Returning to Metropolis Cinema for its second edition, the "Writing on Film" workshop anchors itself in the rich legacy of film criticism in the Arab world — a tradition born not of expertise, but spilled out of the crowded ciné-clubs and late-night oral debates outside theaters, often navigating political shifts, social taboos, and changing media landscapes.

This coming fall, and in conjunction with the 21st edition of Ecrans du reel (Doc Screens), Cinematheque Beirut will launch the second cycle of the “Writing on Film” workshop, where young cinephiles are given the space to broaden their understanding of film criticism and writing about films, engaging directly with the program of the Doc Screens Festival.

This workshop will take place in September 2026, offering participants the opportunity to develop and publish film reviews, essays or interviews with the support of the Cinematheque Beirut project.

Eligibility preferences:

• Students and early-career individuals practicing in film or related fields
• Individuals based in Lebanon for the month of September

Sumbit via our google form

Deadline to submit: August 4, 2026

About the mentors

Haramoun Hamieh

Haramoun is the co-founder and editor of Rehla, a Beirut-based zine and volunteer-driven media project. He writes about contemporary life through a blend of media theory, visual culture, and philosophy. His texts often summon fictional characters and feature imagined dialogues and absurdist scenes that invite readers to critically and deeply engage with current events and collective obsessions. 

Haramoun has collaborated with both legacy and digital media platforms, as well as with journalists, writers, and students, to help shape their texts and achieve their editorial aims. Working under various identities and across multiple mediums, he keeps switching roles between archivist, Photoshop hobbyist, and daytime worker.

Al-Monther Al-Damani

Theater maker (playwright, dramaturg, director), a graduate of the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in the Department of Theater Studies in Damascus, and currently a master's student in theater and film studies at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. His work primarily explores the relationship between death and freedom and their manifestations in human behavior, especially after the 2011 explosion. Through his research, he has produced several theatrical performances as a dramaturg and director discussing this duality in Damascus, Beirut and Amman 

Additionally, he has engaged in journalism and art criticism, contributing to various newspapers, magazines, and websites.

Mahdi Awada

Mahdi Awada (b. 1999, Beirut) is a Beirut-based Artist. He graduated with a BA in studio arts from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and is currently Coordinator of the Cinematheque Beirut Project. His artistic practice has revolved around the intersections of communication, language, and spatiality, exploring how these elements contribute to a sense of intimate belonging. His current artistic endeavors encompass painting, photography, and video, focusing on expanding these fields through deeper examinations of their ontology. Mahdi incorporates the digital and virtual realms into his work, uncovering how language is encoded into the very fabric of spaces.

تعود ورشة عمل "الكتابة عن الأفلام" إلى سينما متروبوليس في دورتها الثانية، لترتكز على الإرث الغني للنقد السينمائي في العالم العربي—وهو تقليد لم يولد من رحم الخبرة الأكاديمية الجافة، بل انبثق من نوادي السينما المزدحمة والنقاشات الشفهية المتأخرة خارج صالات العرض، متلمساً طريقه غمار التحولات السياسية، التابوهات الاجتماعية، والمشاهد الإعلامية المتغيرة.

في خريف هذا العام، بالتزامن مع الدورة الحادية والعشرين لمهرجان "شاشات الواقع" (Écrans du réel)، تطلق "سينماتك بيروت" الدورة الثانية من ورشة عمل "الكتابة عن الأفلام"، حيث يُمنح عشاق السينما الشباب مساحة لتوسيع فهمهم للنقد السينمائي والكتابة عن الأفلام، من خلال التفاعل المباشر مع برنامج مهرجان شاشات الواقع.

تقام هذه الورشة في أيلول/سبتمبر 2026، وتتيح لمجموعة من المشاركين والمشاركات فرصة تطوير ونشر مراجعات سينمائية، مقالات نقدية، أو مقابلات، وذلك بدعم من مشروع "سينماتك بيروت".

معايير الأهلية:

الطلاب والأفراد في بداية مسيرتهم المهنية العاملون في مجال السينما أو المجالات ذات الصلة.

المتواجدون في بيروت طوال شهر أيلول/سبتمبر.

 يمكن إرسال طلب المشاركة المتوفر على هذا الرابط.

الموعد النهائي لتقديم الطلبات:4 آب/أغسطس 2026