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16th INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL OF CYPRUS

Writer: Rialto Theatre
Rialto Theatre
2 hours ago
3 min read

Announcement of Cypriot Entries in the National Competition Programme


Thirteen short films, thirteen different journeys through Cypriot creativity, make up this year's National Competition Programme of the 16th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus.

Family bonds put to the test, love affairs that blossom or fade, places that change face: this year's programme moves through fiction and documentary with equal intensity, capturing the pulse of a generation of filmmakers writing their own language on the Cypriot screen.

Participation in the National Competition Programme remains one of the most important steps for showcasing Cypriot cinema, giving filmmakers the chance to meet audiences, gain international recognition, and open doors to future collaborations and co-productions.


The films selected by the festival's Preliminary Selection Committee are as follows:

  • Free Eliza (Notes on an Anatomical Imperfection) - directed by Alexandra Matthaiou

  • Night Shift - directed by Talat Gokdemir

  • Sirens - directed by Argyro Nikolaou

  • Bifurcation: Like Thunder Strike - directed by Andreas Lyras

  • Salt -directed by Konstantinos Nikiforou

  • Kinds of Fathers - directed by Christos Artemiou

  • Valentinos - directed by Sofia Anastasiou

  • Terrace with a View - directed by Dimitris Michael

  • Runner - directed by Ermolaos Fotiou

  • Cinema Rialto - directed by Antony Petrou

  • Arasta - directed by Fatosh Olgacher

  • Shekerika - directed by Iakovos Maimaris

  • Icarus - directed by Christos Kardanas


Audiences will also have the opportunity to attend the special screening "The Space In Between," curated by the Preliminary Selection Committee of the National Competition Section. The need to live in-between - between languages, between places, between versions of oneself - and even the decision not to choose just one. A programme of films by women filmmakers offering their personal perspective on the female experience of displacement, dual identity, and the search for a sense of "belonging" in today's geographical space.


The screening will take place on Friday, October 16, at 18:15, at the Rialto Theatre's main stage (Επί Σκηνής).


The Preliminary Selection Committee of the National Competition Section

Once again this year, the task of selecting the films was undertaken by the Preliminary Selection Committee of the Competition Section, composed of distinguished film professionals:

  • Adonis Floridis - Film and theatre director, playwright and screenwriter

  • Doros Dimitriou - Film historian, curator and cultural events organiser

  • Gianna Amerikanou - Director and screenwriter

  • Peter Cerovšek - Director and curator, Director of FeKK - Ljubljana Short Film Festival


As every year, the Cypriot entries compete for both the International and National Awards, while also vying for a nomination for the European Film Academy Awards in the Short Film category.


The awards to be given by the jury in the two sections include:


International:

  • 1st Award for Best Short Film

  • 2nd Award for Best Short Film

  • Best Director Award

  • Best Documentary Award

  • 3 Honorary Mentions

  • Eastern Mediterranean Award


National:

  • 1st Award for Best Cypriot Short Film

  • 2nd Award for Best Cypriot Short Film

  • "Dinos Katsouridis" Best Director Award

  • Best Cinematography Award

  • Best Performance Award

  • 3 Honorary Mentions


In addition to the jury's distinctions, this year's edition is launching two new initiatives: the Audience Award, giving viewers the chance to select their favourite film and offering a cash prize of €500, as well as the Peer Award, an honorary recognition for a Cypriot entry to be presented by a committee of representatives from the Cyprus Directors' Guild, the Cyprus Actors' Union (ΕΗΚ), and the Theatre Artists' Sector of ΣΗΔΗΚΕΚ-ΠΕΟ.



Information: Rialto Theatre 77 77 77 45

Facebook: @Int'l Short Film Festival of Cyprus

Tickets:€5 daily€25 season pass


Free admission is provided to students upon presentation of a valid student card, to holders of a disability card, to directors who are members of the Cyprus Directors' Guild, and to actors who are members of the Cyprus Actors' Union and the Theatre Artists' Sector of ΣΗΔΗΚΕΚ-ΠΕΟ.


Screenings are for persons over 18 years of age.

All films are screened in their original language, with English and Greek subtitles.


ORGANISERS:

Deputy Ministry of Culture – Department of Contemporary Culture, and Rialto Theatre


In collaboration with the Municipality of Limassol


Major Sponsors: APC Audit TAX Auditors, Green Olive, Digital Tree

Sponsor: AMP Filmworks

Technical Support: EventPRO

Award Sponsors: SteFilm, Dinos Katsouridis Award, Master and Slave Limited

Hospitality Sponsors: Alinea, Mediterranean Beach Hotel

Communication Sponsors: Check In, City Free Press, RIK

Support: European Programmes and Cultural Relations Organisation, CUT (Cyprus University of Technology), University of Cyprus Alumni Office, Lemesos Newspaper, Limassol Film Club, Larnaca-Famagusta Film Club, Limassol Today, Lemesos Blog, Limassol Passenger Transport Company, Vestnik Kipra, Limassol Tourism Development Company.


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