Category: Announcements
SEE Cinema Network 2023 Development Funding Announcement
Greek text follows.
The Deputy Ministry of Culture – Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture announces that the South Eastern European Cinema Network (SEE) launches a contest between its member-states for the funding of Development Projects for Feature Films. In its next meeting, to be held this coming November 2023, the Network will examine the submitted proposals and select the best among them to be funded.
SELECTION CRITERIA
- Feature films with a minimum running time of 70 minutes and aimed at theatrical release are accepted for examination. These projects must have assumed the form of co-productions between at least two producers from two SEE CINEMA Network member-states (Cyprus, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Romania, Bulgaria). The participation of third co-producers from other countries is not excluded. Proof of the participation of co-producers should be in the form of agreements or at least memorandums between the parties involved in the project. The files submitted must have secured the services of a delegate producer, director and scriptwriter, all three from the Network’s member-states.
- As they progress, the submitted development projects should also assume the final form of co-production in compliance with the general principles and conditions stipulated by the European Convention on Co-productions.
- The artistic and technical contributors to the film must, should the project become a feature film, as much as possible come from the Network’s member-states.
- The applications are submitted by the producer to his/her own country.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The evaluation of the development projects and the selection of those to be funded will be carried out by the General Assembly of SEE CINEMA Network representatives.
The evaluation is carried out based on the following criteria:
- The dynamic demonstrated by the dramaturgical idea
- The dramaturgical integrity of the script
- The project’s artistic potential
- The project’s commercial potential
- The recognition received by the artistic team’s (scriptwriter and director) earlier projects from critics, the public and festivals
- Proof of financing that the production may have already secured
- The thoroughness of the strategic plan mapped out by the executive producer regarding the management and promotion of the project
PROCEDURE FOR SUBMISSION AND EVALUATION OF THE PROJECTS
Cypriot producers must submit the following:
- Two identical bound copies must be submitted by the applicants until Μonday, 11 September 2023, in two identical files, to the Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, care of Mr Diomedes Nikitas or Ms Elena Christodoulidou (Cultural Services Building: 27, Iphigeneias Str., Acropolis 2007, Nicosia, Offices 110 (1st floor) and 403 (4th floor), Tel: 22809811, 22809812 and 22809846. The file (see CONTENT OF CANDIDATES’ FILES) must also be sent to this email address: cypruscinema.gov@cytanet.com.cy in one single PDF file.
CONTENT OF CANDIDATES’ FILES
The candidates’ files should contain the following documentation:
- Duly completed application form
- Biographical note of the scriptwriter, director, producer, and information on the production company
- Synopsis in Greek/English (2 pages)
- Treatment in Greek/English (approx. 10-15 pages)
- A copy of the complete script in Greek/English
- Statement of intent regarding the artistic and commercial dynamic of the project written jointly by the director and the producer
- Strategy for managing and marketing the project by the producer (up to 3 pages)
- Analytical budget of the development project which will include expenses directly and specifically linked to the project
- Summary of the production budget and breakdown for the co-producers
- Any other documentation that may be useful in evaluating the project
The amount of funding usually rises to €6.000-€10.000 and will depend on the Network’s financial ability.
The synopsis, treatment and script must be written in English and Greek. The rest of the documentation must be written in one of the two official languages of the Network (either English or French).
For more information, contact the Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture (tel: 22809811, 22809812 and 22809846 and email cypruscinema.gov@cytanet.com.cy
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Χρηματοδότηση Ανάπτυξης Παραγωγικού Σχεδίου Ταινιών Μεγάλου Μήκους Κινηματογραφικού Δικτύου Νοτιοανατολικής Ευρώπης (SEE)
Το Υφυπουργείο Πολιτισμού – Τμήμα Νεότερου και Σύγχρονου Πολιτισμού ανακοινώνει ότι το Κινηματογραφικό Δίκτυο Νοτιοανατολικής Ευρώπης (SEE) προκηρύσσει διαγωνισμό, ανάμεσα στις χώρες-μέλη του, για χρηματοδότηση Ανάπτυξης Παραγωγικού Σχεδίου Ταινιών Μεγάλου Μήκους (development). Το Δίκτυο, στην επόμενη Γενική Συνέλευσή του που θα πραγματοποιηθεί τον Νοέμβριο του 2022, θα εξετάσει τις προτάσεις που θα υποβληθούν, από τις οποίες θα επιλέξει τις καλύτερες για χρηματοδότηση.
