22nd ‘Cyprus Film Days’ to close with Saturday awards event

The eagerly-anticipated closing ceremony of the 22nd Cyprus Film Days International Festival caps a week filled with cinema, creative exchanges, and strong emotions. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 20, 2024 at Limassol’s Rialto Theatre.

This edition wraps up with the screening at 8pm of the new film by acclaimed Cypriot director Adonis Florides, Africa Star. The film focuses on the lives of three generations of Cypriot women –mother, daughter, granddaughter– whose lives are tragically affected by the act of a man succumbing to temptation.

The screening will be followed by the closing ceremony, curated by Lia Haraki, along with the presentation of the festival’s highest honours. Music and sound design for the ceremony are by Yiannis Christofides with lighting design by Alexander Jotovic. Performance artist PASHIAS will be the presenter of the awards ceremony.

The awards according to the verdict of the five-member international jury will be presented to films featured in the Glocal Images International Competition Section and the Cypriot Films Competition Section. The jury is presided over by Slovak film producer Katarina Tomkova, accompanied by fellow jury members Berlin-based Cypriot Director of Photography Emre Erkmen, French film critic Sandra Onana, Greek director and writer Asimina Proedrou and Berlin-based Palestinian filmmaker Juna Suleiman.

Seven films in the Glocal Images international competition section and four Cypriot films are eligible for the Best Film Award (€6000), the Special Jury Award (€3000), the Best Director Award (€1000) and the Best Cinematography Award (€500), the latter sponsored by Caretta Films. Films in the national competition section also compete for the Best Cypriot Film Award (€4000) accompanied by the right to use The Studio (sponsored by The CYENS Centre of Excellence*), the Best Cypriot Director Award (post-production services worth €4000, sponsored by Authorwave) and Best Performance Award in a Cypriot Film (€1000), sponsored by Limassol Municipality.

*The CYENS Centre of Excellence prize includes two days of filming in The Studio, free of charge, with access to the massive LED wall, powered by Unreal Engine, Evercoast’s volumetric capturing, and PhaseSpace’s precision motion capture system, worth €10,000.

All 11 films automatically compete for the Audience Award (€500), sponsored by TFI Markets, determined by viewer votes.

Another highlight of the ceremony will be the presentation of awards for the feature film projects participating in the 5th co-production forum Dot.on.the.Map Meeting Point.

This year, the international jury for Dot.on.the.Map is made up of producers Cécile Tollu-Polonowski (The Match Factory, Germany – France), Yorgos Tsourgiannis (Horsefly Films, Greece) and Anita Elsani (Elsani & Neary Media GmbH, Germany).

The projects are competing for the Cyprus Film Commission – Invest Cyprus Award (€1000) sponsored by the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency, the P.S. Movies and Stories Awards (equipment rental worth up to €4000), the Best Debut Project Pitch Award (€500) sponsored by the Directors Guild of Cyprus, and the Agora Networking Award offered by Thessaloniki International Film Festival. All the film projects showcased on the co-production forum are also eligible for the Coprocity Development Award (€3500) offered annually in collaboration with Cineuropa.

The awards ceremony will be followed by an exciting closing party on Heroes’ Square, with music selections by DJ Bon Bon.

 General info about the festival:

• €5 per screening | €30 festival pass (for all screenings).
• Free for students upon display of student card
• Free for holders of Disability Card
• All films aside the Children and Youth Section are suitable for 18+
• All films will be screened in their original language with English and Greek subtitles. Films of the National Competition Section will be screened with Turkish subtitles

For more information:

• Call Rialto Theatre: 77 77 77 45
• Visit: www.cyprusfilmdays.com
• Follow on Facebook & Instagram: Cyprus Film Days International Festival

Organisers: Department of Contemporary Culture, Rialto Theatre

Under the auspices of: Limassol Municipality & Nicosia Municipality

In partnership with: CIPA Film in Cyprus

Supported by: Institut Français de Chypre, German Embassy Nicosia

Technical Partner: Event Pro

Official festival car: Char. Pilakoutas Group – Nissan

Audience Award Sponsor: TFI Markets

Award Sponsors: Caretta Films, Authorwave, CYENS

Dot.on.the.Map Award Sponsor: P.S. Movies and Stories

Hospitality Sponsor: Mediterranean Hotel

Media Sponsors: CITY, CyBC

Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days Hospitality Sponsor: Alinea

Supporters: Mall of Cyprus, K-Cineplex, LOEL, Directors Guild of Cyprus, The Friends of Cinema Society (Nicosia), Limassol Cine Club, Larnaca-Famagusta Cinema Society, Cyprus University of Technology, University of Cyprus (Alumni Office), UCLAN, Dance House Lefkosia, Dance House Lemesos, Cyprus New Movement, EMEL Ltd-Limassol Buses, Cyprus Public Transport, Lemesos Newspaper, Limassol Today, Lemesos Blog, Vestnik Kipra, Limassol Tourism Board.