April by Déa Kulumbegashvili (Georgia, Italy, France) and Smaragda by Emilios Avraam won Best Film Awards at the International and Cypriot Competition Section, respectively, at the 23rd Cyprus Film Days International Festival 2025.
This year’s exciting journey of screenings and parallel events ended on a high note on Saturday 12 April with the presentation of the Audience Award, the winners of the competition section and the awards of Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days co-production, training and networking platform.
Smaragda by Emilios Avraam also garnered Best Performance Award for the work of protagonist Niovi Charalambous. Best Director Award in the Cypriot Films Competition Section went to Kyros Papavasileiou for his film The Sock.
In the Glocal Images International Competition Section, the Special Jury Award was presented to Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo by Egyptian filmmaker Khaled Mansour, with Best Director Award given to French filmmaker Jonathan Millet for his debut, Ghost Trail, which also won the Audience Award.
Best Cinematography Award was presented to the Lithuanian Vytautas Katkus for his work on the film Toxic by Saulė Bliuvaitė. The films Sun Never Again by David Jovanović (Serbia) and Killerwood by Christos Massalas (Greece) received honorary distinctions.
Aleksandra Bozovic, president of the International Jury, said she was genuinely impressed by the range and depth of the films in the competition section. “It was especially exciting to witness the strength and creativity of Cypriot filmmakers. Your stories are powerful, your vision is clear, and your future is full of promise” she noted, adding that the Cyprus International Film Festival would continue to grow as a platform for emerging talent and a meeting place for international cinema.
The festival’s Dot.on.the.Μap Industry Days platform presented awards to the following feature length projects: I Am Afraid To Meet You Some Day by Khaled Mansour, Holiday by Wissam Charaf, The Color Green by Paloma Zapata, My Name Is Lily by Yianna Americanou and Jo of Montreal by Ameen Nayfeh.
Together Apart, the latest film by Aliki Danezi Knutsen, closed the screening programme in a venue swarmed by cinephiles. The screening was followed by the closing and award ceremony, curated by Korallia Stergides, and the wrap party at SEK parking, with a dreamlike mapping that extended across the entire Rialto quarter, tuned to the rhythm, voice and movement of German collective From Berlin with Love. The Cyprus Film Days International Festival renewed its date with movie goers for April 2026.
First on stage was Athena Xenidou, artistic director of the Cyprus Film Days International Festival for Children and Youth, setting out the actions of this year’s event, which culminated in the presentation of the awards for the 2nd Pancyprian Short Film Competition, featuring dozens of short films from across Cyprus on the theme of “Equality”. Xenidou also mentioned the six workshops and two masterclasses in acting, animation, filmmaking and screenwriting offered during the festival, and the screenings of six award-winning films for children and youth.
Head of Dot.on.the.Μap Industry Days, Danae Stylianou then took the stage to showcase the development of the festival’s networking platform which, in yet another edition, has succeeded in bringing together in Limassol more than 150 film professionals from Cyprus and 20 countries from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
Marios Lizides, Cyprus Film Days 2025 artistic co-director, and CFD Ambassador Alexandra Matheou extended thanks to all the contributors and everyone involved in the successful event, the members of the international jury and the audience that flooded the Rialto and Zena Palace, contributing to the creative dialogue.
List of Awards and their Rationales:
International Competition Section Awards
The Glocal Images Best Film Award went to April by Déa Kulumbegashvili (Georgia, Italy, France). “The film offers a powerful meditation on loss, morality and the quiet devastation brought by societal judgment, especially on women. With a strong directorial signature, featuring long contemplative takes, restrained storytelling and unforgettable imagery, it portrays a world where compassion and controversy collide. With a remarkable lead performance at its core, this is a brave, unsettling and profoundly human cinematic experience which leaves a lasting impression” according to the award’s rationale.
The award is accompanied by €6000. The winner accepted the award through video message.
The Glocal Images Special Jury Award was given to Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo by Khaled Mansour (Egypt, Saudi Arabia), “a strong directorial debut, beautifully shot, with a captivating story of friendship, highlighted by powerful performances” according to the rationale. “As the narrative unfolds, the bond between the two characters grows, taking us -the audience- with them, on their journey of self-discovery, loss and love. How far can someone go to save their best friend? If there was an award for best animal performance, it would definitely go to Rambo”.
