“Dreams like Paper Boats”, directed by Samuel Suffren, received the International Competition Awards’ First Prize for Best Short Film of the 14th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC), which concluded on Friday at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol. Best Cypriot Short Film, was awarded to “Tsikitigklon the Fairy and the Man” by Marios Mettis.
According to a press release, “the 14th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC), a co-organization of the Deputy Ministry of Culture and Rialto Theatre, wrapped up another hugely successful edition. It was a cinematic journey filled with short films from Cyprus and all around the world.”
It is also added that the ceremony was held in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Culture, Vasiliki Kasianidou, while the Jury was composed of President Agron Domi and members Denise Nikolakou, John Canciani, Amos Geva, and Monica Nicolaidou.
According to the press release the International Competition Awards’ First Prize for Best Short Film with a prize of €4,000, was awarded to Dreams like Paper Boats, directed by Samuel Suffren from Haiti.
The Second Prize for Best Short Film, with a prize of €1,500, was awarded to Pena’s Special Hauling by Anssi Kasitonni from Finland, while the Best Director Award, with a prize of €2,500, was awarded to Moara Passoni for her film My Mother is a Cow from Brazil.
The Best Documentary Award, with a prize of €3,000, was awarded to White Cloud by Emmanuel Van Der Auwera from Belgium, while this year’s Jury selected looking she said I forget (Netherlands, Switzerland), directed by Naomi Pacifique, as the nominee for the European Film Academy Awards 2025 in the short film category.
Furthermore, it is mentioned that an honorary distinction was awarded to the documentary My Father (Czech Republic) by Pegah Ahangarani, which transforms a personal story of fatherhood into a profound and universal commentary on society.
The film A Summer’s End Poem by Lam Can-zhao (China, Switzerland) received an honorary distinction for its poetic depiction of a boy’s coming-of-age journey through imagination and experimentation, while the comedy A Beautiful Excuse for a Deadly Sin by Hashim Sharaf from Bahrain received also an honorary distinction for its lighthearted yet multi-layered storytelling, touching on cultural and political taboos.
The First Prize for Best Cypriot Short Film, accompanied by €4,000, was awarded to Tsikitigklon the Fairy and the Man by Marios Mettis, while the Second Prize, accompanied by €2,500, was awarded to Pink Moon by Meray Diner.
The Best Director Award “Dinos Katsouridis,” sponsored by the family of the prominent Cypriot director and cinematographer, includes technical equipment for the director’s next short film as well as €2,500, offered by the Deputy Ministry of Culture. The Best Director Award was presented to Sylvia Nicolaides and Nicolas Iordanou for their documentary Requiem in Salt.
The Best Cinematography Award, offered by Stefilm and including post-production and DCP services, was awarded to Christos Zeniou, the cinematographer and director of the film Pakistani.
The Best Performance Award, accompanied by €1,500, was awarded to Marios Ioannou for his role in Tsikitigklon the Fairy and the Man.
The animated film Underground by Yiannis Christoforou received an honorary distinction for its unique approach and masterful creation of a mysterious world immersed in darkness.
The award in the Amaze Me Music Video category was given to Jump Cut, directed by Winston Hacking. The film impressed the jury with its combination of fragmented images and stop-motion techniques, creating a surreal universe where sound and imagery harmoniously intertwine.
“The ISFFC renews its rendezvous with its loyal cinephile audience for October next year, with the 15th edition of the festival”, the press release concludes.