ΚΡΙΤΗΡΙΑ ΕΠΙΛΟΓΗΣ
- Γίνονται δεκτές προς εξέταση προτάσεις για Ταινίες Μεγάλου Μήκους ελάχιστης διάρκειας 70 λεπτών, με στόχο την προβολή σε αίθουσες κινηματογράφου. Οι προτάσεις πρέπει να είναι υπό τη μορφή συμπαραγωγών μεταξύ δύο τουλάχιστον παραγωγών από δύο κράτη-μέλη του Κινηματογραφικού Δικτύου Νοτιοανατολικής Ευρώπης (Κύπρος, Ελλάδα, Σερβία, Αλβανία, Δημοκρατία της Βόρειας Μακεδονίας, Μαυροβούνιο, Κόσοβο, Ρουμανία, Βουλγαρία). Η συμμετοχή τρίτων συμπαραγωγών από άλλες χώρες δεν αποκλείεται. Η απόδειξη της συμμετοχής συμπαραγωγών θα πρέπει να είναι υπό τη μορφή συμφωνιών ή τουλάχιστον προσυμφώνων μεταξύ των μερών που εμπλέκονται στο σχέδιο. Οι φάκελοι που υποβάλλονται, πρέπει να έχουν εξασφαλίσει τις υπηρεσίες εντεταλμένου παραγωγού, σκηνοθέτη και σεναριογράφου, οι οποίοι να προέρχονται και οι τρεις από κράτη-μέλη του Δικτύου.
- Καθώς προχωρά η διαδικασία, τα σχέδια ανάπτυξης που υποβάλλονται, πρέπει, επίσης, να λαμβάνουν την τελική μορφή συμπαραγωγής, τηρουμένων των γενικών αρχών και όρων που προβλέπονται στην Ευρωπαϊκή Σύμβαση για τις Συμπαραγωγές.
- Οι καλλιτεχνικοί και εμπορικοί παράγοντες της ταινίας θα πρέπει, εφόσον προχωρήσει η παραγωγή, να προέρχονται κατά το μέγιστο δυνατό, από τα κράτη-μέλη του Δικτύου.
- Οι αιτήσεις κατατίθενται από τον παραγωγό στη χώρα του.
ΚΡΙΤΗΡΙΑ ΑΞΙΟΛΟΓΗΣΗΣ
Η αξιολόγηση των σχεδίων και η επιλογή εκείνων που θα χρηματοδοτηθούν, θα γίνει από τη Γενική Συνέλευση των εκπροσώπων του Δικτύου.
Η αξιολόγηση γίνεται με βάση τα ακόλουθα κριτήρια:
- Δυναμική που παρουσιάζει η δραματουργική προσέγγιση,
- Δραματουργική ακεραιότητα του σεναρίου,
- Καλλιτεχνικές προοπτικές του σχεδίου,
- Εμπορικές προοπτικές του σχεδίου,
- Αναγνώριση που έχουν λάβει τα προηγούμενα έργα της καλλιτεχνικής ομάδας (σεναριογράφος και σκηνοθέτης) από τους κριτικούς, το κοινό και τα φεστιβάλ,
- Απόδειξη της χρηματοδότησης που τυχόν έχει εξασφαλίσει η παραγωγή,
- Πληρότητα του στρατηγικού σχεδίου που έχει εκπονήσει ο εκτελεστικός παραγωγός, αναφορικά με τη διαχείριση και προώθηση του σχεδίου.
ΔΙΑΔΙΚΑΣΙΑ ΥΠΟΒΟΛΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΞΙΟΛΟΓΗΣΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΡΟΤΑΣΕΩΝ
Οι αιτητές πρέπει να υποβάλουν τα ακόλουθα:
Δύο δεμένα πανομοιότυπα αντίγραφα θα πρέπει να υποβληθούν από τους αιτητές, μέχρι τη Δευτέρα 11 Σεπτεμβρίου 2023, σε δύο πανομοιότυπους φακέλους, στις Πολιτιστικές Υπηρεσίες του Υφυπουργείου Πολιτισμού, υπόψη του κου Διομήδη Νικήτα ή της κας Έλενας Χριστοδουλίδου (Κτήριο Τμήματος Νεότερου και Σύγχρονου Πολιτισμού, Ιφιγένειας 27, Ακρόπολις 2007, Λευκωσία, Γραφεία 110 (1ος όροφος) και 403 (4ος όροφος), Τηλ: 22809811, 22809812 και 22809846). O φάκελος (βλ. ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΟ ΤΩΝ ΦΑΚΕΛΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΥΠΟΨΗΦΙΩΝ) πρέπει να σταλεί, επίσης, στην ηλεκτρονική διεύθυνση cypruscinema.gov@cytanet.com.cy σε ένα ενιαίο PDF αρχείο.
ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΟ ΤΩΝ ΦΑΚΕΛΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΥΠΟΨΗΦΙΩΝ
Οι φάκελοι των υποψηφίων θα πρέπει να περιέχουν την ακόλουθη τεκμηρίωση:
- Δεόντως συμπληρωμένο έντυπο αίτησης,
- Βιογραφικό σημείωμα του σεναριογράφου, του σκηνοθέτη, του παραγωγού και της εταιρείας παραγωγής,
- Σύνοψη ελληνικά -αγγλικά (2 σελίδες),
- Εκτεταμένη περίληψη/treatment ελληνικά – αγγλικά (περίπου 10-15 σελίδες),
- Ένα αντίγραφο του πλήρους σεναρίου ελληνικά αγγλικά,
- Δήλωση προθέσεων αναφορικά με τις καλλιτεχνικές και εμπορικές προοπτικές του σχεδίου, η οποία να συντάσσεται από κοινού από τον σκηνοθέτη και τον παραγωγό,
- Στρατηγική διαχείρισης και μάρκετινγκ του σχεδίου από τον παραγωγό (μέχρι 3 σελίδες),
- Αναλυτικός προϋπολογισμός του σχεδίου ανάπτυξης, που θα περιλαμβάνει έξοδα, τα οποία σχετίζονται με το σχέδιο, άμεσα και συγκεκριμένα.
