The city is host to several events to celebrate its long maritime history. The largest is held every four years, when the town organises a tall ship meeting. The last such tall ship event is "Les Tonnerres de Brest 2012" .
Brest also hosts an annual Short Film Festival called "Festival Européen du Film Court de Brest". The city was the setting for the 1982 art film Querelle, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
