CYPRUS SHORT FILM DAY 2021
12 December | THE MAY FAIR HOTEL
The sixth edition of our annual film festival Cyprus Short Film Day (CSFD) took place on December 12 at the prestigious May Fair Hotel. Featuring a rich programme of new and award-winning short films from Cyprus, CSFD celebrated Cypriot filmmaking once more, with screenings, panel discussions and networking events.
CSFD 21 film programme included: “Everything is a lie, is a lie” by Dimitris Chimonas, “A Summer Place” by Alexandra Matheou, “My Story” by Elena Fitikidou Alonefti and Magdalena Zira, “I Don’t Want To Forget Anything” by Vaggelio Soumeli, “In Limbo” by Semeli Vogiazanou, “The Hunt” by Sholeh Zahraei and Kamil Saldun, “Erma” by Angelos Charalambous, “A Girls” by Antony Petrou, “Rites of Spring” by Yiorgos Tsangaris, “Night Lives” by Nafsika Hadjichristou and “Losing Grace” by Athena Mandis. After the screenings, Dr Marios Psaras, Artistic Director of the festival, moderated a discussion with filmmakers, Antony Petrou, Athena Mandis, Connor Vellinga, Kamil Saldun and Sholeh Zahraei.
The festival was organised by the Cyprus High Commission – Cultural Section, in collaboration with the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC) and sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of Cyprus – Cultural Services.
Film Programme
EVERYTHING IS A LIE, IS A LIE!
| 8:30’ By Dimitris Chimonas
A tissue is ripped apart and magically reappears as one piece again. That same tissue is now faced with its own heroization by the tissue community, and has to deal with the applause, the laughter, and the booing.
A SUMMER PLACE | 20’
By Alexandra Matheou
Summer is a permanent state of mind in Limassol, a once small seaside town in Cyprus that has transformed into an oligarch paradise in the Mediterranean. Within this asphyxiating environment, Tina, a depressed food stylist, is ready to give up on everything, until an extraordinary encounter changes her life.
MY STORY | 11’
By Elena Fitikidou Alonefti and Magdalena Zira
Who is the villain and who is the victim? A group of actors are cast in a film about sexual harassment and gender stereotypes in the field of the performing arts. A story written and directed by women based on verbatim testimonies of women.
I DON'T WANT TO FORGET ANYTHING | 5’
By Vaggelio Soumeli
It’s deathly quiet. Marialena is desperate to find the poetry book she lost and bookstores are closed. She is obsessed with knowing where her sister Magda is. The two sisters are on the phone. Bells are ringing. They need to remember, in order to forgive and say goodbye.
IN LIMBO | 10’
By Semeli Vogazianou
Three anonymous people reveal their emotional pain, loneliness and mental health struggles during the pandemic. Their thoughts and feelings are expressed through monologues written and narrated by them in different languages - English, Italian and Greek-Cypriot.
THE HUNT | 21:30’
By Sholeh Zahraei & Kamil Saldun
The sudden discovery of his son's secret turns Ibrahim's traditional world upside down. Fraught with emotional conflict, he takes his son Ismail on a fateful trip.
ERMA | 8’
By Angelos Charalambous
A movie about gender, the body; and all the interweaving moments found in their midst. The perpetual process and struggle of forming a gendered subjectivity against the repressive notions of heteronormativity is explored through an abstract narrative viewpoint and techniques found in stop-motion animation and body horror genre.
A GIRLS | 10’
By Antony Petrou
A 7-Year-old girl wakes up one morning and discovers that her family have disappeared. Puzzled by this, the girl goes about her day as best she can, even becoming intoxicated with this newfound freedom. Whilst strolling through the eerily quiet neighbourhood, she soon realises that her family are not the only ones to have disappeared.
RITES OF SPRING | 04:30’
By Yiorgos Tsangaris
Christian Orthodox tradition and travelling theatre troupes with their pagan roots are two seemingly opposite worlds, both mysterious and both enchanting to the author.
NIGHT LIVES | 15’
By Nafsika Hadjichtristou
Delving into the beauty of life when the sun goes down, this film is an intimate portrait of the obsession with nightclubbing culture, amongst Britain’s young generation, looking at notions of collective identities, performance and truth.
LOSING GRACE | 11’
By Athena Mandis
A mother forced to flee from her abusive partner with her daughter finds short-lived refuge, until she is unwittingly tracked down, with dire consequences.
*Some films are suitable only for 16+
Organised by the Cyprus High Commission – Cultural Section, in collaboration with the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of Cyprus – Cultural Services.
