It’s a wrap for the 21^st edition of the Cyprus Film Days International Festival, which unspooled from 21-29 April. During the closing ceremony, presented by actress and performer Elena Kallinikou, the festival also announced the winning projects of Dot.on.the.map, the industry co-production forum organised by the gathering, which ran from 27-29 April.

The Cyprus Film Days jury was presided over by French film director Julie Bertuccelli, who was flanked by talent agent Georg Georgi, head of Berlinale Generation Sebastian Markt, MoMA curator Sophie Cavoulacos and Cypriot film director Yianna Americanou.

This year’s edition saw the triumph of The Fishbowl [+lire aussi :
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Meanwhile, Bianca Lucas’s Love Dog [+lire aussi :
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The festival’s artistic directors, Marios Lizides and Argyro Nicolaou, expressed their gratitude to all those involved in the implementation of this successful event, as well as to the jury members and the audience for honouring the festival with their presence. The ceremony also paid homage to Cypriot actor Dimitris Xystras, who passed away recently, by showcasing a selection of photographs of the films in which he took part.

Meanwhile, the international jury of Dot.on.the.Μap Ιndustry Days was made up of producers Amanda Livanou, of Greece’s Neda Film; Dries Phlypo, of Belgium’s A Private View; and Veselka Kiryakova, of Bulgaria’s Red Carpet Films.

The Cyprus Film Commission – Invest Cyprus Award (accompanied by a cash prize of €1,000) was handed to When I Close My Eyes I See Your Eyes (Egypt) by Sameh Alaa. The jury was “impressed by the filmmaker’s vision, as expressed both in his pitch and in conversation, as well as the previous work and what it demonstrates as to his ability to create a world full of emotions and meaning, without using words, relying instead on a striking cinematic language”.

Next, the PS Movies and Stories Award went to the Israeli project Checkpoints, helmed by Rita Borodiyanski and produced by Osnat Saraga. The jury was won over by the “different approach to the conflict that has affected so many lives on both sides of the border, and the willingness and ability to allow herself to empathise with both sides”. The jury also commended the originality of the story and its emotional impact, heralding a young filmmaker with lashings of potential. The award, accompanied by lighting and grip equipment rental worth up to €4,000 offered by PS Movies & Stories Cinema Equipment Rental Ltd, was presented by Polyvios Symeonides, managing director of the company.

The Best Debut Project Pitch Award, offered by the Directors’ Guild of Cyprus, went to Assaf Machnes’ Available Now (Israel/Germany). The jury commended the director’s decision “to tell a delicate story using a lighter tone but never neglecting the humanity of his characters, as well as the fact that he has turned a personal experience into a story of much wider significance”.

Finally, Sandra Tabet’s Rabies (Lebanon/France) snagged two prizes: the AGORA Networking Award – Thessaloniki International Film Festival (which includes free market accreditation and accommodation for the Greek event) and the Asterisk* Award (which entails marketing consultancy services worth €1,400). The jury singled out “a young filmmaker who is able to turn her observations of a rough reality into an original genre piece. […] We want to support the further development of the project and its foray into the European co-production market, and offer the chance for the project to be presented to a wider professional network,” the jurors added.

Commenting on this year’s results, Dot.on.the.map head Danae Stylianou told Cineuropa: “We are especially honoured and proud to have welcomed acclaimed and upcoming industry professionals from across 15 countries from Europe and the MENA region to Limassol, for our fourth edition. Our vision remains to establish this co-production platform as an annual meeting point for professionals from the region and Europe, and to nurture strong connections between them, for the purpose of producing high-quality, independent films, while celebrating together the universal language of storytelling.” The gathering brought together 100 film professionals and saw the presentation of eight new feature-length projects. Alongside the pitching sessions, the platform hosted a number of events, including information sessions, panel discussions and master classes.

Here is the full list of this year’s winners:

Glocal Images International Competition

Best Film
The Fishbowl [+lire aussi :
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Special Jury Award
Love Dog [+lire aussi :
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interview : Bianca Lucas
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Best Director
Bianca Lucas – Love Dog

Authorwave Award
Mediterranean Fever [+lire aussi :
critique
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fiche film] – Maha Haj (Germany/France/Cyprus/Palestine/Qatar)

Audience Award
Au revoir, Slumdogz! - Andreas Kyriacou (Cyprus)

Dot.on.the.map Industry Days

Best Debut Project Pitch Award
Available Now – Assaf Machnes (Israel/Germany)

Cyprus Film Commission – Invest Cyprus Award
When I Close My Eyes, I See Your Eyes – Sameh Alaa (Egypt)

PS Movies and Stories Award
Checkpoints – Rita Borodiyanski (Israel)

AGORA Networking Award – Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Rabies – Sandra Tabet (Lebanon/France)

Asterisk* Award
Rabies – Sandra Tabet