filmmaking bootcamp, I learnt so much about everything, from sound to audio to production and many more. It was a wonderful experience getting to work with other aspiring filmmakers that each have a different perspective over everything which makes the work more beautiful than it already is.