The year 2025 proved to be a year of international recognition for Cyprus cinema, with Cypriot creators and producers competing on equal footing with productions from major countries and winning awards as well as international visibility, according to the Deputy Ministry of Culture. The Ministry said that 2026 is expected to be a “highly productive year” for the Cypriot film industry.
According to an announcement by the Deputy Ministry, the world premieres of two Cypriot productions at major international festivals are also anticipated: 'Hold Onto Me' by Myrsini Aristidou at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, and 'Motherwitch' by Minos Papas at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).
It is further noted that 'All That’s Left of You' by Cherien Dabis, which is Jordan’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, has been shortlisted for the category at the 98th Academy Awards. The film, it said, is a Cyprus-Germany co-production, with the participation of the Deputy Ministry of Culture through the minority co-productions scheme, and production company AMP Filmworks serving as the Cypriot producer. The film also received support from the Cyprus Film Commission (Invest Cyprus) and funding from Eurimages, the Council of Europe’s film fund.
The film 'All That’s Left of You' tells the story of a Palestinian family across several decades, set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, shedding light on issues of displacement, collective trauma, memory and survival through three generations, it said. The film’s world premiere was at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025 and was screened at major international festivals, winning audience and jury awards. Executive producers include Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem, the Deputy Ministry notes.
It is also noted that the Best Animation Film award was recently won by short film 'The Weaver' by Yiorgos Tsangaris at the 16th Karama Human Rights Film Festival in Amman, Jordan, which took place from 9 to 14 December 2025.
According to the festival’s jury statement, the film highlights important truths and inspires audiences to reflect on the challenges and aspirations of communities striving for justice and dignity, it said. The film was also included in the official competition of the 45th Anima Festival in Brussels and previously screened at the historic Festival de Cine y Derechos Humanos de Barcelona and the 22nd Animateka Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The Deputy Ministry of Culture was a co-producer and sponsor of the film.
It also said that 'Sirens' continues its festival run after its premiere at the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, “one of Europe’s most important film festivals”, in November 2025. The short film by Argyro Nicolaou participated in the Shorts Live-Action Competition section of PÖFF Shorts 2025, the announcement said.
The film 'Ektropi' by Marinos Kartikkis, following its premiere at the Alexandria Mediterranean Countries Film Festival and participation in international festivals such as the Thessaloniki Film Festival, continues its journey with another official selection, this time at the 2026 Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh. The film was also on the list of 20 European films competing this year for the Arab Critics’ Awards.
Beyond these recent successes, in 2025, Cypriot films were distinguished at various festivals worldwide and were screened at more than 45 events, organised in cooperation between the Deputy Ministry of Culture and embassies of the Republic of Cyprus, the announcement concludes.
(Source: CNA)
