Montpellier cultural festivals highlight Arab and Mediterranean arts

The Arabesques Festival in Montpellier continues its two-decade tradition of celebrating Mediterranean and Arab cultures through music, dance, theater, and visual arts. The 2026 edition featured the Arabesques Music Forum, which brought together industry professionals and musicians, including the Egyptian electronic duo Too Fuse.

In a related cultural initiative, the Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival (Cinemed) and the Beirut-based platform Aflamuna have announced the selection for their fifth project incubator, the Aflamuna x Cinemed Encounters. Scheduled for October, the program supports filmmakers from across the Middle East and Africa.

The selection includes seven projects, such as the documentary ‘Disappeared’ by Anas Zawahri, which examines the forced disappearance of individuals under the Syrian regime. Other featured works include Palestinian director Wisam Al Jafari’s debut feature, ‘The Hearse to the Final House of Happiness’. Supported by France’s National Cinema Center (CNC), the incubator provides professional development and networking opportunities for filmmakers from 22 Arab territories.