DM Culture



Τhe festival kicks off with a bang - courtesy of Lia Haraki!  

The Cypriot interdisciplinary performance artist Lia Haraki is at the helm of the opening ceremony, as the Cyprus Film Days International Festival launches its 22nd edition. Alongside a dream team of artists, Lia Haraki will immerse the audience into the festival’s spirit by exploring the process of independent creativity in a unique multimedia show.

The Deputy Minister of Culture, Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou, will officially declare open the festival on Friday 12 April at 20:00 pm at the Rialto Theatre.

The opening ceremony will be followed by a screening of Embryo, Larva, Butterfly, the existential futuristic film by Cypriot director Kyros Papavassiliou, which had its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and garnered the Audience Award both at Thessaloniki Film Festival and at the 36th Panorama of European Cinema in Athens.



As part of her opening ceremony performance, Lia Haraki will present a one-woman show she has directed, performed, and written herself. Alternating between the roles of singer and stand-up performer, Haraki will channel the show into a live sound piece that pays tribute to creators and the complexity of the creative process.

Music and sound for the opening ceremony has been designed by Yiannis Christofides, with Despina Kannaourou and Konstantinos Hadjidimitris creating the typographic animation and Alexander Jotovic the lighting design. Artist PASHIAS will be the presenter of the ceremonies.


Following the screening of this edition’s first film, guests will dive into a celebratory spirit with the much-awaited party at Heroes Square, featuring Dj Sofronis. The event will be attended by official guests, the members of the international jury, members of the cinematic community, representatives of the organisers (the Deputy Ministry of Culture–Department of Contemporary Culture and the Rialto Theatre), the sponsors and of course the festival’s devotees.

Leading the lineup in Nicosia on Saturday, 13/4 is Lina Soualem’s documentary Βye Bye Tiberias, scheduled for a single special screening, followed by Detached House by Cypriot director Ioakim Mylonas.

On Saturday night, in Nicosia, the opening party will unfold on the patio of Zena Palace. The party, titled “From Berlin with Love”, will feature sound, video projections and music by the namesake artist collective, and is bound to turn into a vibrant dance gathering for all present, featuring the artists Georg Georgi, David Joel Oberholzer, Florian Denk, Adam Muhabbek, Lukas Hanus and Kai Seekings.

This weekend alone, the festival programme includes a total of eight (8) films in Limassol and an additional ten (10) in Nicosia, including the films listed in the Festival’s Children and Youth section.

The Festival’s detailed programme is available 
here

Information:
    • €5 per screening | €30 festival pass (for all screenings).
    • Free for students upon display of student card.
    • Free for children (Children and Youth Section). 
    • Free for holders of Disability Card.
    • All films aside the Children and Youth Section are suitable for 18+.
    • All films will be screened in their original language with English and Greek subtitles. Films of the Cypriot Films Competition Section will be screened with Turkish subtitles.


Organisers:



Under the auspices of: Limassol Municipality & Nicosia Municipality
In partnership with:
 CIPA Film in Cyprus
Supported by: 
Institut Français de Chypre, German Embassy Nicosia
Technical Partner:
 Event Pro
Official festival car: 
Char. Pilakoutas Group – Nissan
Audience Award Sponsor: 
TFI Markets
Award Sponsors: 
Caretta Films, Authorwave, CYENS
Hospitality Sponsor: 
Mediterranean 
Media Sponsors: 
CITY, CyBC
Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days Hospitality Sponsor:
 Alinea

Supporters:

Mall of Cyprus, K-Cineplex, LOEL, 
The Friends of Cinema Society (Nicosia), Limassol Cine Club, Larnaca-Famagusta Cinema Society, Directors Guild of Cyprus, Cyprus University of Technology, University of Cyprus (Alumni Office), UCLan Cyprus, Dance House Lefkosia, Dance House Lemesos, Cyprus New Movement, EMEL Ltd-Limassol Buses, Cyprus Public Transport, Lemesos Newspaper, Limassol Today, Lemesos Blog, Vestnik Kipra, Limassol Tourism Board.