– Pauline Loquès’ debut feature has taken the top honours in Glocal Images, while Myrsini Aristidou’s debut dominated the Cypriot Competition at the island’s leading film event
Director Myrsini Aristidou receiving the Best Cypriot Film Award for Hold Onto Me (© Nicolas Karatzas)
The 24th edition of the Cyprus Film Days International Festival came to a close on Saturday 25 April with an awards ceremony held at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol. As Cyprus’s foremost showcase for fiction cinema, the festival ran from 17-25 April, hosting screenings and events across Limassol and Nicosia.
French filmmaker Pauline Loquès’ Nino was rewarded with the Glocal Images Best Film Award, which includes a €6,000 prize. The international jury, chaired by Matthijs Wouter Knol, CEO and director of the European Film Academy, and comprising producer Melanie Blocksdorf, programme curator Anna Hoffmann, screenwriter Christina Lazaridi and local filmmaker Aimilios Avraam, praised the movie, which depicts “a tender yet deeply human narrative. With precise direction and a delicate balance between seriousness and subtle humour, Nino explores existential moments of life through authentic performances, with Théodore Pellerin delivering a standout leading role.”
The Glocal Images Special Jury Award, accompanied by €3,000, went to Egyptian director Morad Mostafa for Aisha Can’t Fly Away, described as “a powerful directorial debut that follows the life of a young woman with a migrant background working in a city that does not truly belong to her. With restrained realism, compelling performances and moments of poetic intensity, the film offers a moving portrait of resilience.”
The Best Director Award was given to German filmmaker Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay for Hysteria, “an intelligent and multi-layered cinematic narrative combining political satire, social commentary and elements of mystery. The direction stands out for the insight and sensitivity with which it approaches complex social themes.”
The Best Cinematography Award went to Lithuanian DoP Agnès Piqué Corbera for Forastera, directed by Lucía Aleñar Iglesias, praised for being “a visually poetic work exploring the emotional journey of grief. The camera juxtaposes a luminous natural landscape with the inner darkness of loss, creating a cinematic universe where the environment mirrors the psychological state of the characters.”
A Jury Distinction was awarded to Ivona Juka’s Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day, recognised for its strong visual identity and ensemble performances as well as its exploration of queer artists in the former Yugoslavia, and the intersection of art, memory and historical change.
In the Cypriot Competition, Hold Onto Me by Myrsini Aristidou emerged as the big winner, taking home both Best Cypriot Film and Best Director. The jury noted its “atmospheric cinematography, its expressive use of light and the sensitivity with which it approaches human relationships. Moving between memory, loss and the need for connection, the film creates an emotional landscape where characters seek balance through companionship and understanding.” The film also received the Audience Award.
The Best Performance Award in the Cypriot section went to Dinos Lyras and Lenia Sorokkou for Maricel by Elias Demetriou, praised for “their nuanced and deeply internal performances, which created a strong emotional core for the film’s narrative”.
In the Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days, the Cyprus Film Commission – Invest Cyprus Award went to Your Turn 203! by Cynthia Sawma, described by the international jury – comprising producers Carlo Cresto-Dina (Tempesta), Anamaria Antoci (Tangaj Production) and Hugo Rosák (head of the Industry Office, Karlovy Vary IFF) – as presenting “a confident and well-articulated vision, tackling contemporary themes with a refreshing sense of humour and sharp perspective”.
The EKKOMED Award was given to Horses by Jernej Kastelec, which, “through strong symbolism and a grounded narrative, explores how cycles of violence are inherited – and how they might be broken”. The PS Movies & Stories Award went to Until We Find Your Name by Vaggelio Soumeli, praised as “as a bold and courageous debut, driven by a deeply personal impulse and a clear moral inquiry”. Lastly, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival – Agora Networking Award was given to Of Heart and Lung by Walid Mattar, noted for its “intimate and humanistic storytelling, anchored by two compelling central characters whose journeys resonate with clarity and authenticity”.
Here is the complete list of winners at the 24th Cyprus Film Days:
Glocal Images International Competition
Best Film
Nino – Pauline Loquès (France)
Special Jury Award
Aisha Can’t Fly Away – Morad Mostafa (Egypt/Sudan/Tunisia/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/France/Germany)
Best Director
Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay – Hysteria (Germany)
Best Cinematography
Agnès Piqué Corbera – Forastera (Spain/Italy/Sweden)
Jury Distinction
Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day – Ivona Juka (Croatia/Canada/Cyprus/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Serbia/Poland)
Cypriot Films Competition
Best Cypriot Film
Hold Onto Me – Myrsini Aristidou (Cyprus/Denmark/Greece/USA)
Best Director of a Cypriot Film
Myrsini Aristidou – Hold Onto Me
Best Performance in a Cypriot Film
Dinos Lyras, Lenia Sorokkou – Maricel (Cyprus/Greece)
Audience Award
Hold Onto Me – Myrsini Aristidou
Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days
Cyprus Film Commission – Invest Cyprus Award
Your Turn 203! – Cynthia Sawma (Lebanon/France)
Producers: Georges Schoucair, Matthew Gledhill (Abbout Productions, Wheelhouse Productions)
EKKOMED Award
Horses – Jernej Kastelec (Slovenia)
Producer: Ida Weiss (Bela Film)
PS Movies & Stories Award
Until We Find Your Name – Vaggelio Soumeli (Cyprus/Greece)
Producers: Janine Teerling, Marios Piperides (AMP FILMWORKS)
Co-producers: Konstantina Stavrianou, Rena Vougioukalou (Graal SA)
Thessaloniki International Film Festival – Agora Networking Award
Of Heart and Lung – Walid Mattar (Tunisia)
Producer: Ikbel Tlili (Fakroun Prod)
