On this hot summer day on the southern seaside of Lebanon, 17-year-old Nayla is faced with the same dilemma every Lebanese youngster is faced with today – to leave or to stay. Two men in her life have set ideas about it, but both might wake up to a surprise.
NOW AVAILABLE ON HBO MAX & NOWNESS ASIA
Written and Directed by Leila Basma
Produced by Natalia Pavlove (Other Stories), co-produced by Stairway Films & Road2Films & FAMU
Produced by Natalia Pavlove (Other Stories), co-produced by Stairway Films & Road2Films & FAMU
Starring Nathalie Issa, Georges Matar, Farid Chawki, Hiba Chihane.
World Sales Lights On Films
19', Fiction Film.
Language: Arabic
Language: Arabic
World Premiere
La Biennale di Venezia 80, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica 2023 - Official Orizzonti Short Film Competition
Festival Selections & Awards
Venezia 80 - Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica, Orizzonti Short Films Competition 2023, Italy - World Premiere
Stretto Film Festival 2023, Italy
Film Front International Short Film Festival 2023, Serbia
Sulmona International Film Festival 2023, Italy
MedFilm Festival 2023, Italy
El Gouna Film Festival 2023, Egypt
Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2024, USA
Pragueshorts Film Festival 2024, Czech Republic
ZOOM - ZBLIZENIA International Film Festival 2024, Poland
Landshut Short Film Festival 2024, Germany
Kino Pavasaris, Vilnius International Film Festival 2024, Lithuania - Special Mention
Ca' Foscari Short Film Festival 2024, Italy
Akbank International Short Film Festival 2024, Turkey
ALFILM - Arab Film Festival Berlin 2024, Germany
Prague International Film Awards 2024, Czech Republic
Neisse Film Festival 2024, Germany
Diaspora Film Festival 2024, South Korea
FILMAY Short Film Festival 2024, Republic of Macedonia - Best Cinematography Award
Leiden Shorts 2024, Netherlands
Adriatic Film Festival 2024, Italy
SAFAR Film Festival 2024, UK
FEST - New Directors/New Films Festival 2024, Portugal
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2024, Czech Republic
Ischia Film Festival 2024, Italy
Shorts International Film Festival 2024, Italy
Amman International Film Festival 2024, Jordan
Durban International Film Festival 2024, South Africa
Omladinski Film Festival 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Cisterna Film Festival 2024, Italy
Yerevan Short Film Festival 2024, Armenia - Best Fiction Short Film Award
OpenEyes Film Festival 2024, Germany
Motovun Film Festival 2024, Croatia
DokuFest International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2024, Kosovo
Inventa un Film 2024, Italy
Cinétoile 2024, Tunisia
Drama International Short Film Festival 2024, Greece
Golden Grape Short Film Festival 2024, Georgia
FEMCINE, Festival cine de Mujeres de Santiago de Chile 2024
ELBE DOCK International Film Festival 2024, Czech Republic and Germany
Batroun Mediterranean Film Festival 2024, Lebanon
Hvar Film Festival 2024, Croatia
Sentiero Film Factory 2024, Italy
Tripoli Film Festival 2024, Lebanon
Helsinki International Film Festival - Love & Anarchy 2024, Finland
Finale Plzen Festival 2024, Czech Republic
The Smalls Film Festival 2024, UK
BEAST International Film Festival 2024, Portugal
Pianeta Mare Film Festival 2024, Italy
Soura Film Festival 2024, Germany
Linz International Short Film Festival 2024, Austria
Visioni Corte International Short Film Festival 2024, Italy
Festival International Regards de Femmes Hammamet 2024, Tunisia - Special Mention
Bucharest Feminist Film Festival 2024, Romania
AZYL Shorts – International Short Film Festival 2024, Slovakia
International Film Festival KineNova Skopje 2024. North Macedonia
Kutaisi International Short Film Festival 2024, Georgia
Festival du Film Libanais de France 2024, France -Special Mention Best Director, Special Mention Best Actress
Matera Film Festival 2024, Italy
FilmFestival Cottbus 2024, Germany
Interfilm - Berlin International Short Film Festival 2024, Germany
Shorts Not Pants 2024, Canada
Beijing International Short Film Festival 2024, China
Lublin Film Festival 2024, Poland
Cairo International Short Film Festival 2024, Egypt
The Shortest Days Film Festival 2024, Serbia
Smita Patil International Film Festival 2025, India
Dhaka International Film Festival 2025, Bangladesh
MENA Film Festival 2025, Canada
Šoblė Film Festival 2025. Lithuania
Panorama Internacional Coisa de Cinema 2025, Brazil -Best Short Film Award
PORTO FEMME - International Film Festival 2025, Portugal
Beirut International Women Film Festival 2025. Lebanon
Wegiel Film Festival 2025, Poland
International Film Festival Etiuda&Anima 2025, Poland
Drugarice Feminist Festival 2025, Montenegro
Blue Danube Film Festival 2025, Austria/Hungary/Slovakia
Developed with
The Cannes Film Festival Focus Script Program (Winner of the TSFM Prize)
The European Short Pitch (Winner of the Cinema & Music Prize)
FAMU
The Prague Shorts Screenwriting Workshop (organized by Karlovy Vary IFF)
