From 17 to 25 April, the Cyprus Film Days International Festival returns for its 24th edition, once again transforming the halls of Rialto Theatre in Limassol and Zena Palace Cinema in Nicosia into vibrant meeting points for filmmakers, stories and cinematic experiences from around the world.
With a consistent focus on showcasing contemporary cinematic voices and fostering a dynamic dialogue between audiences and international cinema, this year’s festival presents a diverse programme that brings together bold storytelling, intimate narratives and distinctive artistic visions.
At the heart of the programme lies the Glocal Images International Competition, a section dedicated to filmmakers from diverse geographical and cultural contexts who explore questions of identity, social transformation and human relationships through distinctive cinematic languages. The films in this section have premiered at major international festivals and represent some of the most compelling examples of contemporary independent cinema.
The coming-of-age drama “Nino” by Pauline Loquès follows a young man in Paris during the three days leading up to a pivotal moment in his life. Before it arrives, however, his doctors assign him two missions. Through these unexpected tasks, Nino embarks on a journey across Paris that forces him to reconnect both with the world around him and with himself.
(97′, 2025, France)
The historical drama “Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day” by Ivona Juka follows four close friends who fought together as Partisans during the Second World War. Sixteen years later, now established film directors, their lives and careers are threatened by a powerful state official.
(137′, 2024, Croatia, Canada, Poland, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
The psychological drama “Hysteria” by Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay unfolds when a burnt copy of the Qur’an appears on the set of a film production. The incident throws the shoot into turmoil, plunging the crew into confusion and suspicion.
(104′, 2025, Germany)
“Forastera” by Lucía Aleñar Iglesias, set in Mallorca, centres on a family that gathers at the ancestral home following the death of the grandmother. The grief of teenage granddaughter Cata takes an unexpected turn when she almost unconsciously begins to assume the role of her deceased grandmother.
(97′, 2025, Spain, Italy, Sweden)
The drama “Sink” by Zain Duraie focuses on the relationship between a mother and her son, who struggles with mental illness, exploring the limits of endurance and the strength of familial love.
(87′, 2025, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France)
The drama “Lust” by Ralitza Petrova explores the darker sides of desire and human isolation. A prison officer is confronted with a past she believed she had left behind.
(77′, 2026, Bulgaria, Denmark, Sweden)
The social drama “Aisha Can’t Fly Away” by Morad Mostafa follows Aisha, a 26-year-old Sudanese domestic worker living in a neighbourhood in central Cairo. As tensions rise between African migrants and local gangs, she finds herself caught in the middle of escalating conflict.
(120′, 2025, Egypt, France, Germany, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Sudan)
The social drama “Life in a Beat” by Amerissa Basta follows a young woman living in Athens who works at a local supermarket. When she loses her job and discovers she is pregnant, she is forced to confront difficult decisions about her future.
(93′, 2025, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, France)
Alongside the international competition, the Cypriot Films Competition Section continues to serve as a key pillar of the festival, highlighting contemporary filmmaking from Cyprus. This section presents films by Cypriot filmmakers.
The moving drama “Hold Onto Me” by Myrsinie Aristidou, where 11-year-old Iris wanders carefree through the streets with her older friend when she learns that her estranged father has returned to town for the funeral of his own father. Determined to meet him, she tracks him down at an abandoned shipyard where he has withdrawn into isolation.
(102′, 2025, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, USA)
The dark allegorical tale “Motherwitch” by Minos Papas. In Cyprus in 1882, Eleni, an overlooked painter, attempts to resurrect her dead children. Instead, she awakens the Kalikantzaroi of Cypriot folklore. Now she must confront not only her grief but also the curse that has descended upon her village.
(104′, 2026, Cyprus, North Macedonia)
The social drama “Maricel” by Elias Demetriou, which follows a Filipina domestic worker who is hired to care for an elderly couple in a remote mountain village in Cyprus. What initially appears to be a simple arrangement gradually develops into an invisible game of power where the boundaries between necessity, fear and intimacy become increasingly fragile.
