Cyprus Film Days kicks off with performance by Lia Haraki

Cypriot interdisciplinary performance artist Lia Haraki will be at the helm of the opening ceremony as the Cyprus Film Days International Festival launches its 22nd edition on Friday in Limassol. Together with a dream team of artists, Haraki will immerse the audience into the festival’s spirit by exploring the process of independent creativity in a unique multimedia show.

Deputy Minister of Culture Vasiliki Kassianidou will officially declare the festival open on Friday at 8pm at Rialto Theatre. The opening ceremony will be followed by a screening of Embryo, Larva, Butterfly, the existential futuristic film by Cypriot director Kyros Papavassiliou, which had its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and garnered the Audience Award both at Thessaloniki Film Festival and at the 36th Panorama of European Cinema in Athens.

As part of her opening ceremony performance, Haraki will present a one-woman show she has directed, performed and written herself. Alternating between the roles of singer and stand-up performer, Haraki will channel the show into a live sound piece that pays tribute to creators and the complexity of the creative process.

Following the screening of this edition’s first film, guests will dive into a celebratory spirit with the much-awaited party at Heroes Square, featuring DJ Sofronis. The event will be attended by official guests, members of the international jury, members of the cinematic community, representatives of the organisers (the Deputy Ministry of Culture and Rialto Theatre), the sponsors and of course the festival’s devotees.

Leading the line-up in Nicosia on Saturday is Lina Soualem’s documentary Βye Bye Tiberias, scheduled for a single special screening, followed by Detached House by Cypriot director Ioakim Mylonas. On Saturday night, in Nicosia, the opening party will unfold on the patio of Zena Palace.

The party, titled From Berlin with Love, will feature sound, video projections and music by the namesake artist collective, and is bound to turn into a vibrant dance gathering for all present, featuring the artists Georg Georgi, David Joel Oberholzer, Florian Denk, Adam Muhabbek, Lukas Hanus and Kai Seekings. This weekend alone, the festival programme includes a total of eight films in Limassol and an additional ten in Nicosia, including the films listed in the Festival’s Children and Youth section.

Cyprus Film Days 2024

International film festival with screenings and parallel events. April 12-20. Rialto Theatre, Limassol and Zena Palace, Nicosia. www.cyprusfilmdays.com