Lebanon
Lebanon offers a blend of Middle Eastern, European and ancient architecture, white sand beaches and coastal looks, snowy mountains, luscious fields and farms, wild greenery, olive groves, cedar forests, vineyards, and waterfalls. All of Lebanon’s locations can be reached within a 2 hour drive of Beirut.
Cost & Rebates
Lebanon has one of the least expensive shoot day costs in the Middle East.
At present there are no tax incentives for foreign films or commercials shooting in Lebanon.
When To Shoot
Lebanon’s summers (June to September) are hot and dry. Winters (December to March) are cold and wet with snowfall common in mountain areas. Spring (April / May) through to fall (October / November) are the best months to film for weather.
Visa Information
Most nationalities can obtain visas on arrival allowing stays for a period of up to 1 month. Note, crew members holding passports that contain visas or entry/exit stamps for Israel will likely be refused entry into Lebanon. Visiting crews are not required to have work permits.
Cast, Crew & Equipment
The pool of local directors, directors of photography and stills photographers is small. Lebanon has some good local performance directors and a good depth of experienced key crew. Departments often cross over. All key and supporting crews speak good English, French and Arabic. Crews are non-union. Lebanon’s close proximity to Dubai and major European production centres allows easy access to those crews should you need to look further. Talent is non-union and buyouts are negotiable. Lebanon offers a diverse cross section of Middle Eastern looking talent with some blonde, Asian, East Indian and African minorities also available, although mainly for background roles. All other talent looks are best cast abroad. Lebanon’s relatively close proximity to major European production centres and Dubai allows easy access to those pools of talent should you ever need to look further. Most camera, grip and lighting equipment is available including Technocrane and speed cameras. Some mounts and other specialised equipment need to be brought in from Dubai or Europe. For productions looking to bring in film equipment Lebanon is an ATA carnet country.