The Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival

From its modest beginnings to its current status as a must-attend event on the European cinema scene, the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival (LEFFEST) has become a major landmark in the Portuguese cultural landscape. From the chic coastline of Estoril to the capital Lisbon, this festival has managed to transform itself, blend different arts and attract prestigious names, all while building its own identity.

Origins and birth

The festival finds its roots in Estoril, on the Portuguese Riviera, in the first half of the 2000s. According to sources, the festival was “created” in 2006.  Portuguese producer and audiovisual figure Paulo Branco is one of its founders, giving it from the outset a dimension rooted in auteur cinema.

In its early days, the event was known as the Estoril Film Festival. It offered a competition open to international films, fiction, documentary and animation, notably awarding the “Silver Seagull Award”.

Very quickly, the festival sought to position itself not only as a film showcase, but also as a space for debate, artistic intersections (music, theatre, photography) and discoveries.

Expansion and transformation

Over the years, the festival effectively shifted towards Lisbon and its surroundings. Its name evolved (Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival) and then, for a time, Lisbon & Sintra.  This reflects a broader ambition: to bring together the Lisbon region, offer varied venues, and reach both urban and international audiences.

Its programme features sections such as “Competition”, “Discoveries”, “Out of Competition”, but also numerous “master-classes”, retrospectives and tributes to auteur filmmakers.  The festival thus became a laboratory for exchanges between cinema and other artistic forms.

Some defining moments

Among the historic highlights, as early as its 6th edition (2012), the festival was already bringing together prestigious names such as Willem Dafoe, Fanny Ardant and Abel Ferrara.  This shows how quickly the event gained international legitimacy.

In 2010, a mention of an “Estoril Film Festival” edition appears.  Growth continued throughout the decade. The fact that the festival takes place in November underlines its autumn positioning, before the end of the year, which serves as a marker for cinephiles and professionals.

LEFFEST in 2025

The 19th edition of the festival will take place from 7 to 16 November 2025 in Lisbon.  At its presentation on 23 September 2025, it was announced that eight venues in the capital will host screenings and events: Cinema São Jorge, Cinema Medeia Nimas, Culturgest, Teatro do Bairro, Auditório dos Recreios da Amadora, Cineteatro D. João V, Galeria Zé dos Bois, NOS Amoreiras.

The programme clearly places emphasis on the “city-cinema” concept, confirming Lisbon as an international platform for the seventh art.

The festival’s official website highlights its “engaging selection of the best contemporary cinematic production” and its ambition to “push the boundaries of cinema by crossing it with other arts and disciplines”.  One of the novelties of 2025 is the “Discoveries” section, spotlighting “eight emerging voices” from very diverse backgrounds.

The festival also states it will welcome “ten leading figures” from the worlds of art, cinema and music.

What the festival represents today

LEFFEST plays a hybrid role: cinema festival, artistic platform, cultural crossroads. It enables Lisbon to position itself, symbolically, as a cinema city, attracting not only national but also international audiences. The presence of filmmakers, actors and debates enriches the event.

In addition, the festival plays a significant economic and tourism role. It contributes to the capital’s cultural life, boosts infrastructures (venues, cultural spaces) and is part of an attractive autumn cultural season.

It is also a driver for the discovery of non-mainstream cinema, and a launchpad for young filmmakers, notably through the Discoveries section.

A few figures and facts to note

• Since its inception (2006) and transformation, the festival has changed name and scale.

• The official website states that the 19th edition (2025) runs for 10 days, giving it a stable duration for an event of this importance.

• The festival is mentioned as “one of Europe’s leading film festivals” due to the quality of its selection and artistic fusion.

Challenges and goals

Like all festivals, LEFFEST faces challenges: maintaining loyalty from a curious yet demanding audience, balancing auteur cinema with wider appeal, renewing itself in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Another challenge is internationalisation: how to attract major producers, distributors and festival-goers, while preserving a strong Portuguese identity? The fact that Lisbon has become more central than Estoril in the organisation reflects this strategy.

The question of hybridisation (cinema + arts + debates + digital) also demonstrates the will to extend the festival’s reach beyond screenings alone.

What has happened there recently

In 2025, as mentioned, the programme highlights international films, emerging voices and parallel events (music, art). The fact that the Discoveries section features eight films by “rising voices” is a strong signal. (source turn0search1)

At the presentation, geographical expansion to the suburbs (Amadora) and the new visual identity were also noted. (source turn0search5)

The idea of reinforcing venue accessibility also appears, with multiple locations in Lisbon and a partnership with the city council.

Why go to LEFFEST?

For a cinema lover, LEFFEST offers:

• A selection combining auteur cinema, international discoveries, and quality revivals.

• A welcoming city: Lisbon, blending historical heritage and modern cultural life.

• Varied and often spectacular venues.

• Opportunities to meet creators, master-classes, debates — making it much more than a simple screening space.

For a professional, it is a chance to see what is happening elsewhere, to network, to hear about creative trends.

For a cultural traveller, it is an excuse to combine city exploration, cinema, autumn atmosphere and local cultural energy.

Looking to the future

With the 19th edition in 2025, LEFFEST seems to be consolidating its formula. The focus on the “city-film” dimension, cultural crossovers and increased visibility all suggest a festival that does not merely repeat, but reinvents itself.

It is likely that future editions will pursue:

• Expansion into new formats (VR, hybrid cinema).

• Strengthening of discovery and young talent sections.

• Greater international presence while celebrating Portuguese cinema.

• Increased audience engagement, particularly among younger generations.

SO…

The Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival (LEFFEST) is today a cultural pillar in Portugal: from its modest beginnings in Estoril to its current Lisbon-centred form, it symbolises the vitality of cinema in the country. The 2025 edition promises to be rich, innovative and open. For anyone interested in cinema, culture or Lisbon, it is most certainly a date to mark.

LR