One masterclass, four creative film workshops and five screenings of films make up this year’s programme of Cyprus Film Days for Children and Youth, which is set to take place from 12th to 20th April on Rialto Theatre’s screen in Limassol, Zena Palace’s in Nicosia, and this year also at UCLan Cyprus, in Larnaca. Young cinephiles will have a unique opportunity to watch world-acclaimed films and participate in a series of workshops led by film professionals.

This year's selection of films has resilience as its central axis, which emerges through the power of imagination, friendship and perseverance. The films’ young protagonists are called to make difficult decisions and in doing so, they invite us to face life's adversities with humor, determination, and optimism.

With an eclectic team of workshop leaders and with subjects ranging from hand-drawn animation to character exploration via acting, and from an innovative storytelling technique to cinematic self-expression, our message to young people is clear: Audiovisual media provide the platform for multiple voices to be heard and enrich the ways in which we can tell our own story.

Cyprus Film Days for Children and Youth is co-organised by the Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture and the Rialto Theatre, in the framework of Cyprus Film Days International Festival 2023. The artistic director is director, producer and writer Athena Xenidou. The programme of screenings and workshops is supported by Pizza Hut, Directors’ Guild of Cyprus, Cyprus Autism Association, Animafest, UCLan Cyprus and the International Center of Media, Arts & Communication.

Film screenings (Free entrance!)

Seat reservations (required): https://www.cyprusfilmdays.com/children-and-youth-2024/

The Apple Day (Κ)
LEM 13/04 > 11:00 | NIC 14/04 > 11:00
80', 2022 | Iran
Mahmoud Ghaffari
A first-grade primary school teacher in a poor suburb of Tehran assigns a letter to each student and asks them to bring items starting with an assigned letter, related to their fathers’ jobs. Mehdi's father is a fruit seller and so Mehdi must bring 30 apples ("Seeb" in Farsi) to class on the "S" Day. However, an unfortunate event immerses the family in a crisis.

Big Dreams (Κ) (Κ)
LEM 14/04 > 16:00 | NIC 13/04 > 15:00
102', 2023 | Czech Republic
Dan Pánek
Dom, an eleven-year-old outsider from a small town, is inspired by the victory of the Czech hockey players at the Olympic Games in Nagano. He aspires to become a goalie like his idol Dominik Hašek. All for recognition and a kiss from the best girl in his school class. No dream is too big.

The film’s director will be present for the screenings of the film for a Q&A.

Adventures in the Land of Asha (Κ)
LEM 14/04 > 11:00 | NIC 13/04 > 11:00
89', 2023 | Canada
Sophie Farkas Bolla
When Jules, a 9-year-old boy with a rare disease, moves with his mother and siblings to his uncle’s house in the country, he decides to go on an adventure to find a cure with his mysterious new friend, Asha.

Nezouh (12+)
LEM 13/04 > 16:00 | NIC 14/04 > 15:00
103', 2022 | UK, Syria, France, Qatar
Soudade Kaadan
14-year-old Zeina and her family are the last to have stayed in their besieged hometown of Damascus in Syria. A missile rips a giant hole in their home, exposing them to the outside world. When a rope is mysteriously lowered into the hole, Zeina gets her first taste of freedom, and an unimaginable world of possibility opens up for her.

Searching (12+)
16/04 > 16:00 University of Central Lancashire Cyprus (UCLAN), Larnaca
102', 2018 | USA, Russia
Aneesh Chaganty
After David Kim's 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. But 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter's laptop.

All films will be screened in their original language with English and Greek subtitles. All films for children and youth have been awarded the relevant classification (as anoted) pursuant to the Motion Picture Content Rating System Law of 2002.