- Περίληψη του προϋπολογισμού παραγωγής και ανάλυση προϋπολογισμού για κάθε συμπαραγωγό,
- Οποιαδήποτε άλλη τεκμηρίωση, η οποία κρίνεται χρήσιμη για την αξιολόγηση του σχεδίου.
Το ποσό χρηματοδότησης κυμαίνεται συνήθως από €6.000-€10.000 και θα εξαρτηθεί από τις οικονομικές δυνατότητες του Δικτύου.
Η σύνοψη, η εκτεταμένη περίληψη και το σενάριο πρέπει να είναι γραμμένες στην αγγλική και ελληνική γλώσσα. Η υπόλοιπη τεκμηρίωση πρέπει να είναι γραμμένη στην αγγλική γλώσσα. Για διευκρινήσεις, παρακαλώ επικοινωνείστε με to Τμήμα Νεότερου και Σύγχρονου Πολιτισμού ( τηλ. 22809811 και 22809846 και εμαιλ cypruscinema.gov@cytanet.com.cy
‘IMAN’ By Korinna Avramidou And Kyriakos Tofaridis Competes At International Festivals.
The Deputy Ministry of Culture and the Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture is pleased to announce the participation and awarding of ‘IMAN’ by Cypriot filmmakers, Korinna Avramidou and Kyriakos Tofaridis, in competitive international film festivals.
Starting with the Panhellenic Screenwriting Award from the Screenwriters’ Union of Greece in 2018, ‘IMAN’ premiered at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in November 2022 and began its journey in International Film Festivals, garnering several awards.
Specifically, so far the film has participated in the following Film Festivals:
SOFIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, BALKAN COMPETITION, 2023
BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL WOMEN FILM FESTIVAL, OFFICIAL SELECTION, 2023
SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL, ECUADOR 2023
INCA IMPERIAL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, PERU 2023
LOS ANGELES GREEK FILM FESTIVAL, 2023
LONDON GREEK FILM FESTIVAL, 2023
CYPRUS FILM DAYS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, OFFICIAL SELECTION, 2023
In July, ‘IMAN’ will compete in the TOFIFEST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in Poland.
The film won the following awards:
BEST FEATURE FILM, SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL, ECUADOR
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE, INCA IMPERIAL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, LIMA, PERU
SPECIAL JURY AWARD FOR BEST FILM, LOS ANGELES GREEK FILM FESTIVAL, USA
HONOURABLE MENTION FOR BEST ACTRESS, STEPHANIE ATALA, LOS ANGELES GREEK FILM FESTIV
BEST FEATURE FILM, LONDON GREEK FILM FESTIVAL, UK
BEST DIRECTOR, FOR KYRIACOS TOFARIDES AND CORINNA AVRAAMIDOU, LONDON GREEK FILM FESTIVAL, UK
BEST ACTRESSES FOR RITA HAYEK AND STEPHANIE ATALA, LONDON GREEK FILM FESTIVAL, UK
Credits:
Screenplay/Director: Korinna Avraamidou, Kyriakos Tofaridis
Director of Photography: Sofronis Sofroniou
Music: Dimitris Zachariou
Actors: Stephanie Atala, Rita Hayek, Andreas Tselepos, Margarita Zachariou, Pampina Georgiou, Prokopis Agathokleous, Varnavas Kyriazis
Produced by A.B. Seahorse Film Productions, Andros Achilleos Distributed by Cercamon
The film is a co-production with the Deputy Ministry of Culture – Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture and the support of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC)

‘Embryo Larva Butterfly’ Competes At The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
The new film by Cypriot director Kyros Papavassiliou, ‘Embryo Larva Butterfly’ will participate in the competitive section of one of the most important film festivals in the world, Karlovy Vary, which will be held from June 30th to July 8th 2023, in the Czech Republic.
The success of the participation of Kyros’ new film in this prestigious festival comes as no surprise, given his illustrious career to date. With his short film ‘In The Name of the Sparrow’, he competed amongst the official selections of the Cannes International Film Festival in 2007, and with his debut feature film, ‘Impressions of a Drowned Man’, he competed at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2014.
‘Embryo Larva Butterfly’ is the second feature film by Kyros Papavassiliou, and has been included in the 12 films of the Proxima Competition Programme of the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF), where innovative films by both emerging and veteran directors compete. The film is a co-production between Cyprus and Greece and has been funded by the Deputy Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus/Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture (Film Advisory Committee).
Synopsis: In a world where time shifts arbitrarily, a couple’s relationship is tested as individual and shared memories of the past, present and future are altered incessantly.