Jury member Agni Scott presented the award. The film’s producer, Rasha Hosny, accepted the accompanying amount of €3000 on behalf of the director.
The Glocal Images Best Director Award went to French filmmaker Jonathan Millet for his debut film, Ghost Trail (France, Germany, Belgium) “for its increasing tension, breathtaking narration and its tribute to the struggle of citizens for justice and dignity. A contemporary political thriller,
following the main character’s psychological and physical journey confronting grief and trauma, in search of truth”.
The award, accompanied by €1000, was announced by jury member Delphine Leccas. Jonathan Millet could not attend the event, but sent a thank-you video.
Vytautas Katkus received the Glocal Images Best Cinematography Award for his work in Saulė Bliuvaitė’s film Toxic (Lithuania) “for its audacious camera placement, movement and tone, depicting a strong atmosphere of a claustrophobic and dreary environment, from where the characters are seeking desperately to escape”.
The award, accompanied by €1000, sponsored by Caretta Films, was bestowed by Caretta Films Director, Constantinos Nikiforou, on the film’s producer, Giedrė Burokaitė.
The jury also awarded honorary distinctions to the films Sun Never Again by David Jovanović (Serbia) and Killerwood by Christos Massalas (Greece). Sun Never Again, a genuinely independent production, “through the perspective of a child caught between the conflict of the mining region and nearby residents, speaks not only about the world of today’s Serbia, but also about universal issues”.
Killerwood was praised “for its lightness, cynicism and sense of irony, which makes it a breath of fresh air in such particularly dark times”.
Cypriot Competition Section Awards
The Best Cypriot Film Award was presented to Emilios Avraam’s Smaragda. “A film with warmth, humour and a deep sense of empathy; it follows the journey of a woman who is going through a midlife crisis, searching for her identity in today’s world. The protagonist embarks on an unexpected and brave journey of self-discovery. A film that captivates with its sincerity, subtlety and original approach to current themes, leaving a strong emotional impact”, according to the rationale.
The award, accompanied by €4,000 plus post-production services at The Studio (sponsored by CYENS Center of Excellence) was presented to the director by Elena Christodoulidou, Senior Cultural Officer of the Department of Contemporary Culture, and Yiorgos Chrysanthou, CYENS General Director.
Best Director Award went to Kyros Papavassiliou for his film The Sock. The director “created a surreal anti-cinema, with strong decisions. Deliberately lacking almost every known cinematic device, the film contains neither good images, nor good acting, nor a conflict with high stakes;
yet it is driven by a conscious creative approach and absurd humor that explores the meaning or lack of meaning, of existence”.
The award is accompanied by Post Production Cinema and Platform Mastering Services worth of €7000, sponsored by Authorwave. Authorwave representative, Ioanna Soultani, presented the award to the director.
The Best Performance in a Cypriot Film Award was bestowed on Niovi Charalambous for her lead role in Emilios Avraam’s Smaragda. In the film, revolving around the character of Smaragda, Charalambous “took us on her strange and surprising journey of self-discovery, bravely and honestly”.
The Award is accompanied by €1000, offered by the Limassol Municipality. Director Emilios Avraam accepted the award on behalf of Charalambous, from Mayor Yiannis Armeftis.
The Audience Award, garnered by Jonathan Millet’s Ghost Trail, is accompanied by €1500, sponsored by Breaking Wave Productions. The award is decided on viewers’ votes cast after every screening.
The jury was chaired by Aleksandra Božović, acclaimed producer and Director of the Film Centre of Montenegro, and comprised French curator Delphine Leccas, Hungarian director and screenwriter György Pálfi, French co-founder and Director of Les Arcs Film Festival Guillaume Calop, and Cypriot actress Agni Scott.
Dot.on.the.Μap Awards
The award ceremony opened with the awards conferred by Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days. This year’s three-member jury consisted of producers Miloš Lochman (moloko film, Czech Republic), Katya Trichkova (Contrast Films, Bulgaria) and Denis Vaslin (VOLYA Films, Netherlands).
