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The 23^rd Cyprus Film Days International Festival 2025 places a special focus on its educational endeavours through a rich programme of parallel events. Curating a series of masterclasses, hands-on workshops and specialised seminars, from 4 to 12 April 2025, the festival augments the participants’ experience whilst empowering the interaction between artists, professionals and the public.

This year’s parallel actions include a masterclass in VR filming at CYENS featuring award-winning filmmaker Deniz Tortum, a practical filming workshopinspired by hidden Cypriot myths, and a special casting workshopby celebrated professionals.

All these events are free of charge.

Everyone interested can submit an application to participate by 15 March. For more information and guidance on how to apply, please visit this link.

Μasterclass in VR filming

The day-long masterclass will look into the history and contemporary practices of virtual reality (VR) filming, from the beginning of three-dimensional imaging in the 1850s right down to the latest technological applications. The masterclass will be held on Saturday, 5 April, between 10:30-16:00 at CYENS Centre of Excellence in Lefkosia, by distinguished director, screenwriter and multimedia artist Deniz Tortum, who will flesh out the process behind his practice. The masterclass is addressed to filmmakers, artists, technologists and people interested in virtual reality and immersive media. It includes a special screening of Tortum’s film Shadowtime.

Limited number of seats. Enrol by 15 March.

Deniz Tortum works in film and immersive media. Among his recent work, the feature documentary Phases of Matter (2020, IFFR) is set in a state-run teaching hospital in Istanbul; the essay film Our Ark (2021, IDFA, codirected by Sister Sylvester) reflects our efforts to create a virtual replica of the real world, a virtual Noah’s Ark; and the VR film Shadowtime (2023, Venice Film Festival, codirected by Sister Sylvester) looks into the history of virtual reality and its relationship with the climate crisis. Between 2014 and 2020 Tortum worked as a researcher at the MIT Open Documentary Lab and MIT Transmedia Storytelling Initiative. In 2019, he was featured in Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. His work has screened internationally, including at the Venice Film Festival, SxSW, IFFR, IDFA, and at New York’s Museum of the Moving Image.

“Invisible Myths” Filming Workshop

Cinema and mythology are brought together in a two-day creative journey led by Oliwia Tado and Mariangela Ciccarello, at the Columbia Beach Resort in Pissouri. In the course of a weekend, on 5 and 6 April, eight selected young creatives (18-26), will work together to create two short films inspired by Cyprus’s hidden myths.

This practical workshop offers an integrated experience of film production for aspiring and emerging filmmakers, from concept and screenplay to shooting and editing.

Participants will be working in two separate groups to make two cohesive short films drawing on the island’s rich mythological tradition. The films will be screened publicly on 7 April, at Rialto Theatre, and on 8 April, at the Zena Palace.

The workshop is free of charge and includes a night’s stay at Pissouri.

Limited number of seats. Please submit your application by 15 March.

Oliwia Tado is a Greek-Polish filmmaker and educator collaborating widely with cultural institutions such as the Onassis Foundation, the Benaki Museum, ERT and the Greek Ministry of Culture. Dedicated to fostering creative expression and educational opportunities, she has given workshops in Greece, Turkey, India and Canada. She holds an MA in Film Directing from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and has made three short films and two documentaries that have been screened internationally. She is now working on her debut feature film.

Mariangela Ciccarello is a filmmaker, visual artist and film professor working in Athens and New York. She has taught at New York’s School of Visual Arts, Rutgers University and the American College of Greece. Her short films and mid-length films have screened at foremost festivals and foundations, for example in Locarno, Edinburg and at the Harvard Art Museums. She holds an MFA and an MA from the Universities of Rutgers and Provence as well as a BA in Philosophy from Bologna. She is now working on a feature film set in Athens.

How to get the part: Showcasing Cypriot Talent

A special casting workshop for professional actors looking to expand their practice into the area of international productions will be held by acclaimed casting directors Francesco Vedovati (The White Lotus, Io Capitano) and Makis Gazis (The Lost Daughter, Salade Grecque) in collaboration with Filmmakers Europe.

The two-day workshop will take place at Artos Cultural and Research House, on 7 & 8 April, bringing adult participants of all ages and levels of experience the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the process and expectations of international production casting directors. The workshop will focus on practical techniques and audition tips. The programme includes daily group workshops between 10:00-13:00, and a public panel discussion between 15:00-17:00 on the second day (working language: English). Limited number of seats. Please apply by 15 March using this form.

Francesco Vedovati has worked for decades as casting director in Italian cinema. In 2023 he won a Best Casting Director Emmy for the series The White Lotus (2^nd season). He was also casting director for Matteo Garrone’s film Io, Capitano, nominated for an Oscar in 2024. He was nominated at BAFTA for The Two Popes and also for Artios Awards for his work in Fargo, Conclave and Ripley. In 2024, the Casting Society of America honoured him with the Capelier-Shaw Artios Award for excellence in casting.

Makis Gazisis an Athens-based Greek casting director. After pursuing film studies in Athens and London he began working as a casting director. For over three decades he has worked with top Greek and international filmmakers in film and TV projects. He has discovered a significant number of actors, catapulting their career. Many Greek and foreign actors attend his workshops on camera and auditioning techniques. He has left his mark on Greek films like Stelios, Smyrna, and Ballad for a Pierced Heart, and also on international films such as Adults in the Room and The Lost Daughter. He is a member of the European Film Academy, the Hellenic Film Academy, and the International Casting Directors’ Association (ICDA).

Events for professionals in the context of Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days

During the 6^th edition of Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days, to take place between 10-12 April 2025, at Rialto Theatre, led by producer and director Danae Stylianou, accredited guests will have the opportunity to attend masterclasses, discussions and presentations by professionals from the international cinematic arena.

Among other things, training sessions will include a special masterclass by a professional on alternative methods of finding film sponsors, as well as info sessionsabout the Deputy Ministry of Culture’s Minority Co-Productions Scheme, and for Creative Europe funding programmes.

The programme of events for Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days will be announced in the next few weeks.

Film workshops for children and youth

The 10^th edition of Cyprus Film Days for Children and Youth 2025 aims unwaveringly to educate and expand the horizons of youthful audiences. This year it features two masterclasses and five workshops by professionals while bringing back the successful short film competition for students and young people up to 24 years of age.

The actions of the Section will be announced in detail soon.

For more information: andreani.consta.@gmail.com

The full programme will soon be available on cyprusfilmdays.com and on the Festival’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Festival Information:

• €5 per screening | €30 festival pass (for all screenings).
• Free for students upon display of student card.
• Free for children (Children and Youth Section).
• Free for holders of Disability Card.
• All films aside the Children and Youth Section are suitable for 18+.
• All films will be screened in their original language with Greek and English subtitles. Films of the Cypriot Films Competition Section will also be screened with Turkish subtitles.

For more information: Rialto Theatre 77 77 77 45

www.cyprusfilmdays.com

Facebook & Instagram: Cyprus Film Days International Festival

(EK/AS/MS)