Credits:
Screenplay/Director: Kyros Papavassiliou
Producers: Marios Piperides, Janine Teerling
Director of Photography: Thodoros Mihopoulos
Music: Dimitris Kariofillis, Nikos Veliotis
Actors: Maria Apostolakea, Christos Sougaris, Makis Papadimitriou, Stefania Sotiropoulou, Yannis Niarros
Sets: Constantina Andreou
Production: AMP Filmworks (CY), Graal (GR)
Distribution: Cercamon
With the participation of the Deputy Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, Greek Film Centre, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, Creative Europe, S.E.E. Cinema Network

Images And Views of Alternative Cinema (IVAC) 2023 Edition
12 June 2023, NICOSIA
ΙΜΑGES AND VIEWS OF ALTERNATIVE CINEMA FILM FESTIVAL
19 – 25 June 2023, Hambis Municipal Printmaking Museum, Nicosia
Images and Views of Alternative Cinema Film Festival, the annual event that focusses on the presentation of research-based, avant-garde, and alternative views of international cinema, will take place from the 19th to the 25th of June 2023, at the welcoming outdoor yard of the Hambis Municipal Printmaking Museum, in Nicosia (close to the Famagusta Gate).
Beyond discussions that deal with the form, the Festival aims at redefining cinephilia in its most multidimensional aspect, and proposes a unique programme of screenings that primarily induces the viewer in a world that is born through experimentation.
Τhe Festival is an initiative of the Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture and the non-profit organisation Brave New Culture.
This year, the festival is dedicated to the memory of a master of cinema and French New Wave avant-garde director Jean-Luc Godard, who passed away last year at the age of 91. With landmark films which destabilised the international cinematographic establishment of their times, a main part of the Festival is showcasing Godard’s work, honoring the great master.
Images and Views of Alternative Cinema Film Festival thematic programmes as follows:
Oh! (Re)voir Godard
Jean-Luc Godard, a prominent figure in the world of cinema, a ground breaking revolutionary, and a philosopher, passed away on September 12th, 2022, at the age of 91.
It is still too soon and remains a difficult task to appreciate the range and volume of his gigantic impact on the art of cinema. Paying tribute to his influence and as a minimum homage to his memory, the Festival screens four of the most emblematic films of his first period, from the 60’s. Films that marked in a most defining way generations of cinephiles: À Bout de Souffle, Alphaville: Une Étrange Aventure de Lemmy Caution, Masculin Féminin, Le Mépris.
Moreover, the Festival will be screening – in six parts – the epic and contemplative film of his later period Histoire(s) du cinéma, a film which was concluded in 1998 and which presents in a unique manner Godard’s personal view of History, of cinema and its narratives.
In the framework of the tribute, and apart from the introductions to the work of the great cinema master, the Festival presents a lecture by director Tatjana Kononenko, entitled Sauve qui peut (la vie): The Political Power of Godard’s Cinema.
[Programme Curators: Doros Demetriou, Dimitris Bampas]
Cinema (Re)Load: Cine-Minimal I
The short, the miniscule time duration is a benefit of advertisement – either cinematic (trailer) or not. When advertisement is not the goal, time limit becomes an interesting challenge for filmmakers, who are invited to develop a complete narrative in a limited running time of 1-2 minutes.
In 2013, in celebration of its seventieth edition, the Venice Film Festival asked 70 directors from around the world to make a short film between one and one-and-a-half minutes long on the future of cinema. The topic was open for interpretation to all participating directors. The project was titled Future Reloaded. The films were screened during the festival and subsequently uploaded on the festival’s channel.
The shorts in Cinema (Re)Load: Film Miniatures Ι have been selected from these 70 films, revolving about the central axis of the past, present and future of cinema. The selection showcases among others short films by Athina Rachel Tsangari, Yorgos Lanthimos, Claire Denis, Abbas Kiarostami, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Shirin Neshat, Hong Sang-soo, Kim Ki-duk, Jia Zhangke, Lav Diaz, Jean-Marie Straub, Karim Aïnouz.
[Programme Curator: Dimitris Bampas]
Andrea Arnold: The Monster of Deprivation Lies in the Kitchen Sink
One of the most influential and daring women filmmakers alive, Andrea Arnold creates raw, violent and decadent stories focussing on marginalised lives – explosively contributing to the contemporary, British social realism. IVAC showcases the following films:
Fish Tank (2009) – 126’, Red Road (2006) 113’, Wasp (2003) – 26’, Dog (2001) – 10’ and Milk (1998) – 10’
[Programme Curator: Christiana Ioannou]
Presentation by Christodoulos Panayiotou (60’) followed by the screening of Werner Schroeter’s Poussières d’amour / Love’s Debris (130’, 1996)
From the ongoing series of performances Dying on Stage, where the matter of death’s representation in theatre is explored, to meticulously staged installations that question narratives pertaining to seemingly consummate value systems, Christodoulos Panayiotou constructs multi-layered indexes of gestures that perform new sensibilities of entanglement with the world.
