Nicosia, Cyprus
Cyprus Film Days
Mediterranean crossroads for bold, boundary-pushing cinema
Tier 3In plain English
Cyprus Film Days is an annual international film festival held in Nicosia that spotlights art-house and socially engaged cinema from the Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans, and broader European scene. It serves as a rare cultural bridge between European and Middle Eastern film cultures, making it a distinctive platform for films exploring identity, migration, and geopolitical complexity. Filmmakers with work rooted in Mediterranean or Eastern European contexts, or those seeking exposure in an underserved but culturally rich market, will find it a high-value, low-competition submission.
Score breakdown
SovereignScore™ dimensions
Great for
- ✓ Providing genuine regional exposure in Cyprus and the broader Eastern Mediterranean circuit, where competition from larger festivals is minimal
- ✓ Curating an engaged, cinephile audience that takes art-house and politically charged films seriously rather than treating them as niche afterthoughts
- ✓ Offering filmmakers a welcoming, intimate festival atmosphere with direct access to local industry contacts, broadcasters, and cultural organizations
Not worth it if
- ✗ Generating international press coverage or reviews that travel beyond regional outlets — major trades largely ignore it
- ✗ Launching distribution deals or connecting filmmakers with major buyers, agents, or sales companies from Western European or North American markets
- ✗ Serving genre filmmakers — horror, action, thriller, and commercial fare are largely out of place in its programming philosophy
Best for these genres
Filmmaker tips
- Lean into any Mediterranean, Balkan, or Middle Eastern thematic or geographic connection in your submission materials — the programming committee actively favors regional resonance
- Submit early; the festival has a relatively small programming team and early submissions tend to receive more careful consideration than last-minute entries
- If attending, engage with the Q&A culture seriously — Cypriot audiences ask substantive questions and word-of-mouth among local cultural institutions can open doors to screenings, residencies, and co-production contacts in the region
Notable alumni films
- Akamas (2006, Panicos Chrysanthou) — Cypriot feature with regional festival resonance
- Smuggling Hendrix (2018, Marios Piperides) — Cypriot-German co-production screened in regional circuit
- The Insult (2017, Ziad Doueiri) — Lebanese Oscar nominee screened in regional programming
- Our Stranger (2018, Manuela Moretti) — Eastern Mediterranean art-house selection
Submission details
- Typical deadline
- February
- Festival month
- April
- Short submission fee
- $15
- Feature submission fee
- $25
Compare with similar festivals
Before you submit
Ready to submit? Make sure your script is production-ready.
Festival strategy starts with knowing the festival — and having a finished film that meets its standards.
Read festival stories →