Limassol, Cyprus. The 21st Lemesos International Documentary Festival will open on Saturday, August 1, presenting documentary films and music events throughout the week.
Organised by Brave New Culture and funded by the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, the festival will screen three films each evening, except on its final night.
Opening screening
The festival’s first screening will begin at 8.30pm on Saturday with One in a Million, directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes.
The documentary follows Israa, a young Syrian woman, over a decade as she and her family travel through Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Austria and Germany in pursuit of a new life in Europe. The film also returns to Aleppo, where the family reflects on the journey.
The filmmakers document Israa’s transition from childhood to young adulthood, examining displacement, cultural barriers, family tensions and the realities of coming of age in extraordinary circumstances.
One in a Million received the Audience Award and the Directing Award for Best Documentary at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Music performance
Following the opening screening, the Ioanna Troullidou Quartet will perform at 10.30pm.
The group includes Ioanna Troullidou on vocals, Marios Toumbas on piano, Irenaeos Koullouras on bass and Ioannis Vafeas on drums.
Sunday programme
Sunday’s screenings will begin at 6.30pm with The Golden Spurtle. Bull’s Heart will follow at 8.30pm, while Closure will be screened at 10.30pm.
The organisers said the festival programme includes documentaries addressing complex social realities, difficult lives and contemporary crises, as well as films approaching the human condition with humour, tenderness and empathy.