La Biennale di Venezia 80, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica 2023 - Official Orizzonti Short Film Competition
Festival Selections & Awards
Venezia 80 - Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica, Orizzonti Short Films Competition 2023, Italy - World Premiere
Stretto Film Festival 2023, Italy
Film Front International Short Film Festival 2023, Serbia
Sulmona International Film Festival 2023, Italy
MedFilm Festival 2023, Italy
El Gouna Film Festival 2023, Egypt
Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2024, USA
Pragueshorts Film Festival 2024, Czech Republic
ZOOM - ZBLIZENIA International Film Festival 2024, Poland
Landshut Short Film Festival 2024, Germany
Kino Pavasaris, Vilnius International Film Festival 2024, Lithuania - Special Mention
Ca' Foscari Short Film Festival 2024, Italy
Akbank International Short Film Festival 2024, Turkey
ALFILM - Arab Film Festival Berlin 2024, Germany
Prague International Film Awards 2024, Czech Republic
Neisse Film Festival 2024, Germany
Diaspora Film Festival 2024, South Korea
FILMAY Short Film Festival 2024, Republic of Macedonia - Best Cinematography Award
Leiden Shorts 2024, Netherlands
Adriatic Film Festival 2024, Italy
SAFAR Film Festival 2024, UK
FEST - New Directors/New Films Festival 2024, Portugal
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2024, Czech Republic
Ischia Film Festival 2024, Italy
Shorts International Film Festival 2024, Italy
Amman International Film Festival 2024, Jordan
Durban International Film Festival 2024, South Africa
Omladinski Film Festival 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Cisterna Film Festival 2024, Italy
Yerevan Short Film Festival 2024, Armenia - Best Fiction Short Film Award
OpenEyes Film Festival 2024, Germany
Motovun Film Festival 2024, Croatia
DokuFest International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2024, Kosovo
Inventa un Film 2024, Italy
Cinétoile 2024, Tunisia
Drama International Short Film Festival 2024, Greece
Golden Grape Short Film Festival 2024, Georgia
FEMCINE, Festival cine de Mujeres de Santiago de Chile 2024
ELBE DOCK International Film Festival 2024, Czech Republic and Germany
Batroun Mediterranean Film Festival 2024, Lebanon
Hvar Film Festival 2024, Croatia
Sentiero Film Factory 2024, Italy
Tripoli Film Festival 2024, Lebanon
Helsinki International Film Festival - Love & Anarchy 2024, Finland
Finale Plzen Festival 2024, Czech Republic
The Smalls Film Festival 2024, UK
BEAST International Film Festival 2024, Portugal
Pianeta Mare Film Festival 2024, Italy
Soura Film Festival 2024, Germany
Linz International Short Film Festival 2024, Austria
Visioni Corte International Short Film Festival 2024, Italy
Festival International Regards de Femmes Hammamet 2024, Tunisia - Special Mention
Bucharest Feminist Film Festival 2024, Romania
AZYL Shorts – International Short Film Festival 2024, Slovakia
International Film Festival KineNova Skopje 2024. North Macedonia
Kutaisi International Short Film Festival 2024, Georgia
Festival du Film Libanais de France 2024, France -Special Mention Best Director, Special Mention Best Actress
Matera Film Festival 2024, Italy
FilmFestival Cottbus 2024, Germany
Interfilm - Berlin International Short Film Festival 2024, Germany
Shorts Not Pants 2024, Canada
Beijing International Short Film Festival 2024, China
Lublin Film Festival 2024, Poland
Cairo International Short Film Festival 2024, Egypt
The Shortest Days Film Festival 2024, Serbia
Smita Patil International Film Festival 2025, India
Dhaka International Film Festival 2025, Bangladesh
MENA Film Festival 2025, Canada
Šoblė Film Festival 2025. Lithuania
Panorama Internacional Coisa de Cinema 2025, Brazil -Best Short Film Award
PORTO FEMME - International Film Festival 2025, Portugal
Beirut International Women Film Festival 2025. Lebanon
Wegiel Film Festival 2025, Poland
International Film Festival Etiuda&Anima 2025, Poland
Drugarice Feminist Festival 2025, Montenegro
Blue Danube Film Festival 2025, Austria/Hungary/Slovakia
Developed with
The Cannes Film Festival Focus Script Program (Winner of the TSFM Prize)
The European Short Pitch (Winner of the Cinema & Music Prize)
FAMU
The Prague Shorts Screenwriting Workshop (organized by Karlovy Vary IFF)
Supported by
The National Czech Film Fund (Státni Fond Kinematografie)
FAMU
The Doha Film Institute
AMU
Film Talent Zlín
The National Czech Film Fund (Státni Fond Kinematografie)
FAMU
The Doha Film Institute
AMU
Film Talent Zlín
Participated in
The European Short Pitch co-prod Forum
Cannes Court Métrage Industry Days
FEST co-prod Forum
The Brussels International Film Festival co-prod Forum
Music & Cinema Marseille Market
The Torino Short Film Market
News & Reviews:
The European Short Pitch co-prod Forum
Cannes Court Métrage Industry Days
FEST co-prod Forum
The Brussels International Film Festival co-prod Forum
Music & Cinema Marseille Market
The Torino Short Film Market
News & Reviews: