Instagram Story Viewer

🚨Cannes Market Update

Good to see Shadows of Beirut featured in @deadline today as @buffstudiosofficial heads into the Cannes Film Market.

Following its UK festival premiere in London last week, the film arrives in Cannes this week for its first international market screening as it enters the global marketplace ahead of UK theatrical distribution.

Directed by BAFTA nominee @logicofthebirds, Shadows of Beirut continues BUFF Studios’ growing international slate strategy, following previous Cannes presentations including No Shade, Ancestors and @irekemovie.

Cannes remains exactly what it should be - a working market.

Meetings, conversations, positioning, and building long-term relationships around films that travel. This is another step in that direction.

Full story via Deadline Hollywood: https://deadline.com/2026/05/tina-gharavi-shadows-of-beirutbuff-studios-cannes-market-1236900520/

Fresh from its UK festival premiere in London last week, Shadows of Beirut heads to Cannes this Wednesday for an exclusive private market screening at the Marché du Film.

Today’s announcement marks the latest statement of intent from BUFF Studios.

As the British Urban Film Festival enters its third decade, BUFF Studios is moving aggressively into the international marketplace with a slate of commercially-driven, globally relevant film projects built for theatrical, streaming and worldwide audiences.

Shadows of Beirut is the latest example.

Bold, timely and internationally positioned, the film combines prestige storytelling with clear market ambition - tackling themes of conflict, identity and survival through a cinematic lens designed to resonate across borders.

The Cannes screening will bring together buyers, distributors, financiers, sales agents and production partners for an exclusive first-look presentation as BUFF Studios accelerates discussions around international distribution, co-production and strategic investment.

Momentum around the project has continued to build following its London premiere, with Cannes now serving as the next platform in BUFF Studios’ international expansion strategy.

For 21 years, @bufilmfest has established itself as one of the UK’s leading champions of underrepresented talent. And following @irekemovie 12 months ago, BUFF Studios arrives in Cannes with a clear message: independent films deserve better.

The global marketplace is changing. Audiences are demanding authentic, internationally-minded stories with cultural depth and commercial reach.

Shadows of Beirut is exactly that.

Meet the team in Cannes via our website: buffstudios.co.uk

An amazing time at Cannes! @yesshecannes for such an amazing rooftop experience with so many amazing women in the film industry for Dr Clare’s presentation from her book Clarity and later screening of Shadows of Beirut incredible film 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏#cannes #films #movies

@maria.d8r on the red carpet at the @thebuffawards and is proud of her nomination!

#BUFFAwards2026
#Awards
#Film
#videoproduction

At BUFF, our view is simple:

If audiences are buying tickets, filmmakers should see real participation from the results.

Following the 2026 @bufilmfest at @genesiscinema in London, BUFF has now activated the first stage of its filmmaker revenue participation model - with participating filmmakers receiving direct payouts linked to verified theatrical box office performance.

The model, first announced earlier this year via @screendaily, saw filmmakers from qualifying titles receive 70% of BUFF’s net share across selected screenings including:

🎬 C.R.E.A.M
🎬 The Engineer
🎬 The Bridge
🎬 Shadows of Beirut
🎬 Small Gods
🎬 It Comes in Waves
🎬 The Dying Trade
🎬 Rise of the Legion

This is bigger than one festival.

This is about changing the commercial conversation around independent film.

For too long, independent filmmakers have been expected to survive on applause while everyone else in the value chain gets paid.

That model is broken.

As BUFF enters its third decade - alongside the continued expansion of @buffstudiosofficial into theatrical distribution and international markets - our objective is clear:

Build real infrastructure.
Create real audiences.
Generate real commercial pathways for filmmakers.

Independent films deserve better.

