The Awards Ceremony of the 3rd National Short Film Competition for Children and Youth took place with great success on Sunday, 19 April at K Cineplex Prime in Strovolos, in the presence of participants, educators, parents and film lovers, as part of the International Festival Cyprus Film Days 2026.
The venue was filled to capacity, with young creators from across Cyprus attending a vibrant celebration of filmmaking, where the awarded films were screened, highlighting the high standard of this year’s submissions.
The competition, now firmly established as a dynamic platform for cinematic expression for the younger generation, once again showcased the creativity, imagination and strong desire of children and young people to tell their own stories through film.
Winners by Category
Primary School
1st Prize: Bravery – Dasoupoli Primary School (KB), Year 6 (ST’ 3)
Screenplay/ Direction: Thanasis Marios Ioannides
2nd Prize: Super Heroes – D’ Limassol Primary School (KB)
Supervising teacher: Konstantinos Constantinou
Screenplay/Direction: Lydia Hadjigeorgiou, Julia Maria Ioannou, Myrsini Maria Zodiati, Demetriana Tsioullou
3rd Prize: LunchBox – Tseriou Primary School (KB)
Klaketa Productions LTD / Parents Association of Tseriou Primary School (KB)
Screenplay/Direction: Amalia Chrysostomou
Commendation: Nobody is Alone – “To Kryfo Scholeio” All-Day Primary School
Direction: Maria Aristotelous, Haris Aimiliou
Screenplay: Maria Aristotelous
Secondary School
1st Prize: Upstander – Akropoleos Gymnasium
Screenplay/Direction: Anna Mavrommati
2nd Prize: The Last Bus Home – The English School, Nicosia
Screenplay: Chloe Gennimata, Anthi Kyriakidou
3rd Prize (ex aequo):
Life… in Short Form – Laniteio Gymnasium, Limassol
Screenplay/Direction: Nectaria Antigone Katsarou
Space – Music School of Limassol “Marios Tokas”
Screenplay/Direction: Magia Baltzi
Commendation: I Want Us to Talk – Trachoniou Gymnasium
Screenplay/Direction: Antonis Andreou, Christos Tofiros
High School
1st Prize: To Live – The Heritage Private School
Screenplay/Direction: Liu Ying Yan, May Liu
2nd Prize: Brick by Brick
Screenplay/Direction: Grigori Sammal
3rd Prize: Peace Worth Fighting For – A’ Technical and Vocational School of Education and Training, Limassol
Screenplay/Direction: Anastasia Leontiou
Commendation: The Acropolis of Phoebus – Acropoleos High School
Direction: Eleni Praxitelous
Screenplay: Mia Mouzala
Ages 18–24
1st Prize: Retiro
Screenplay/Direction: George Spaneas, Cezara Nicolae, Irene Tsolaki
2nd Prize: 2nd Soul
Screenplay/Direction: Farhad Hossain
3rd Prize: ZOI
Direction: Daniil Kanin
Screenplay: Arseniy Baranov, Daniil Kanin
Commendation: The Note
Screenplay/Direction: Antreas Konstantinou
The films were evaluated by a seven-member jury of film professionals, chaired by casting director Stavros Raptis, with members Minos Pappas, Anna Fotiadou, Athos Antoniou, Margarita Zachariou, Andreas Tselepos and Giannis Antonas.
The winners receive prizes including scholarships at UCLan Cyprus, photographic equipment, accommodation at Columbia Beach Resort, free filmmaking and acting courses offered by The Film and Stage Studio, as well as complimentary cinema tickets from K Cineplex. The awarded films are screened ahead of festival screenings within the Cyprus Film Days for Children and Youth 2026 programme.
In addition, the top four awarded films will be presented at the international educational film festival FIFE in France, offering young creators from Cyprus the opportunity to reach a wider European audience.
The National Short Film Competition for Children and Youth continues to affirm its role as a dynamic platform for fostering film literacy and creative expression, highlighting the voice of the younger generation and strengthening their connection with cinema.
The Children and Youth Section is part of the Cyprus Film Days International Festival 2026, co-organised by the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture and Rialto Theatre.
Major Sponsor: K Cineplex
Sponsors: Columbia Beach Resort, ENA Juices, UCLan, The Film & Stage Studio
Rialto Theatre
Information / Tickets:
rialto.interticket.com
www.rialto.com.cy
Βοx Office: 77777745
