The Lisbon and Estoril Film Festival (LEFF), formerly known as Estoril Film Festival, is making a name for itself as one of Europe’s leading film festivals. As a newcomer, the festival has been able to bring big names from the film industry since its debut in 2007. Some who have taken part in the event have included Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, Oscar-winning actor John Malkovich, Catherine Deneuve, and Kathryn Bigelow.

The festival takes pride in awarding the best of the best in the movie industry while creating a meeting point for artists and performers of the trade in the capital of Portugal.

The best distinguishing feature is the fact that there is no red carpet at most of the screenings, even at the premieres. One could simply stand in line waiting to get inside and Paul Giamatti or David Cronenberg could walk by you and even stop by for a chat.

Movies competing in the official selection are mostly European films, and some of the movies shown are already generating Oscar buzz. The festival will premiere “A Dangerous Method” (David Cronenberg),” The Ides of March” (George Clooney), “Melancholia” (Lars von Trier), “Restless” (Gus van Sant). “Faust,” directed by Alexander Sokurov and the winner of the Berlinare and the Venice Festival’s Golden Lion, will also premiere at the festival.

This is undoubtedly LEFF’s best edition to date. It hosts a jury panel of world-renowned authors, such as Paul Auster and J.M. Coetzee, and will showcase the first images of Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis,” starring Robert Pattinson. In addition, LEFF will also host several events simultaneously in some of Lisbon’s most iconic venues. The festival proves its versatility while dabbling in other areas, holding events specially aimed at college students, classes with Giamatti and Cronenberg, musical concerts, an international symposium on the future of the culture industries, ateliers, and several other exhibitions.

One of the main attractions of the festival is an exhibit on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which portrays the everyday life of a Palestinian village. The work is by photographer Kai Wiedenhöfer, winner of the first Carmignac Gestion Foundation Photojournalism Award.

If you happen to be in Lisbon in November 3 to November 14, be sure to check out LEFF. It is an event you don’t want to miss.

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Four of today´s most important writers in English language gather together in an extraordinary and not- to-be missed event taking place at Museu de História Natural e Ciência today at the Lisbon and Estoril Film Festival (LEFF) 2011.

J.M. Coetzee, Don Delillo, Paul Auster and Siri Hustvedt will gather at the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival and read excerpts from their works to the festival public.

Distinguished with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003, J.M. Coetzee is one of the most acclaimed English language writers and also one of the most respected internationally, the author of very famous books such as “Disgrace” or “Life and Times of Michael K”, with which he won the Booker Prize.

Don Delillo is a colossal figure from the current North American literary panorama, having already won the National Book Award and the Prize PEN/Faulkner. Works such as “Americana”, “Falling Man”, “Mao II”, “White Noise” and “Cosmopolis” are part of the world’s literary panorama.

One of the most brilliant fiction writers today, Paul Auster is responsible for bestsellers such as “The Brooklyn Follies” and “Leviathan”. In 2006 he won the prize Príncipe das Astúrias das Letras, the most prestigious award of Spanish literature.

Poet and romance writer widely praised by international critique, Siri Hustvedt is a remarkable personality of American literature, and her works have been translated to more than 30 languages.

According to the LEFF’s press release, Singer and composer Sophie Auster, the daughter of writers Paul Auster and Siri Hustvedt, will make her debut concert in Portugal through the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival. The concert of the New York artist will take place at the Lisbon famous club LUX today, at 23:30 local time.

Sophie Auster is currently preparing a new album, with a team that gathers some of the most acclaimed musicians of today, such as guitar player Adam Levy and drummer Andrew Borger – both former musicians of prize-winner singer Norah Jones.

Image courtesy: http://www.leffest.com/pt/fotos_ano

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