6th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus

The 6th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus, the official short film festival of the island, will take place at Rialto Theatre from the 15th to the 21st October, 2016, showcasing a wide spectrum of shorts from Cyprus and across the world.

With dozens of short films -fiction, documentary, experimental and animations- from Cyprus and the international scene, the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus returns, now in its 6th edition. Parallel thematic screenings, tributes, music events, and many other activities enhance the Festival programme.

Throughout the festival week, directors, producers and filmmakers from the international and local film community will join at Rialto Theatre, providing an excellent opportunity for local filmgoers to enjoy some of the best short films of the festival year.
The selection of films and programming of screenings and parallel events, is undertaken by the artistic committee; film directors Alexia Roider and Ioakim Mylonas.

The International Jury is made up of acclaimed film professionals who will decide upon the awards: 1st Prize for Best Short Film, Best Director Award, 2nd Prize for Best Short Film, 1st Prize for Best National Film, 2nd Prize for Best National Film, Best Documentary Award, Student Jury Award for Best Music Video.

National Competition showcases 13 Cypriot films:
Τhe National Competition programme showcases thirteen short films, by Cypriot directors. These films are also eligible for the international competition awards:

8 Days of Parlor, by Zoe Phylactidou
8 Days of Parlor observes the work of academic sculptor Leonidas Spanos, based on the island of Cyprus where a parlor guitar is being made over a period of 8 days. The slow paced film focuses on the art of making and the importance for the material to justify its own existence.

Antidoton, by Michael Hapeshis
An ordinary man returns to his car after the day’s work is over and discovers a wallet on the pavement. In his struggle to find and return the wallet to its rightful owner, he becomes entangled in bizarre adventures…

Bad Habits, by Emilios Avraam
Bad Habits revolves around a library cataloguer who makes a discovery. In his attempt to address the matter he gets caught up in a dangerous scheme that puts him at risk. In the meantime, he forms a new habit. Good or bad? That's subjective!!
State of Authority, by Antonis Ioannides
A fugitive. An accused man who is freed of charges. A publisher, a minister, a judge and two women caught in a power game. Can justice prevail?

In Half, by Argyro Nicolaou
An eccentric artist creates a work of art that is slammed by critics. She can't understand what's wrong with it, but not everyone sees the glass half full. How much will artistic freedom cost her?

Last Breath, by Rebecca Stylianou (animation)
The film describes the everyday life of an old couple whose love and devotion lasts until their last breath. Reality and imagination are blended together in this short film, emphasising the emotions of two people who shared their lives together.

Mad Dogs, by Danae Papaioannou
Three broke buddies smoke a joint, having fun on their usual stroll on the outskirts of a small Greek town. As they tease each other about girls, money and authority they find an abandoned helpless dog. They want to make fun of it . Things go wrong.

The River, by Georgia Nicolaou
Based on the short story 'To Potami' by Greek author Antonis Samarakis, 'The River' is a story about a young soldier trying to hold on to his humanity and identity in the midst of war, misled into a sense of security during a ceasefire.

Sanctioned, by Harry Ayiotis
Year unknown. The future bleak. A society born from the ashes of anarchy and destruction. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The government has legalized manslaughter to curtail and control the rampant violence between its citizens. The process is simple. You visit the Ministry of Sanctioned Homicide and you apply for 'Sanction'. If you are accepted you may take another life with the full backing of the law. Elias visits the ministry and applies for Sanction to kill one of his parents. It is granted.

Weekend, by Talat Gökdemir
Following his father’s death, Hasan returns to Cyprus after many years. As he spends time in his childhood village with his grieving mother and childhood girlfriend, the inner struggle with his identity and the challenge of being in a traditionalist community resurfaces. The pressure to attend the funeral pushes Hasan to confront his past and to search for reconciliation, not only with his family and home but also with himself.

Semele, by Myrsini Aristidou
Semele will do anything to spend time with her long absent father. A school note becomes the excuse for her to visit him at his workplace, where her presence highlights their fragile relationship.

The Soup, by Nicos Synnos (animation)
A man has two chickens. When one chicken gets ill the man kills the healthy chicken to make her a soup as a remedy,

Tango On the Balcony, by Minos Papas
“TANGO ON THE BALCONY” is about Johnny, an Iraq war veteran who wrestles with PTSD and his transition to civilian life. Visited fleetingly by Abdullah, an Iraqi teenager whom he killed in combat, Johnny tries to ask the lingering questions that crowd his mind, but Abdullah’s answers do not provide any respite. Johnny is frequently in a state of hyper vigilance on the bustling streets of NYC. He struggles with the helmet-cam video footage of combat that he has brought back from Iraq: The video provides Johnny with the comfort of accuracy that memory does not have, but it also induces anxiety. The film compares combat video playback to the memory of a traumatic event that many veterans experience. Real combat footage is used in the film.

Organisers

The Festival is organised by the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Rialto Theatre.

It is under the auspices of the Mayor of Limassol, Mr Andreas Christou, and supported by the Cyprus University of Technology. Media Sponsors: TIME OUT & SUPER FM.

Additional Information
Subtitles: All films are screened in their original dialogues with Greek and English subtitles.

Facebook: Int’l Short Film Festival of Cyprus
Twitter:@RialtoTheatreCy /#isffc16
Free Entrance (Free tickets must be obtained from the Rialto Box Office)
Information: Rialto Theatre 77 77 77 45
www.isffc.com.cy / www.rialto.com.cy