In his presentation “I can sing it but I cannot listen to it”, Panayiotou combines an array of references to mediate on —among others— the charms and raptures of audiovisual universes, the simultaneous representation of disparate times the film affords, and the intertwining of reality and fiction, as nurtured by personal obsession and the often undeclared proximities between life and the screen.
The performance lecture is followed by a screening of Werner Schroeter’s Poussières d’amour, a film near and dear to Panayiotou, characterised by its lack of script and continuity, but with very specific constraints that provide the rules of the game, as it were: the setting —the Abbey of Royaumont— and the participant vocalists chosen, who arrive there with a companion of their choice to perform an aria chosen by the director.
[Programme Curator: Evagoras Vanezis]
Admission Information
• Screenings start at 20.00
• Venue: Hambis Municipal Printmaking Museum, Nicosia
• Address: 55 – 59, Ammochostou Str. Nicosia
• Free Entrance
• All films are suitable for 18+
For more information about the Festival please call 99 407856 or visit Images & Views of Alternative Cinema Film Festival on Facebook or visit http://ivacfestival.com/
The Festival is supported by Hambis Municipal Printmaking Museum and the Institut Français, Cyprus
Media Sponsor: CYBC
Find the Full Programme here.
CFD 2023 – THE CURTAIN FALLS ON SATURDAY 29TH APRIL
All good things come to a… well-deserved end!
The 21st Cyprus Film Days IFF concludes this Saturday 29th April 2023 at the Rialto Theatre, and renews its rendezvous with the cinephile audience of Cyprus in April 2024.
The curtain falls this Saturday with one final screening at the Rialto Theatre: EO, the Oscar contender and Cannes-awarded hymn to the natural world, directed by Polish veteran director Jerzy Skolimowski, pays tribute to Robert Bresson, exploring the world through the eyes of a donkey.
The closing ceremony will follow immediately after the screening, curated by Dimitris Chimonas and Sessions, and presented by actress and performer Elena Kallinikou. The brief and concise performance will aesthetically embrace the concept of the opening ceremony, “blurring” the line between audience and spectacle.
During the awards ceremony, the Glocal Images International Competition prizes will be presented and announced by the five-member international jury consisting of French film director Julie Bertuccelli as the jury president, and accompanied by talent agent Georg Georgi (Germany), head of Berlinale’s Generation Sebastian Markt, Associate Curator of Film at MoMA Sophie Cavoulacos (USA) and Cypriot film director Yianna Americanou.
The eight films compete for the following awards: Best Film Award, Special Jury Award, Best Director Award and Authorwave Award, and honorary distinctions. The Audience Award will also be announced and presented to the festival’s most popular film as voted by the viewers.
A closing party with DJ Nana will follow right after the awards ceremony.
ISFFC 2023 – CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
The Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture, Deputy Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus and the Rialto Theatre are launching a call for film submissions to the 13th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus.
The main objective of the ISFFC is the promotion of the art of Cinema by showcasing a diverse programme of short films from around the globe. The Festival also aims at presenting the work of talented filmmakers who successfully use creative cinematic language forms to tell a story. The aim of the festival is also to promote and propagate the production of short films, and to develop a spirit of friendship and cooperation among filmmakers.
The Festival is an annual event, which accepts film submissions to its international competition section in the following genres: fiction, documentary, experimental, student and animation short films. Their duration must not exceed 25 minutes. Films may only be submitted to the ISFFC via the following platforms: shortfilmdepot.com and filmfreeway.com.
The selected Cypriot short films compete both for the International and the National Awards of the Deputy Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus. Cypriot Directors who live and work in Cyprus or abroad may submit their work, and all films must be Cyprus premieres.
The International Short Film Festival of Cyprus was selected by the European Film Academy to join the network of its partner festivals. Therefore, since 2019, the ISFFC has the right to nominate one short film for the European Film Academy Awards.
The Festival will take place at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol from the 7th until the 13th of October 2023.
A five-member international jury is responsible for granting the awards in the National & International Competition sections. The jury members will be announced at a later stage.
All interested parties are requested to submit their film by the 15th of June 2023 the latest.
For more details regarding the rules and regulations, and the submission form, please visit
www.moec.gov.cy (Announcements) and www.isffc.com.cy
For more information, please contact +357 25 34 39 07 | info@isffc.com.cy
DEPARTMENT OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
DEPUTY MINISTRY OF CULTURE
CFD 2023 – THE FESTIVAL OPENS CURTAIN
21st CYPRUS FILM DAYS
International Festival
21 – 29 April 2023
Rialto Theatre, Limassol – Zena Palace, Nicosia
“We are both in front of and behind the screen, we are the film itself, we are the screen itself. We are nothing more than the eternal search for things in places where nothing really exists”.
Inspired by the curatorial question “What Now/Now What?”, this 21st edition of Cyprus Film Days International Festival kicks off with an artistic inaugural ceremony, which will be held in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Culture, Mr Michalis Hadjiyiannis.
