Press Releases

The 24th Cyprus Film Days International Festival presents this year’s International Jury, composed of distinguished figures from the international film community.  Filmmakers, producers, curators and industry professionals with long and meaningful careers in cinema will bring together their knowledge and perspectives, contributing diverse creative and professional viewpoints to the festival’s 12 competition titles The President of the International Jury is Matthijs Wouter Knol (Netherlands), CEO and Director of the European Film Academy since 2021. Previously, and for more than twelve years, he was part of the core team of the Berlinale, first as Head of Programme of Berlinale Talents and later as Director of the European Film Market. The other members of the International Jury are: Melanie Blocksdorf (Germany), a Berlin-based producer since 2015, specialising in the production and co-production of international fiction and documentary feature films. Her filmography includes acclaimed titles such as Compartment No. 6, which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, and Natural Light, which received the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Internationa...

Press Releases

The 24th edition of the Cyprus Film Days International Festival (17–25 April 2026) continues its commitment to strengthening the professional development of filmmakers by presenting a series of specialised workshops and masterclasses with the participation of internationally recognised creators and industry professionals. Designed for directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, audiovisual creators and anyone who loves cinema and wants to explore a new aspect of it, the workshops offer participants a valuable opportunity to collaborate directly with established professionals and explore key aspects of contemporary filmmaking — from emerging technologies to screenwriting development and post-production.  Through practical exercises, case studies and a collective creative process, participants will deepen their understanding of cinematic art while also connecting with the broader filmmaking community. Applications are now open for four specialised workshops that will take ...

Press Releases

From 17 to 25 April 2026, the screening halls of the Rialto Theatre and Zena Palace will once again fill with light, voices and stories. The 24th International Cyprus Film Days Festival returns, inviting audiences to nine days where image becomes experience and storytelling becomes an act of presence. Under the central theme Life, this year’s edition goes beyond film screenings; it proposes a stance towards the world. In a time marked by uncertainty and transformation, cinema becomes a meeting point for memory, dialogue and resilience. Each film, each screening and each discussion serves as a reminder that the human experience, fragile yet persistent, remains at the heart of storytelling. Artistic Direction The 24th edition is artistically directed by filmmaker and academic Argyro Nicolaou and filmmaker and producer Petros Charalambous. The two curators shape a programme that balances discovery and established voices, presenting premiere screenings from Cyprus and abroad. Their focus turns to works that take risks, engage with the present and tell stories that are both deeply personal and profoundly collective. Their aim is a living festival, a space where audiences do...

Press Releases

Insisting on Life We live in a time when the flow of daily news feels unrelentingly grim. Images of death and destruction dominate our screens. Social and political norms once taken for granted are openly violated. Boundaries, borders and attitudes are shifting, and certainty feels increasingly elusive. In such conditions, joy appears to be the privilege of too few. In times like these, to insist on life is not naïve. It is necessary. It is, in fact, a radical act. This conviction lies at the heart of the Cyprus Film Days 2026, marking the festival’s 24th edition.  Cinema, as an art form, embraces this insistence wholeheartedly. By reanimating historical moments long gone, or by placing marginalised experiences at the centre of the frame, film affirms the irreducible value of living. It reminds us that every life carries weight, dignity and meaning, and that every story deserves to be told. Life, Presence and Resistance Cyprus Film Days 2026 celebrates the resistan...