Tribeca Film Festival Expands to Lisbon, Bridging Cultural Divide

In 2025, the Tribeca Film Festival, which was originally established to unite New York City in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, is expanding its reach to Lisbon, Portugal. The second edition of the Tribeca Festival Lisboa, set to take place from October 29 to November 1, 2025, is focused on bridging the widening transatlantic rift between the U.S. and Europe through the power of independent cinema.

The festival's mission is to facilitate partnerships between American and Portuguese artists and filmmakers, showcasing films that explore diverse perspectives and empathize with different experiences. This year's lineup includes American films that have tackled European stories or history, such as Julian Schnabel's "In the Hand of Dante" and James Vanderbilt's "Nuremberg," as well as European directors who have made movies in the U.S., like Yorgo Lanthimos' genre-bending "Bugonia."

The festival also features a hybrid project, Lilian T. Mehrel's "Honeyjoon," a U.S.-Portugal co-production by an American director that was shot and set in the Azores. This dark comedy about a mother and daughter's grief journey premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2025 and will now make its Portuguese debut at the Lisbon event.

Tribeca Festival Lisboa aims to foster cultural exchange and collaboration, not just by bringing American films to European audiences, but also by highlighting the best of Portuguese cinema. The festival's program includes local films such as Duarte Neves' feature debut "Match," Antonio Ferreira's "A Memoria do Cheiro das Coisas," and Fernando Vendrell's "Além do Horizonte - A Travessia."