The Cyprus Film Commission – Invest Cyprus award went to the project Holiday by Wissam Charaf, to be produced by Charlotte Vincent, Katia Khazak, and Anne Reulat (France – Lebanon). “A deeply personal project seen through the eyes of children, this film delves into one of humanity’s darkest realities: war. With striking honesty and emotional depth, it emphasises the profound absurdity of conflict”. The award, accompanied by €2000, was presented by Lefteris Eleftheriou, president of Film in Cyprus.
The EKKOMED Award went to the project The Color Green, to be directed by Paloma Zapata, produced by Mila Luengo and co-produced by Sinisa Juricic (Spain – Croatia). “A powerful social drama that explores both individual and collective resistance, the reconstruction of local communities, and the reweaving of family bonds — all through an innovative and stylistically hybrid approach”. The award, accompanied by €2000, was presented to co-producer Sinisa Juricic by Athena Kartalou, General Director of the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center (EKKOMED).
The P.S. Movies and Stories Award went to My Name Is Lily, to be directed by Yianna Americanou and produced by Stelana Kliris (Cyprus). “A powerful and timely project that tackles essential themes of belonging, risk, self-determination, and resilience in the face of social expectations. At its core, it’s a story about sacrifice and the profound challenges of motherhood placed at risk”.
The award, offered by P.S. Movies & Stories Cinema Equipment Rental Ltd, is accompanied by equipment rental worth of €4000. Polyvios Symeonides, the company’s director, presented the award to the winner.
The Agora Networking Award was presented to Rasha Hosny, producer of the feature film project I Am Afraid To Meet You Some Day, to be directed by Khaled Mansour (Egypt). “A journey of self-discovery that transforms into a path of self-healing, as a long-buried mystery resurfaces. To move forward and shape a new future, the protagonist must confront and embrace their true identity”.
The Award was presented to the producer by Elena Gaitanarou on behalf of Thessaloniki International Film Festival Agora. It includes a four-night stay in Thessaloniki and free accreditation for the Festival’s Agora.
Last, the Jury bestowed Special Mention upon the feature length project Jo of Montreal (Jordan) to be directed by Ameen Nayfeh and produced by Bassam Alasad “for a heartwarming story about intergenerational bonds, reconnecting with one’s roots, and the collective fight to preserve a shared heritage”.
For more information: Rialto Theatre 77 77 77 45
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Organisers:
Under the auspices of: Limassol Municipality & Nicosia Municipality
In partnership with: CIPA Film in Cyprus
Supported by: Institut Français de Chypre, Goethe-Institut Zypern
Technical Partner: Event Pro
Best Cypriot Film Award Sponsor: Authorwave
Best Cypriot Director Award Sponsor: CYENS Center of Excellence
Audience Award Sponsor: Breaking Wave Productions
Glocal Images Best Cinematography Award Sponsor: Caretta Films
Dot.on.the.Map Award Sponsor: P.S. Movies and Stories
Hospitality Sponsor: Mediterranean Beach Hotel
Media Sponsors: CITY, CyBC
Workshop Sponsors: Columbia Beach Resort, CYENS, Filmmakers Europe
Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days Hospitality Sponsor: Alinea
Cyprus Film Days for Children and Youth Communications Sponsor: Alpha
Sponsors: CYTAVISION, Digital Tree
Supporters:
Sozo Brain Center, Crowne Plaza Hotel Limassol, K-Cineplex, Bolt, Mall of Cyprus, LOEL, The Friends of Cinema Society (Nicosia), Limassol Cine Club, Larnaca-Famagusta Cinema Society, Cyprus University of Technology, University of Cyprus (University Development and Alumni Relations), EMEL Ltd-Limassol Buses, Cyprus Public Transport, Lemesos Newspaper, Limassol Today, Lemesos Blog, Vestnik Kipra, Limassol Tourism Board.
Dot.on.the.Map Co-organisers: Organisation for European Programmes & Cultural Relations, Creative Europe Desk & CERV & New European Bauhaus Contact Point Cyprus, Creative Europe ΜΕDIA Desk Greece
Dot.on.the.Map Partners: Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center (EKKOMED), Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Coprocity
Rialto Theatre
Information / Tickets:
rialto.interticket.com
www.rialto.com.cy
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