Cyprus Film Days International Festival 2026 announces the appointment of director and producer Petros Charalambous as Artistic Director of the upcoming edition, in which he will serve alongside director Argyro Nicolaou, jointly leading the festival’s artistic direction.
Artistic Directors Argyro Nicolaou and Petros Charalambous are committed to upholding the festival’s high standards while expanding its horizons through fresh challenges and new collaborations. Together, they will curate a programme of premiere screenings of films by both acclaimed and emerging film directors from Cyprus and around the world—films that explore contemporary social, political, and artistic issues with empathy, daring storytelling, and a critical, unconventional lens. The festival also aspires to be a space for creative encounters, amidst an atmosphere of discovery, social awareness, and open dialogue.
On this occasion, the festival extends its heartfelt thanks to film director Marios Lizides, who has offered his expertise, dedication, and love for the festival over the past three years.
Meet the Artistic Directors:
Petros Charalambous discovered his passion for photography, theatre, and the arts at an early age, a creative journey that led him to Hollywood, where he pursued studies in Film and Television Directing at California State University. Since 2000, he has been working in the film industry as a director, building a diverse body of work that spans commercials, documentaries, stage productions, and feature films. His debut feature, Boy on the Bridge, premiered at Rome International Film Festival and went on to participate in over 50 international festivals, garnering 13 awards. His second feature, Patchwork, celebrated its world premiere in the official competition of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Charalambous previously held the position of Artistic Director of Cyprus Film Days for Children and Youth, and from 2019 to 2021, he coordinated the implementation of the EFA Young Audience Award in Cyprus. He is a member of the Hellenic Film Academy, the Directors Guild of Cyprus, and the Nicosia branch of the Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society, as well as the founder of Film Etc. Creative Space. He is currently developing his third feature film, titled 4hrs.
Argyro Nicolaou is a Cypriot filmmaker and academic based in New York. Her work explores the intergenerational effects of displacement, historical memory, and the often absurd everyday realities of postcolonial and post-conflict contexts, such as her native Cyprus. Her short films have been screened at international festivals including POFF Shorts (Tallinn Black Nights), Drama International Short Film Festival, DC Shorts, Athens International Film Festival, Asolo Art Film Festival, and LA Greek Film Festival, among others. Her work has also been presented in visual arts spaces such as Gallatin Galleries (NY), space52 in Athens, and A. G. Leventis Gallery in Nicosia. Her debut feature film, Excavators (currently in development), received the Connecting Cottbus Award at the Eastern Promises Industry Event of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2023. Her first feature-length documentary, Unsettled (My Sea), is currently in production and took part in the UnionDocs Early Production Lab in 2024. Argyro holds a PhD in Comparative Literature and Critical Media Practice from Harvard University. She has taught film and literature at Princeton, Columbia, and Bard College. She is a member of the European Film Academy, the International Documentary Association, the Directors Guild of Cyprus, and the Visual Artists and Art Theorists Association (Phytorio).
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