The Festival opens curtain on Friday, 21st April at 20.00 at the Rialto Theatre with a screening of the Cypriot film IMAN, directed by Corinna Avraamides and Kyriacos Tofarides. This gripping drama connects three stories, each involving characters whose actions mean the difference between life and death. Featuring an eclectic international and Cypriot cast, the film world-premiered at the 63rd Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
The opening ceremony
Curated and directed by Dimitris Chimonas and his collaborators, the opening ceremony is inspired by Sessions, a project of collective queer happenings. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to experience a “ceremonial” arrival, where both viewers and filmmakers are two sides of the same coin.
“Unexpected combinations of imagery and sound create universes on the edges of reality, somewhere between nothing and everything, nowhere and everywhere, between chaos and order. By watching them, we contribute to their completion”.
The creatives of the opening ceremony:
Concept, written and directed by: Dimitris Chimonas
Production coordination: Lex Gregoriou
Scenic design: Demetris Shammas
Installation & costume design: Orestis Lazouras
Lighting design: Karolina Spyrou
Music & sound composition: Maria Spivak, Emiddio Vasquez
Cinematography & editing: Nikolas Karatzas
Props: Stephani Mourouzi
Drone operator: Charis Varelias
Performers: Elena Kallinikou, Belinda Papavassiliou, Eva Papavassiliou, Chryso Cosma, Panayiotis Pavlides, Stephani Mourouzi, Andreas Patsias
Following IMAN’s screening, the Festival will be hosting an opening party with DJ Coral Bae. This celebratory opening night will be attended by official festival guests, the members of the international jury, members of the film community, as well as organisers’ representatives (Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture – Deputy Ministry of Culture, and the Rialto Theatre), the sponsors and, last but not least, the festival’s loyal audience.
Cyprus Film Days 2023 will begin to unfold its rich programme of screenings and events starting on the weekend 22 and 23 April in both Limassol and Nicosia. In Limassol, on Saturday 22/04 at 11 am, the jury president, French film director Julie Bertuccelli, will be attending the screening of her documentary film Jane Campion, La Femme Cinéma, which will be followed by a Q&A. In Nicosia, following the 8pm screening of The Eight Mountains, directed by Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch, guests are invited to an open party at the neighbouring S//IP Club.
*The Festival’s detailed programme is available at www.cyprusfilmdays.com.
Additional information:
Subtitles:
All films will be screened in their original language with Greek and English subtitles.
Tickets:
- €5 per film
- €30 festival pass (for all screenings)
- Free entrance for students upon display of student card
- Free entrance for PwD cardholders
- Free entrance for children to the films screened under the Children and Youth section
- All screenings, except those scheduled in the Children and Youth section, are suitable only for persons aged 18+.
Organisers:


Under the auspices: Municipality of Limassol & Municipality of Nicosia
Sponsor: CIPA Film in CyprusHospitality sponsor: Mediterranean Hotel
Media sponsors: Check in City, Cytavision, CyBC
Technical partner: Event Pro
Award sponsor: Authorwave
Official Festival Car: Char.Pilakoutas Group – Nissan
Official Coffee Partner: Caffe Nero
Supporters: Goethe Institute, Bank of Cyprus, University of Cyprus (Graduates’ Office), Cyprus University of Technology, Frederick University, Thinker Maker Space, CYENS Center of Excellence, Xenia Tsolaki Metaxa Private Institute, Directors Guild of Cyprus, Friends of Cinema Society, Limassol Cine Club, Larnaca-Famagusta Cinema Society, Animafest Cyprus, EMEL buses, Cyprus Public Transportation, Pizza Hut, Efimerida Lemesos, Limassol Today, Lemesos Blog, Vestnik Kipra, Limassol Tourism Board, Media What.
INTERNATIONAL JURY 21ST CYPRUS FILM DAYS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
21 – 29 April 2023
Rialto Theatre, Limassol – Zena Palace, Nicosia
Prominent personalities from the international film community make up the five-member jury of this 21st Cyprus Film Days International Festival 2023. Their prestigious presence affirms the festival’s increasing recognition and visibility at a global level.
The five members of the international jury will be in Cyprus during the Festival days. After watching the eight films participating in the Glocal Images competition section, they will reveal the list of winners on Saturday, 29 April, during the Closing Ceremony, which will take place at the Rialto Theatre. The films are competing for the following awards:
Glocal Images Best Film Award (€6000)
Glocal Images Special Jury Award (€3000)
Glocal Images Best Director Award (€1000)
Authorwave Award (post-production services worth of €4000)
and honorary distinctions (non-accompanied by a monetary prize)
This year’s jury will be headed by internationally acclaimed French film director Julie Bertuccelli as the jury president, accompanied by Georg Georgi Talent Agent, Sebastian Markt head of Berlinale’s Generation, Sophie Cavoulacos Associate Curator of Film at MoMA (USA), and Yianna Americanou award-winning Cypriot filmmaker.
All the films that will be screened as part of the official Glocal Images international competition section, as well as three more fiction films (‘Cyprus Collaborates’ and one ‘Special Screening’), will be competing for the Audience Award, as voted by the spectators. The latter is accompanied by the monetary prize of €500, sponsored by Limassol Municipality.
