04-04-2014

Cyprus Film Days 2014 opens on Friday, April 4th

By Lisa Nema

    The 12th edition of the International Film Festival Cyprus Film Days opens simultaneously in Limassol and in Nicosia on Friday, April 4th, 2014. The Festival is co-organised by the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture and Rialto Theatre.

    The two main festival programmes are the international competition programme Glocal Images and the non-competitive section entitled Viewfinder, which consists of 9 films. Among them is Palestinian film Omar by Hany Abu-Assad, which will open the festival in Limassol. Other films include Club Sandwich by Fernando Eimbcke from Mexico, PeloMalo, Venezuela-Peru-Argentina-Germany co-production (dir. Mariana Rondón), Iranian drama Manuscripts Don't Burn by Mohammad Rasoulof about an author, who manages to write down his memoirs secretly, despite the strict monitoring by security services. You can also see two French films: On my way with Catherine Deneuve (dir. Emmanuelle Bercot) and Eastern Boys by Robin Campillo; a Greek production Miss Violence by Alexandros Avranas, a romance drama by Jim Jarmusch Only Lovers Left Alive and Swedish We Are the Best (dir. Lukas Moodysson), which portrays the lives of three teenage girls.

    The following nine films will complete in the Glocal Images section: domestic low-budgeted production Commited, a debut of Stelana Kliris, Stratos by Yiannis Economides (Greece, Germany, Cyprus), Love Steaks by Jakob Lass (Germany), This is Martin Bonner, mediation on friendship by Chad Hartigan (USA), Traitors, Morocco-USA co-production directed by Sean Gullette, Greek Standing Aside Watching by Giorgos Servetas. Polish drama Life Feels Good by Maciej Pieprzyca, Adam Sanderson’s Funeral at Noon (Israel) and Tangerines by Zaza Urushadze (Estonia/ Georgia).

    The Artistic Committee selected all films for the festival. This committee consist of 3 members: Adonis Florides (film director), Dr. Costas Constandinides (film scholar), and Constantinos Sarkas (journalist). The international jury, which is composed of directors and actors, will name the winners at the end of the festival.

    Cyprus Film Days aspires to become a meeting point for cinema professionals from the three continents surrounding the island of Cyprus. The programme includes not only film screenings and releases, but also music events. A music performance by Tat-n-Bar will mark the beginning of Cyprus Film Days in Nicosia, a percussion group Batukinio will open of the festival in Limassol.