Actor Kaj Adnan was among the artists participating in the 2026 Hollywood Arab Film Festival, held at The Culver Theater in Los Angeles. The annual festival brought together filmmakers, performers, and audiences to celebrate Arab and North African cinema through screenings and cultural discussions highlighting stories from across the region and diaspora.
One of the featured projects at this year’s festival was Le Beyrouth, a short drama directed by Daniella Raphael and produced by Rhys Zemeckis. Set during the Lebanese Civil War, the film follows two brothers trying to navigate fear, instability, and survival while holding onto their sense of family in the middle of conflict.
Kaj Adnan appears in a leading role in the film, delivering a performance centered on the emotional pressure placed on young people living through war. The story explores themes of loss, resilience, and coming of age during one of Lebanon’s most difficult historical periods.
The film has also earned recognition beyond Los Angeles, including winning Best Cinematography at the Trinity Film Festival. Its visual atmosphere and emotionally driven narrative have helped establish Le Beyrouth as a notable recent short film focused on Middle Eastern storytelling.
The inclusion of Le Beyrouth in the Hollywood Arab Film Festival reflects the increasing international interest in Arab cinema and the importance of festivals that create space for authentic and human-centered stories to reach wider audiences.
