The 24th edition of the Cyprus Film Days International Festival is fast approaching. As Cyprus's premier international film event, the festival will take place from 17-25 April at its traditional venues: the Rialto Theatre in Limassol and the Zena Palace Cinema in Nicosia. Each year, the festival broadens its mission to offer audiences on the island a panorama of contemporary cinema, showcasing a wide range of global trends and emerging voices.

The Glocal Images International Competition Section presents eight films that delve into questions of identity, social transformation and human relationships through distinctive cinematic languages. The selected films are Nino by Pauline Loquès (France), Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day by Ivona Juka (Croatia/Canada/Cyprus/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Serbia/Poland), Hysteria by Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay (Germany), Forastera by Lucía Aleñar Iglesias (Spain/Italy/Sweden), Sink by Zain Duraie (Jordan/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/France), Lust by Ralitza Petrova (Bulgaria/Denmark/Sweden), Aisha Can’t Fly Away by Morad Mostafa (Egypt/Sudan/Tunisia/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/France/Germany) and Life in a Beat by Amerissa Basta (Greece/Cyprus/Bulgaria/North Macedonia/Montenegro/France).

The Cypriot Films Competition Section, a sub-section of the Glocal Images International Competition, showcases four contemporary works by Cypriot filmmakers, reflecting both local identity and global cinematic trends. The selected movies are Hold Onto Me by Myrsini Aristidou (Cyprus/Denmark/Greece/USA), Motherwitch by Minos Papas (Cyprus/North Macedonia/USA), Maricel by Elias Demetriou (Cyprus/Greece) and Diversion by Marinos Kartikkis (Cyprus).

This year’s international jury is composed of several distinguished figures from the international film community. The chair of said jury is Matthijs Wouter Knol, CEO and director of the European Film Academy, while it also includes producer Melanie Blocksdorf, programme curator Anna Hoffmann, screenwriter Christina Lazaridi and local filmmaker Aimilios Avraam. These jurors will weigh up the eight international and four Cypriot films participating in this year’s Glocal Images International Competition Section, where they will vie for the festival’s awards.

The non-competitive Viewfinder – Contemporary International Cinema strand will feature five highly anticipated international films that have made a mark on the festival circuit. The Cinemas of Dissent programme highlights movies that challenge dominant political narratives, and which examine the relationship between cinema and politics. The special screenings section, Common Ground, presents films exploring coexistence and social realities. A special place within the programme is also reserved for Cyprus Film Days for Children and Young People, offering titles that address diversity, acceptance and the power of friendship.

Cyprus Film Days is co-organised by the Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus and the Rialto Theatre in Limassol, under the auspices of the municipalities of Limassol and Nicosia, in partnership with CIPA Film in Cyprus.