* The awards conferred by the Jury to the films competing in the Glocal Images have the form of a Neolithic human figure. These are replicas of a stone idol found in the Neolithic settlement of Chirokitia (circa 7000-6000 B.C), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Information about the jury members
Julie Bertuccelli (1968) began her career serving as assistant to Krzysztof Kieślowski, Otar Iosseliani, Bertrand Tavernier, Rithy Panh, Emmanuel Finkiel, Pierre Étaix, Christian de Chalonge, René Féret, Jean-Louis Bertuccelli and others. She initially studied Philosophy then embarked on documentary-making studies at Ateliers Varan in 1993, where she shot her first documentary Un métier comme un autre, Her first full-length feature film Since Otar Left (2002), which was shot in Georgia, revealed her to the general public and received some twenty awards in France and abroad. The Tree, her second full-length feature film, was shot in Australia with Charlotte Gainsbourg; part of the official selection at Cannes Film Festival. Two more of her films came to French cinemas, School of Babel (2014) and Last news from Cosmos (2016), both nominated for Best Documentary at the César Awards. She then directed her third full-length feature film, Claire Darling with Catherine Deneuve and Chiara Mastroianni, and, finally, Jane Campion, The Cinema Woman, her last full-length documentary, in official selection (Cannes Classic) at Cannes Festival 2022. Julie Bertuccelli co-directs the Direction Department at the Cinéma School La Fémis and also heads the freshly-inaugurated La Cinémathèque du Documentaire, which she initiated when she presided LaScam, the French-speaking society of documentary authors. She also created the ‘Golden Eye’, the Best Documentary Prize at Cannes Film Festival with LaScam.
Georg Georgi is a talent agent with more than 28 years of experience in the field, who represents over 200 diverse international key talents from more than 30 countries (including Cannes Best Actress winner, lead actors/actress in Golden Bear at Berlinale and European Film awarded films, as well as more than 10 former ‘Shooting Stars’ at Berlinale). He also represents three directors and screenwriters from Germany, Austria and South Africa. Besides his talent agency, he also develops and packages international co-production film and series projects. His first developed project Zonenpunk written and directed by Paul Poet will be shot in Spring 2024 in the east of Germany. He is a programmer at Black Nights Festival Tallinn, and is currently developing an artist residency project and a special festival in the south of Portugal. He has dedicated his life to art and believes in the surprise of experiences and improvisation as a tool of surviving.
Sebastian Markt has been head of the Generation section of Berlinale since September 2022. He studied history in Vienna and Berlin, and has spent time working in arthouse cinemas. He joined the Generation team in 2013 and has been jointly responsible for coordinating the section’s programme since the 2015 festival, most recently as head of programming for the Generation feature-length film selection. As a curator and festival programmer, Sebastian Markt is also actively involved in the Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg and junges dokfest in Kassel. In addition, he has been a film critic since 2012 for publications including Sissy, Perlentaucher and Die Zeit. He is a founding member of the Hauptverband Cinephilie (cinephilia association) where he works chiefly in cultural film education.
Sophie Cavoulacos is an Associate Curator of Film at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where she organizes moving image projects across the museum’s theaters and galleries. Since joining MoMA’s Department of Film in 2012, she has been a programmer for the Doc Fortnight and New Directors/New Films festivals, and leads Modern Mondays, the museum’s artist cinema series. Recent programming also include Currents: Re-Viewing Cineprobe, 1968–2002, and monographic surveys and special projects around the work of Ken Okiishi, Moyra Davey, and Pierre Clémenti. She is active in the museum’s collection development and the presentation of film and media in the museum’s galleries, most recently organizing displays of work by Sky Hopinka and Sandra Mujinga and the expanded cinema installation Shuzo Azuchi Gulliver’s Cinematic Illumination.
Yianna Amerikanou studied film in the US and the UK. Her short films premiered at Rotterdam IFF, Oberhausen ISFF and many other festivals, receiving prestigious awards. Her short film titled Lullaby received the Tonia Marketaki award for Best Directing in Drama (DISFF) while it was taken by STOP International in Geneva and anti-human trafficking οrganisations in order to promote anti-trafficking legislation. Yianna’s debut feature film .dog has secured International Distribution from the French distribution company URBAN INTERNATIONAL. The film premiered at the Official Competition Section “Meet the Neighbours” of the 62nd Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and won Special Youth Award. It also won Best Cypriot Film, Best Director and Honorary Distinction for the Actor Dimitris Kitsos at the 20th Cyprus Film Days International Film Festival. Yianna is currently working on the development of her second feature My Name is Lily, which has been developed during the MIDPOINT FEATURE LAUNCH 2022 and presented at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ‘Eastern Promises’ Pitching Forum. Yianna is on the Board of the Directors Guild of Cyprus and a member of FERA.
* The Festival’s detailed programme is available at www.cyprusfilmdays.com.
Additional information:
Subtitles:
All films will be screened in their original language with Greek and English subtitles.
