Dear friends and partners,
I welcome you to Cyprus Film Days for Children and Youth!
This year, the Short Film Competition focuses on the theme "Brave Stories." By this term, we mean stories born of courage—the courage to speak when everyone else is silent, to be yourself when others pressure you to change, and to stand up for what you believe in, even when it is difficult. Brave stories do not require heroes with superpowers; they simply need children and young people who dare to look at the world around them with honesty and narrate it with their own unique voice. Through the creation of a film, we encourage the new generation to find this voice, to tell their own brave stories, and to remind us all that boldness begins with an idea, an image, or a story worth telling.
In the days to follow, let us enjoy together award-winning films from every corner of the world; let us give our children the opportunity to participate in workshops for acting, screenwriting, production, and directing, and to take part in the Short Film Competition!
This competition is an opportunity for all children and young people in Cyprus. I am delighted that distinguished professionals in the field responded with enthusiasm to my invitation to serve as members of the jury that will evaluate the films. Through the entertaining process of creating a film, critical thinking is encouraged, as is the reassessment of beliefs and prejudices, in order to strengthen empathy, understanding, and the sentiment for a more equal world.
I thank from the bottom of my heart the amazing team that constitutes the festival, but especially my small core team who made this dream a reality!
We also thank the Deputy Ministry of Culture and the Cyprus Cinema Office—specifically the Senior Cultural Officer, Dr. Elena Christodoulidou—the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, the Rialto Theatre, the Cyprus Audiovisual Committee, and our sponsors who support us in practice.
Athena Xenidou
