03/04/2024 - Cyprus Film Days’ co-production, training and networking platform is set to be held in Limassol, where Mediterranean filmmakers will pitch their projects to industry professionals

Hakim Mao, of Initiative Film, moderating last year's pitching session (© Pavlos Vrionides)

The 22nd iteration of the Cyprus Film Days International Festival, the official competitive festival of Cyprus, is scheduled to unspool from 12-20 April. Concurrently, the fifth edition of Dot.on.the.map Industry Days, the festival's co-production, training and networking platform, will run from 18-20 April in Limassol.

During the event, eight teams, comprising producers and directors hailing from Mediterranean nations, will present their latest feature-length film projects to representatives of the global film industry. Following group sessions and one-on-one meetings, the filmmakers will delve into potential artistic and financial collaborations with international producers, financiers, sales agents, broadcasters and distributors, as well as festival and film-fund delegates.

Dot.on.the.map Industry Days offers a chance to connect with industry experts from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, enabling participants to explore co-production and distribution prospects, engage in discussions about forthcoming projects and foster cross-border partnerships. The organisation received numerous project submissions from countries bordering the Mediterranean. The pitching session is scheduled for 19 April at 11 am in the Rialto Theatre, and it is open exclusively to accredited film-industry professionals. You can request your accreditation via the following link before 9 April.

Cypriot producer-director Danae Stylianou, who heads up Dot.on.the.map Ιndustry Days, stated: “This year, we received an overwhelming number of submissions, which made the selection process particularly competitive. The selected projects for Dot.on.the.map Meeting Point construct a less fragmented world where traditional social structures give way to contemporary, more inclusive societies. Inspired by complex topographies, history, landscape, family, gender and tradition, they attempt to break down stereotypes, misconceptions and false interpretations while opening up a path to a more diverse and peaceful tomorrow.”

An international jury, comprising three producers – Cécile Tollu-Polonowski (The Match Factory, Germany/France), Yorgos Tsourgiannis (Horsefly Films, Greece) and Anita Elsani (Elsani & Neary Media GmbH, Germany) – will decide on the winners of this edition. The prizes include the Cyprus Film Commission – Invest Cyprus Award, accompanied by a monetary prize of €1,000; the PS Movies and Stories Award, accompanied by lighting and grip-equipment rental worth up to €4,000, offered by PS Movies & Stories Cinema Equipment Rental Ltd; the Best Debut Project Pitch Award, accompanied by a monetary prize of €500 offered by the Directors Guild of Cyprus; and the Agora Networking Award, offered by the Thessaloniki International Film Festival to the producer of the winning project, including accommodation and free market accreditation. Starting this year, a partnership with Coprocity has been initiated, and all of the projects participating in the forum will be pre-selected to vie for the Coprocity Development Award, worth €3,500, offered in partnership with Cineuropa.

Dot.on.the.map Industry Days will also host a series of Cinema Talks at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol. On 19 April, attendees can follow an introduction to the Cyprus Minority Co-Productions Scheme and get insights into investment incentives provided by the Cyprus Film Commission and Invest Cyprus. A panel discussion presented by the SEE Cinema Network explores the potential of regional collaboration in strengthening the Southeast European film industry. Moderated by Anna Kasimati, this discussion features representatives from Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Romania. Additionally, script and story editor Kate Leys will lead a master class on storytelling in film, drawing on her extensive experience in screenplay development.

On 20 April, the programme offers further insights with sessions on public funding in Germany by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and an overview of Creative Europe – MEDIA calls. The day concludes with a panel discussion titled “Building a Film Industry on an Island”, featuring industry professionals from Iceland, Malta, Greece and Cyprus. Moderated by Katarina Tomkova, this dialogue delves into the unique opportunities and challenges faced by filmmakers working on islands, exploring strategies for successful co-production structures and ensuring long-term sustainability in their respective industries.

The selected Dot.on.the.map projects are as follows:

Four Funerals and a Wedding - Nikola Mijovic (Montenegro/Serbia/North Macedonia)
Producer: Maja Kecojevic (Parangal Film)
Co-producers: Pavle Vuckovic, Stefan Mladenovic (Plan 9), Vladimir Anastasov, Angela Nestorovska (Sektor Film)

Mia Hara - Simon Farmakas (Cyprus/Greece/Luxembourg)
Producer: Antonis Farmakas (Fotocine Studios FKS Ltd)
Co-producers: Fenia Kosovitsa (Blonde Audiovisual), Baptiste Menage (Deal Productions)

Μοther Tongue - Caterina Biasiucci (Italy/Romania)
Producers: Antonella Di Nocera, Claudia Canfora (Parallelo 41 Produzioni)
Co-producer: Anda Ionescu (Tangaj Film)

The Sea Was Once Blue - Mohamad El-Hadidi (Egypt/Germany)
Producers: Mohamad El-Hadidi (Chatby Films), Julian Moser (moser film)

Shepherd Scar - Kamil Saldun, Sholeh Zahraei (Cyprus)
Producer: Monica Nicolaidou (Filmblades)

Shibboleth - Alexandra Matheou (Cyprus/Greece/France)
Producer: Tonia Mishiali (Bark Like a Cat Films)
Co-producers: Maria Drandaki (Homemade Films), Soyo Giaoui, Marrion Barré (La Cellule Productions)

Sun in Saturn - Ary Zara (Portugal)
Producer: Andreia Nunes (Wonder Maria Filmes)

Under the Judas Tree - Christos Houliaras (Greece/North Macedonia)
Producer: Mina Dreki (Marni Films)
Co-producers: Ilija Tiricovski, Kristijan Risteski (Vertigo)