#BUFF26 #BUFFStudios #IndependentFilm #Cannes2026 #TheatricalDistribution

@mssophialeonie on the red carpet at the @thebuffawards was happy with the nomination let alone winning best live script on the night

#awardwinning
#BUFFAwards2026
#videoproduction

After a morning of wellness @wellnessfilmfest @yesshecannes we moved to the marina and were lucky enough to see the Cannes premiereof #shadows of Beirut @buffstudiosofficial a cinematic beautiful film written by Tala Calil and directed by bafta nominee Tina Gharavi hosted by @drclareao and @emmanuelanyiamosigwembe. What a trip ! I was delighted to be invited as a guest by @wellnessfilmfest @buffstudiosofficial and we had such fun and laughter at Cannes with fellow guest @alexandria_franklyn , will cherish the memory and a huge thank you to my friends @drclareao @emmanuelanyiamosigwembe for such an incredible experience ❤️❤️🎬🎬❤️❤️

What stayed with us most after the Shadows of Beirut Cannes market screening was the conversation that followed.

An honest, emotional and deeply necessary Q&A led by writer/actress Tala Calil @talacalil and director Tina Gharavi @logicofthebirds on storytelling, identity, war, family and the urgent need for women filmmakers to be trusted with ambitious cinematic narratives on a global scale.

Tina spoke powerfully about what it means to direct a story as an Iranian woman telling a female led narrative set against the backdrop of Lebanon. Not from the outside looking in, but from a place of emotional truth, cultural nuance and lived understanding.

The conversation repeatedly returned to one thing:
audiences are ready for sophisticated, internationally resonant stories that centre women, family, grief, survival and humanity without compromise.

At its heart, Shadows of Beirut is also an intimate father daughter story wrapped inside a tense and visually arresting cinematic world. The kind of emotionally driven independent film that lingers with you long after the credits roll.

There is an unmistakable energy around this project.
Raw. Elevated. Auteur led. Emotional.
The kind of cinema audiences have been craving more of.

Coming to cinemas this autumn, Shadows of Beirut is not simply a film to watch.
It is a film to feel. 🎬✨

#ShadowsOfBeirut #Cannes2026 #BUFFStudios #TinaGharavi #IndependentCinema WomenInFilm Cinema FilmDistribution ComingSoon

The joy!!! 🥹

I really love what I do. Bringing cinema x wellness. Thank you so much @yesshecannes for this opportunity to connect with my female global tribe of filmmakers and creatives. Yes We Cannes! 🇫🇷❤️😘🫂

Tina Gharavi’s ‘Shadows Of Beirut’ Lands UK Theatrical Distribution Via BUFF Studios @buffstudiosofficial — Cannes Market @festivaldecannes
Exclusive 📰 @deadline

Tina Gharavi’s ‘Shadows Of Beirut’ Lands UK Theatrical Distribution Via BUFF Studios @buffstudiosofficial — Cannes Market @festivaldecannes
Exclusive 📰 @deadline

Tina Gharavi’s ‘Shadows Of Beirut’ Lands UK Theatrical Distribution Via BUFF Studios @buffstudiosofficial — Cannes Market @festivaldecannes
Exclusive 📰 @deadline

Tina Gharavi’s ‘Shadows Of Beirut’ Lands UK Theatrical Distribution Via BUFF Studios @buffstudiosofficial — Cannes Market @festivaldecannes
Exclusive 📰 @deadline

Delighted to be hosting a deluxe @wellnessfilmfest breakfast session @yesshecannes followed by a private lunch and screening of our latest distribution title Shadows of Beirut directed by #tinagharavi starring @talacalil 🎬

If you are:

Cinema booker
Producer
Financier

Please reach out to secure your seat at @buffstudiosofficial table 🫱🏾‍🫲🏿 🎬

From our balcony in the south of France, Bonjour, Bonjour!

A busy day ahead in the BUFF world as we prepare to host our private Cannes Market presentation for “Shadows of Beirut”.

We are taking bookings for UK theatrical feature releases so do contact our team on the ground via the website www.buffstudios.co.uk

A bien tot!