Tickets:
- €5 per film
- €30 festival pass (for all screenings)
- Free entrance for students upon display of student card
- Free entrance for PwD cardholders
- Free entrance for children to the films screened under the Children and Youth section
- All screenings, except those scheduled in the Children and Youth section, are suitable only for persons aged 18+.
Organisers:


Under the auspices: Municipality of Limassol & Municipality of Nicosia
Sponsor: CIPA Film in CyprusHospitality sponsor: Mediterranean Hotel
Media sponsors: Check in City, Cytavision, CyBC
Technical partner: Event Pro
Award sponsor: Authorwave
Official Festival Car: Char.Pilakoutas Group – Nissan
Official Coffee Partner: Caffe Nero
Supporters: Goethe Institute, Bank of Cyprus, University of Cyprus (Graduates’ Office), Cyprus University of Technology, Frederick University, Thinker Maker Space, CYENS Center of Excellence, Xenia Tsolaki Metaxa Private Institute, Directors Guild of Cyprus, Friends of Cinema Society, Limassol Cine Club, Larnaca-Famagusta Cinema Society, Animafest Cyprus, EMEL buses, Cyprus Public Transportation, Pizza Hut, Efimerida Lemesos, Limassol Today, Lemesos Blog, Vestnik Kipra, Limassol Tourism Board, Media What.
Ενίσχυση Κινηματογραφικών Αιθουσών που Προβάλλουν Κυπριακές και Ευρωπαϊκές Ταινίες
Σε συνέχεια των εξαγγελθεισών από τον Υπουργό Παιδείας Πολιτισμού
Αθλητισμού και Νεολαίας πρωτοβουλιών για την ενίσχυση του Πολιτισμού
ένεκα της κρίσης που προέκυψε με την Πανδημία, και με στόχο την ενίσχυση
της προβολής του κυπριακού και ευρωπαϊκού κινηματογράφου στην Κύπρο,
οι Πολιτιστικές Υπηρεσίες δέχονται αιτήματα από αίθουσες κινηματογράφου
που προβάλλουν ευρωπαϊκό και κυπριακό κινηματογράφο, προκειμένου να
στηριχθούν οικονομικά μέχρι την επαναλειτουργία τους.
Για να καταστεί επιλέξιμο το αίτημα ο αιτητής θα πρέπει να αποδείξει ότι:
1. Είναι ο νόμιμος διαχειριστής της αίθουσας
2. Η αίθουσα λειτουργεί καθόλη τη διάρκεια του έτους
3. Δεν λαμβάνει άλλη ενίσχυση από τα προγράμματα των Πολιτιστικών
Υπηρεσιών του Υπουργείου Παιδείας Πολιτισμού και Νεολαίας
4. Οι τίτλοι των κυπριακών και ευρωπαϊκών ταινιών στο σύνολό τους
κατά το 2019 συνιστούσαν το 60% των προβολών (να υποβληθεί
κατάλογος).
Έγγραφα που πρέπει να υποβληθούν:
1. Πιστοποιητικό που να αποδεικνύει ότι ο αιτητής είναι ο νόμιμος
διαχειριστής της αίθουσας
2. Υπεύθυνη Δήλωση ότι δεν λαμβάνει άλλη ενίσχυση από τα
προγράμματα των Πολιτιστικών Υπηρεσιών του Υπουργείου
Παιδείας Πολιτισμού και Νεολαίας για τη λειτουργία και τις δράσεις
της συγκεκριμένης αίθουσας
3. Ημερολόγιο προβολών κατά το 2019 που να αποδεικνύει τη
λειτουργία της καθόλη τη διάρκεια του έτους
4. Κατάλογο με τις ευρωπαϊκές και κυπριακές ταινίες που
προβλήθηκαν κατά το 2019
5. Κατάσταση εσόδων των έξι προηγούμενων μηνών πριν από το
αναγκαστικό κλείσιμο της αίθουσας, υπογραμμένη από εγκεκριμένο
λογιστή
Οι Πολιτιστικές Υπηρεσίες θα λάβουν υπόψη τον μέσο όρο εσόδων από τα
εισιτήρια της αίθουσας κατά τους έξι τελευταίους μήνες πριν από την
Πανδημία, και θα παραχωρήσουν το 60% του μέσου όρου, ή ποσό 1.500
ευρώ τον μήνα όποιο από τα δύο είναι το μικρότερο, για τους μήνες Μάρτιο με
Ιούνιο. Σε περίπτωση που τα μέτρα παραταθούν το πρόγραμμα θα
επαναξιολογηθεί. Η ενίσχυση παραχωρείται ως de minimis.
Όλα τα πιο πάνω θα πρέπει να αποσταλούν μέχρι τη Δευτέρα 8 Ιουνίου στο
ηλεκτρονικό ταχυδρομείο cypruscinema.gov@cytanet.com.cy
Tα αποτελέσματα θα ανακοινωθούν δύο βδομάδες μετά την κατάθεση των
έργων
Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες παρακαλώ να αποτείνεστε στην ηλεκτρονική
διεύθυνση : cypruscinema.gov@cytanet.com.cy, ή στα τηλέφωνα 22809812,
22809811, 22809846