(120′, 2025, Cyprus, Greece)
The Cypriot drama “Diversion” by Marinos Kartikkis. Kostas, a divorced police officer facing financial difficulties who transports bodies to the morgue, steals a cross from an elderly woman he has been assigned to carry. He soon discovers that the deceased woman was the grandmother of his partner.
(96′, 2025, Cyprus)
In the Viewfinder – Contemporary International Cinema section, audiences will have the opportunity to discover films that stood out on the international festival circuit over the past year, works that reflect new directions in global cinema and are signed by filmmakers already attracting international attention.
“La Grazia” by Paolo Sorrentino, which tells the story of Mariano De Santis, the President of Italy, a widower and a devout Catholic. As his term approaches its end, he must make two critical decisions regarding presidential pardon requests. The film received the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and the Brian Award at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, and also won Best Film and Best Screenplay at the Chicago International Film Festival the same year.
(133′, 2025, Italy)
“Yes” by Nadav Lapid, set in Israel the day after 7 October. A jazz musician and his wife, a dancer, offer their art and their bodies to whoever will pay, struggling to survive in a country that is bleeding. Soon, the musician is given a strange assignment: to compose a new national anthem. The film premiered at the Quinzaine des Cinéastes (Directors’ Fortnight) at the Cannes Film Festival.
(150′, 2025, France, Cyprus, Israel, Germany)
In “Sound of Falling”, Masha Schilinski follows four young girls growing up on a remote farm in northern Germany. Decades separate their lives, yet as their stories unfold the connections between them begin to emerge, blurring the boundaries between past and present. The film received the Jury Prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
(149′, 2025, Germany)
The bittersweet “All That’s Left of You” by Cherien Dabis begins when a Palestinian teenager is swept into a protest in the West Bank. His mother then reflects on the story of their family — a journey marked by hope, courage and continuous struggle. The film received the Golden Gate Award for Best Narrative Feature and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2025 San Francisco International Film Festival, and was selected as Jordan’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards.
(145′, 2025, Germany, Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Greece, Qatar, Saudi Arabia)
The Cinemas of Dissent programme highlights films that challenge dominant political narratives and explore the relationship between cinema and politics. These works engage with history, memory and the social tensions of their time, demonstrating cinema’s power as a tool for critical reflection and artistic resistance.
The programme includes “Days of ’36” by Theo Angelopoulos, “Oh, What Happy Days!” by Homayoun Ghanizadeh, and “Leila and the Wolves” by Heiny Srour.
The Special Screenings section, Common Ground, presents films that explore coexistence between different people, experiences and social realities.
These include “Invincibles / Neporazitelní” by Daniel Pánek and “Utopolis” by Vladimir Subotić.
A special place within the programme is also held by Cyprus Film Days for Children and Young People, which offers films addressing themes of diversity, acceptance and the power of friendship, inviting younger audiences to discover stories that inspire and broaden perspectives.
Screenings are complemented by special presentations and parallel events, further strengthening the festival’s role as a meeting point for filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences.
The full screening schedule and information about all parallel events are available on the festival’s website and social media channels.
€5 per screening | €30 festival pass (for all screenings)
Free entry for university students with a valid student ID
Free entry for pupils attending the children’s programme
Free entry for disability card holders
All screenings, except the children’s programme, are suitable for audiences 18+.
All films will be screened in their original language with Greek and English subtitles.
Films in the Cypriot competition will also include Turkish subtitles.
The festival is organised by the Deputy Ministry of Culture in co-organisation with the Rialto Theatre.
The 24th edition of Cyprus Film Days will take place 17–25 April 2026 at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol and Zena Palace in Nicosia.
Rialto Theatre — +357 77 77 77 45
www.cyprusfilmdays.com
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Cyprus Film Days International Festival
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