Cyprus Mail 9 March 2025 - by Eleni Philippou
23rd CYPRUS FILM DAYS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2025
Rialto Theatre, Limassol and Zenia Palace, Nicosia
4-12 April
From April 4 to 12, Cyprus will welcome its largest cinematic event and one of the foremost annual festivals taking place on the island.
In keeping with its global vibe, the 23rd Cyprus Film Days International Festival 2025 sets out to forge an immersive experience of cinematic art and narrative. Limassol’s Rialto Theatre and Nicosia’s Zena Palace will provide the setting for a vibrant dialogue engaging artists and audiences alike as they host an exciting film screening programme with parallel events.
The festival is organised by the deputy ministry of culture and the Rialto Theatre, offering cinephiles a rare opportunity to discover groundbreaking movies. This year’s screenings include premieres of distinguished films by acclaimed and emerging Cypriot and international filmmakers – films that employ sensitivity, grit and a subversive disposition to tap into social and artistic issues of our time.
As with last year, filmmakers Argyro Nicolaou and Marios Lizides are artistic directors. The programme is put together on the grounds of film variety and freshness of cinematic language, encompassing a lineup of quality fiction films. The Viewfinder section showcases films that have stirred the waters in the international arena whereas the International Competition Section – Glocal Images pledges to deliver poignant narratives from different parts of the world. The selected films explore various forms of bearing testimony, from social and political movements to more personal and deeply humane stories. The films trace the complexity of our contemporary world, inviting spectators as witnesses to ponder on the weight of their own responsibility in the stories that lie hidden behind each film.
A special place is reserved for the Cypriot Films Competition Section that brings audiences three new films, nodding to the creativity of local filmmakers. Screenings will be enriched with films from the parallel programme and Cyprus Film Days for Children and Youth. What is more, CFD IFF 2025 pays homage to the recently departed visionary filmmaker David Lynch through an in memoriam segment featuring a few of his most trailblazing films.
The opening and closing ceremonies at Rialto, on April 4 and 12 respectively, will be staged by interdisciplinary artist Korallia Stergidou.
The parallel events are equally fascinating and include a masterclass in VR filmmaking by media artist Deniz Tortum; a practical filmmaking workshop inspired by Cyprus’ invisible myths with Mariangela Ciccarello and Oliwia Tado; and a special casting workshop led by acclaimed casting directors Francesco Vedovati (The White Lotus, Io Capitano) and Makis Gazis (The Lost Daughter, Salade Grecque).
As always, the following awards will be presented: Best Film Award, Best Cypriot Film Award, Special Jury Award, Best Director Award, Best Cinematography Award, Best Cypriot Director Award and Best Performance Award in a Cypriot Film. All the films screened in the official international competition section and the Cypriot films competition section are eligible for the Audience Award, decided on viewer votes cast right after each screening.
The tenth edition of Cyprus Film Days for Children and Youth 2025aspires to educate younger audiences and expand their horizons with films that foster equality, respect and solidarity. Six select films will be screened at Rialto, Limassol and K-Cineplex, Strovolos. This year also marks the return of the successful short film competition for students and young people up to 24 years of age
In addition, the sixth edition of Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days, a co-production, training and networking platform headed by producer and director Danae Stylianou will be held. It aims to encourage partnerships between producers, directors and screenwriters from Mediterranean countries with international film industry professionals.
The full programme of screenings and events will be announced shortly as the island prepares for a fantastic week dedicated to the art of cinema.