The Workshops:

#1 SCREENLIFE
A masterclass on the use of the Screenlife technique, led by one of the executive producers of the film Searching (2018) (for teens 16+).
With Maria Zatulovskaya, executive producer of Searching
Tuesday 16April| 16:00-19:00 | UCLan Cyprus, Larnaca
In English
In her masterclass, Maria Zatulovskaya (executive producer of films Unfriended and Searching) will talk about the new language of film — Screenlife. Her masterclass will cover all aspects of
the development and production of content set entirely on computer and mobile phone screens, following the stories of our lives in the digital age, and will provide guided analysis through examples within her own films.

#2 Acting for teens
How do actors prepare for iconic scenes? Fly into the world of Spider-Man and find out! (for teens 13+).
With Andreani Constanti
Wednesday 17 April | 18:00-21:00 | Directors’ Guild of Cyprus, Nicosia
In Greek
In this scene analysis and application workshop, young actors will embark on a transformative journey to unlock compelling performances. This dynamic session will guide its participants to explore emotion, character depth, and authentic connection. As an exciting twist, we will apply these skills to a scene from Spider Man, providing a thrilling context for actors to showcase their skills and connect with iconic characters in the superhero realm. The workshop will include a short introduction, icebreaking exercises, physical and vocal warm ups, lessons in professional acting techniques, and scene readings.

#3 Film your dreams
A collaborative filmmaking workshop in collaboration with the Cyprus Autism Association (for teens 15-21).
With Dionysia Kopana
Thursday 18 Απριλίου | 10:00-14:00 | Cyprus Autism Association, Nicosia
In Greek
In this workshop, we will probe into the art of cinema and dreams, exploring the manner in which their mechanisms resemble one another. Films are composed of images, and so are dreams: both deal in the images which come together to tell a story. Following this premise, we will combine the concepts of our dreams into one film, unleashing our imagination and exploring the emotional landscapes of our incredible inner worlds. Urged on by narratives with the camera as a tool, we will investigate how the language of film relates to the art of dreams. Through this process, we will create a short film that will narrate our dreams in the form of cinematic poetry.

#4 Handmade Animation
A hand-drawn animation workshop (for children 8-14).
With Yiorgos Tsangaris
Saturday 20 April| 10:00-16:00 | Hambis Printmaking Museum, Nicosia
In Greek
A workshop based on the “direct animation” technique, which includes frame-by-frame drawing on paper strips sized to mimic that of 35mm film, as well as on optical devices like those of the first form of cinema (such as zoetropes, flip books, and thaumatropes). Additionally, children will experiment with cut-out animation and the use of tablets as cameras. These techniques allow for freedom and improvisation, and most importantly form a basis for understanding the basic principles of animation. A hands-on workshop in collaboration with Animafest.

#5 Speed Filmmaking
A dynamic, collaborative filmmaking workshop (for teens 14+).
With Stavros Pamballis
Saturday 20 April| 10:00-16:00 | Directors’ Guild of Cyprus, Nicosia
In English / Greek
We see the world through our phones, as passive consumers of information. Even when we express ourselves, through selfies, memes, or TikToks, we are still being restricted by the social media canon. What happens when we turn our phones 90° and break out of that vertical frame? We instantly gain a new scope of perspective, a way of seeing ourselves and the world around us in a way that breaks the mold. This workshop will take young filmmakers through the dynamic journey of making a film with the tools we use every day. Returning for its third year, the workshop was initiated in 2022 by Athena Xenidou and developed with Stavros Pamballis "from inception to completion". Teens will work with a screenplay, assign creative roles (director, actors, camera, lighting, etc.) amongst each other, and shoot a short film in 5 hours, at the end of which the film will be edited and presented at the Festival’s closing ceremony.

Participation form for workshops (pre-registration required): https://forms.gle/h2tZHi1VSt3qYdHG6

All workshops are free and include a tasty lunch offered by PIZZA HUT!

Information about the screenings, workshops and applications:

www.cyprusfilmdays.com | www.facebook.com/CFDchildren | www.instagram.com/cyprusfilmdaysyouth | cyprusfilmdaysyouth@gmail.com

Τηλ. 99072235