13 Cypriot films selected for 16th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus

Limassol, Cyprus. Thirteen short films have been selected for the National Competition Programme of the 16th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus, taking place at Rialto Theatre from October 10 to 16, 2026. The festival will feature screenings, competitions and parallel events focused on cinema, storytelling and filmmaking.

National competition programme

The programme includes fiction and documentary films by a generation of filmmakers working in Cypriot cinema. Their stories examine family bonds, relationships that develop or fade, and changing places.

Participation in the National Competition Programme offers filmmakers opportunities to present their work to audiences, gain international recognition and develop future collaborations and co-productions.

The 13 selected films are:

Free Eliza (Notes on an Anatomical Imperfection), directed by Alexandra Matthaiou;

Night Shift, directed by Talat Gokdemir;

Sirens, directed by Argyro Nikolaou;

Bifurcation: Like Thunder Strike, directed by Andreas Lyras;

Salt, directed by Konstantinos Nikiforou;

Kinds of Fathers, directed by Christos Artemiou;

Valentinos, directed by Sofia Anastasiou;

Terrace with a View, directed by Dimitris Michael;

Runner, directed by Ermolaos Fotiou;

Cinema Rialto, directed by Antony Petrou;

Arasta, directed by Fatosh Olgacher;

Shekerika, directed by Iakovos Maimaris;

Icarus, directed by Christos Kardanas.

Special screening

Audiences can also attend The Space In Between, a special screening curated by the Preliminary Selection Committee of the National Competition Section.

The programme features films by women filmmakers presenting personal perspectives on the female experience of displacement, dual identity and the search for belonging in today’s geographical space.

The screening will take place on Friday, October 16, at 6.15pm on Rialto Theatre’s main stage.

Selection committee

This year’s Preliminary Selection Committee of the National Competition Section comprises Adonis Floridis, a film and theatre director, playwright and screenwriter; Doros Dimitriou, a film historian, curator and cultural events organiser; Gianna Amerikanou, a director and screenwriter; and Peter Cerovšek, a director and curator who is also director of FeKK – Ljubljana Short Film Festival.

Awards and new initiatives

As in previous years, the Cypriot entries will compete for both the International and National Awards, as well as a nomination for the European Film Academy Awards in the Short Film category.

Alongside the jury’s distinctions, this year’s festival will introduce two new awards. The Audience Award will allow viewers to select their favourite film and carries a cash prize of €500.

The Peer Award will provide honorary recognition for a Cypriot entry. It will be presented by a committee of representatives from the Cyprus Directors’ Guild, the Cyprus Actors’ Union (EHK) and the Theatre Artists’ Sector of SIDIKEK-PEO.