CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (20)

Festival start: 22 September 2025      Festival end: 28 September 2025

Responding to a changing world, show that your work rises to the challenge. Selected films are announced and promoted to distributors prior to the festival. Also all film submissions have the option to get distribution at inspire-tv.com with beneficial terms.

"The Best of the 1st!"
Cyprus International Film Festival's mission is to support the first shown filmmakers with their first short or feature film, to meet and exchange cultures for the further development of Cinematographic Art in Cyprus, to promote our historical and cultural heritage,to upgrade our tourism product and to internationally promote our alumni participants.

Cyprus International Film Festival (CYIFF) is holder of the EFFE label, Europe’s quality stamp for remarkable arts festivals attributed for their work in the field of the arts, community involvement and international openness. It takes place annually with live screenings and parallel events on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Cyprus but also with various partnerships at Athens, Cannes, New York and Los Angeles.

Cyprus International Film Festival (CYIFF) is under the umbrella of Cultural International Festivals -a non-profit arts organization dedicated to promoting and supporting independent films and filmmakers that embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision-. The main location of the event is Nicosia the capital of Cyprus. The festival celebrates once more the rising film stars and several artistic events will take place during the festival. The Pegasus Cinema Lab workshop is very popular and we produce a short film during the Festival which will be screened at the Awards Ceremony. A Table Read with chosen scripts is held during the festival.
You can express your interest and apply with your artistic proposal regarding the "Goddess Aphrodite" and "Peace" theme categories to ciffprogram@gmail.com

History: The festival was inaugurated on March 23, 2006 by the Cypriot Minister of Education and Culture Mr Pefkios Georgiades and was held in three cities, Larnaca, Limassol and Nicosia with the cooperation of K-Cineplex.

The Cyprus International Film Festival is the biggest of artistic high value independent cinema event of the whole region, spilling over Cyprus boundaries and spreading over the whole region with repercussions reaching worldwide. CYIFF is the first internationally oriented film festival which offers new and upcoming directors in multiple sectors of entertainment (such as feature films, short films, animations, music videos, dance, experimental films and video art) the opportunity to showcase their talent in front of a jury of internationally acclaimed cinema experts, directors and actors. CYIFF has a competitive section.
Films produced the last 36 months, by emerging directors are selected for the screening program.
-Women filmmakers (director and/or producer) can submit their film to compete for the Aphrodite Cinematic Award. There is no restriction regarding the production year, the genre of the film in this specific category.
-"50/50" is a category with film credits 50% men and 50% women. No restriction in genre.

Highlights video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYLfPp0qorI

REVIEWS:

Tiago Carvalho:
Lost Records was selected but we could be present unfortunately. But the online version of it was very professional and rich. Just by watching it, you can confirm that they are very concerned by the quality and importance of the festival, and the respect they have for the filmmakers.

Keith Barnfather:
Great festival, with a fantastic selection of films on show!

Christina Zorich - The Abolitionists:
Petra is awesome; she runs a terrific film festival! We were honored to be included.

Chao Wang:
An excellent and memorable film festival. Although I missed the festival because of my carelessness, I still appreciate the professional spirit of the film festival. It is my honor to be shortlisted.

DARWIN REINA:
This festival is one of the best festivals out there now days!! they organizers are just AMAZING this festival is the one that makes me do films every year!!! so I can submit to Cyprus International Film Festival! Thank you so much for the everything!!! and to RECAP all...THIS FESTIVAL IS AMAZING...Period! and 1 more thing a great place to make international connections!

Alain Deslongchamps:
Thank you Cyprus International Film Festival! Your Team did a.great job!

Alberto Zúñiga:
One of the best film festivals of the world. We really love CYIFF!!! Congratulations for the past edition. You really rock, people!!!

Gang Zhao:
Great film festival, thank you for choosing my film. Thank you!

KOSTAS LENIS:
Very good organization with a selection of excellent films. I believe we will be close in time.

Note: In 2025, the 20th Cyprus International Film Festival is scheduled to hold both of live and online screenings and events.

-Certificates, medals.

-All awarded filmmakers will get special discounts in renting facilities for their next film production in Cyprus.

-All selected films are eligible to participate to Bridges International Film Festival in Greece, as another opportunity for international recognition and awards.

-Option for non exclusive distribution at Inspire-TV.com (VOD net proceeds are split 50% to the filmmaker/producer and 50% to the platform).

The festival is dedicated exclusively to the emerging independent filmmakers who are going to present the screening of their film both in live and online screening. We try to accommodate as many films as we can. Live and online film screenings are scheduled with priority to the filmmakers who attend the festival physically or virtually. With the competition section of first feature films in the category "Golden Aphrodite" and first short films in the category “CYIFF Got Talent", the festival's motto is the following: “The Best of the First!”.

• Only First Feature Films are eligible to participate for the “Golden Aphrodite Award”. The Festival will chose the final categorization.

• All other feature films are eligible for the “CYPress Veteran`s Award”.

• Only First Short films are eligible to participate for the “CYIFF GOT TALENT Award”.

• All other short films are eligible for the "CYIFF Veterans Short Films Awards".

CYIFF General Categories:

• Feature Films (up to 120 minutes) – all genres (including animation and documentaries produced the last 36 months)

• Short Films (up to 20 minutes) – all genres (including animation and documentaries produced the last 36 months)

• "Women films" are eligible for the Aphrodite Cinematic Award. Films with a female director and/or producer (no restriction in production year, genre or duration).

• "50/50" Films with 50% men and 50% women in credits

• "Nostimon Imar" - Films made by directors of diaspora.

• Interactive, video games, GTA, VR, AR, 360 videos, comics

• Green Line in Peace - Films about PEACE, Tribute to the last divided capital in the world, Nicosia

• Films shot with a Mobile

• Films in Greek language (with English subtitles)


Technical requirements:

The selected titles must all be in MP4 format, less than 4 GB, and must be forwarded to us via a link in order to upload the titles.

Note: Selected films with Greek subtitles are eligible to participate with live and online screenings in Bridges International Festival in Greece. bridgesfest.eu.