16th INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL OF CYPRUS
Announcement of the International Jury
The International Jury of the 16th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus brings together distinguished festival directors and curators, filmmakers honoured at some of the world's foremost film events, and a filmmaker and visual artist from the new generation of Cypriot talent. Five distinct paths converge on a single purpose: to single out, from this year's International and National Competition programmes, the films that dare, that move, and that chart new territories of storytelling. This year's jury is composed as follows:
President of the Jury
Riina Mikkonen
Riina Mikkonen is Executive Director and Head of Programming at the Tampere Film Festival in Finland. A member of the festival's competition selection committee, she has curated a wide array of short film programmes since 2005, the year she embarked on her career in short cinema. She holds a Master's degree in Media Studies from the University of Turku, and has also studied literature, art and cultural history, gender studies and information science. Over the years she has worked as a film critic, curator, librarian and information specialist. Her interest in cinema encompasses both its aesthetic and its ethical dimensions, with a particular focus on queer and environmental themes.
Jury Members
Jing Haase
Jing Haase is a programmer and short film specialist with more than two decades of experience in the field. She heads the Industry department at Kurzfilmtage Winterthur. She previously worked with Nordic short films and documentaries as Market Manager at Nordisk Panorama, and as Short Film Festival Manager at the Swedish Film Institute, where her principal focus was international distribution. She has also served as a programme manager and worked in film production. Jing Haase is a frequent moderator, panellist and jury member at international festivals and industry events.
Mina el Naggar
Mina el Naggar is the founder, CEO and director of MedFest Egypt, the first touring international short film festival in the Middle East and North Africa, dedicated to stories of health and social impact. He is also an actor who, over the past twenty years, has appeared in more than 25 film, television and stage productions. Since 2017 he has staged seven editions of the festival across more than 13 Egyptian governorates, drawing audiences of over 40,000. With a background in medicine and clinical nutrition, he brings the rare dual perspective of clinician and performer. He has served on international juries including those of the Hamburg International Short Film Festival and the Figari International Short Film Fest. He champions cinema as an instrument of empathy and human connection.
Thanasis Neofotistos
Thanasis Neofotistos is a Greek director and screenwriter. Trained in both architecture and film, he has developed a body of work that marries a handcrafted, idiosyncratic style with realism and emotional depth, often through a queer lens and with mythic undertones. His debut feature, The Boy with the Blue Eyes (99', 2026), a dark queer coming-of-age fairy tale, premiered at SXSW London to exceptional reviews. Screen Daily hailed him as "a director to watch", while The Hollywood Reporter described him as a true auteur. His short films, among them Airhostess-737 (16', 2022), Patision Avenue (13', 2018), Route 3 (12', 2019) and Prayer (20', 2014), premiered and won awards at leading international festivals including Venice, Sundance, Toronto, Locarno and Clermont-Ferrand. He served as Head of Programming at the Drama International Short Film Festival (2019–2024) and is a member of both the European Film Academy and the Hellenic Film Academy.
Marina Xenofontos
Marina Xenofontos lives and works between Limassol and Athens. Her practice, spanning film, sculpture and installation, explores ideology, knowledge, failure and the marginalisation of personal narratives within the public sphere. She holds an MFA in Sculpture from Bard College, New York, and was a resident artist at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. Her work has been presented at institutions including Camden Art Centre in London, SculptureCenter in New York and the Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne. Her film Overnight Coup (2025) received the ArtReview Prize for Best Art Film in St. Moritz, the FeKK International Award, and the Award for Best Cinematography at the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus. In 2026 she represented Cyprus at the 61st Venice Biennale.
All films are screened in their original language with English and Greek subtitles.
Information: Rialto Theatre, 77 77 77 45
Facebook: @Int'l Short Film Festival of Cyprus
Instagram: isffc_filmfestival
Tickets:€5 day pass
€25 festival pass
Free admission is extended to students upon presentation of a valid student card, holders of a disability card, directors who are members of the Cyprus Directors' Guild, and actors who are members of the Cyprus Actors' Guild and of the Theatre Artists' Branch of SEDIKEK-PEO.
Screenings are suitable for audiences aged 18 and over.
ORGANISERS:
Deputy Ministry of Culture, Department of Contemporary Culture, and the 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 Katsourides Award, Master and Slave Limited
Hospitality Sponsors: Alinea, Mediterranean Beach Hotel
Media Sponsors: Check In, City Free Press, RIK
With the support of: the Organisation for European Programmes and Cultural Relations, 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 and Promotion Company.
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