Having travelled to more than 100 cities worldwide and attracted over one million people, the Bicycle Film Festival arrives in Nicosia in just a few days.

This is not just a festival about bicycles though but a gentle push towards sustainable mobility and making the city’s urban landscape work for its citizens too, not just its cars. For the first time ever, the Bicycle Film Festival travels to Cyprus, hosted as part of the Nicosia International Festival’s parallel programme and led by the Organisation for Positive Urbanism (OPU). Here’s what to expect.

Coming up on Sunday, the full-day event will include short film screenings at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre, as well as various activities held at the Nicosia Municipal Garden, that aim to inspire people of all ages to see the bicycle as a tool for sustainability, health and freedom.

A Children’s Screening Programme will be held at 11.30 with a collection of short films that celebrate the freedom, creativity and courage of young people on bikes and beyond. From a ‘girls only’ day at an indoor bike park to a daring candy quest and a ride through comic book dreams, each story explores what it means to move forward on two wheels and in life. Spanning Canada to Hong Kong, Estonia to the USA, this global adventure is sure to inspire young audiences with tales of strength, imagination and resilience.

At 4.30pm the Cinematic Shorts Programme will follow with a moving and diverse collection of international short films exploring the bicycle as a symbol of freedom for everyday life. From the bustling streets of Mexico City to the heart of the Navajo Nation, China’s markets, South Africa’s dynamic neighbourhoods and the welcoming communities of the Netherlands, these narratives, documentaries, animations and musically-rich works showcase courageous stories brought to life. Award-winning films share the programme with bold new voices to create an inspiring film programme.

Later at 7pm, the Cycling for Change short films programme will explore the bicycle as a vehicle for adventure, healing and transformation. Whether it is empowering students in Uganda through bicycles, bringing joy to seniors in the United States, or the epic 600-kilometre ride of professional cyclist Alexandros Agrotis around Cyprus, these stories celebrate human endurance and show how bicycles can help change the world. The event will conclude with an after-party at 8.30pm, bringing all festival-goers together for one final hoorah.

1st Nicosia Bicycle Film Festival

Co-organised by Nicosia Municipality and NGO OPU – Organisation for Positive Urbanism. October 19. Nicosia Municipal Theatre and Municipal Gardens, Nicosia. €5-12. Tickets on more.com information on https://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/