The International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC) is organised by the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture and the Rialto Theatre, and takes place from the 12th until the 18th October 2024 at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol.
The main objective of the ISFFC is the promotion of the art of Cinema by showcasing a diverse programme of short films from around the globe. The aim of the festival is also to promote and propagate the production of short films, and to develop a spirit of friendship and cooperation amongst filmmakers. Moreover, the ISFFC presents the work of talented filmmakers who successfully use various forms of the cinematic idiom to effectively tell a story in a short film. The festival is an annual institutional event.
Eligibility
a. All films in competition must be Cyprus premieres.
b. The eligible short film genres entitled to participate in the competition section are the following: fiction, documentary, experimental, student and animation short films.
c. Films must not exceed 25 minutes in length.
d. Formats eligible for screening are the following: DCP, Quick Time: 720p - 1080p / H264, MPEG - 4: 720p - 1080p.
e. The overall artistry and the quality of work, the dramaturgy level of the film and the directing originality will be highly valued. Films not complying with the above standards or of pornographic content and/or films promoting war and racism shall be excluded from the festival.
Films will be screened in their original language with English and Greek subtitles.
No screening fees are paid to any of the participating films.
The International Short Film Festival of Cyprus was selected in 2019 by the European Film Academy to join the network of its partner festivals. Therefore, since 2019, the Festival has the right to nominate one short film for the European Film Academy Awards.
National Competition Section
a. Cypriot Films compete both for the International Awards, as well as for the National Awards of the Deputy Ministry of Culture.
b. Cypriot Directors who live and work in Cyprus or abroad may submit their work. As a proof of their Cypriot Nationality, filmmakers must submit a copy of their ID card/passport.
c. Films must not exceed 25 minutes in length.
d. Films must have been completed after the 1st of January 2023.
e. Three film categories are accepted in the Competition Section:
Short films (fiction, animation, experimental)
Short documentaries
Student short films (fiction, animation, experimental).
f. All films must be Cyprus premieres, which means they must be screened for the first time in Cyprus, whether online or in theatre.
g. Awards will be granted only in categories with more than one participation.
h. Films submitted in the National Competition Section must include at least 3 Cypriots in major credits. Their names must be included in the relevant field of the entry form.
i. Student films may only be accepted if the director is Cypriot.
j. Student films may only be accepted if the film is the student's graduation project. In this case, the application for participation must be accompanied by a certificate from the school/university where s/he studies.
k. Films in the National Competition Section must be in one of the two official languages of the Republic of Cyprus, or contain at least 50% Greek or Turkish dialogues. In case of films whose narrative justifies the existence of a larger percentage of dialogues in a foreign language, the applicant must provide an explanatory note. The final decision rests with the pre-selection committee. This does not apply for student films; the latter are allowed to have all dialogues in a foreign language.
l. The monetary prizes shall be granted to the Director.
m. Pre-selection Committee:
The pre-selection committee consists of three members from the field of cinema.
The selection is made by simple vote.
The pre-selection committee is not obliged to provide their motivation for selecting or rejecting a film.
The pre-selection committee has the right to suggest a parallel programme consisting of films non-selected in the official competition section.
n. Only one film per participant may be submitted.
o. Films containing dialogues in a foreign language must be submitted with English subtitles.
p. The film director/producer must complete and send the entry form in which they shall provide the technical details of the film, and must comply with the rules and regulations of the festival.
q. Deadline for submissions: 1st of June 2024.
r. Films competing in the National Competition Section are selected upon free submission via shortfilmdepot.com and/or filmfreeway.com.
s. Only the producer/director of the selected films shall be duly notified by the Festival.
t. When notified for Official Selection, the producer or director must send a copy of their film in the screening format stated in their application.
u. Following submission, the director or producer shall have no right to withdraw their participation.
v. Films that are publicly accessible and available on the Internet are excluded from competition.
International Competition Section
a. The members of the Artistic Committee, appointed by the festival organisers, are film directors Alexia Roider and Ioakim Mylonas.
b. International films competing in the International Competition Section will be selected and invited following their submission via shortfilmdepot.com and filmfreeway.com. However, the Artistic Committee reserves the right to invite any other short films to directly participate, by special invitation.
c. Films must have been completed after the 1st of January 2023.
d. Short films accepted for competition may be fiction, experimental, animation, student or documentary shorts with a running time of up to 25’ minutes.
e. Upon notified for Official Selection, the producer or director of the selected film must send a signed application form stating all technical requirements to the following e-mail address: isffc@rialto.com.cy The official online screener must also be sent via a secure downloadable link (e.g. Vimeo) or at the following address:
International Competition Section ISFFC
Rialto Theatre
19, Andrea Droussioti Str.,Heroes' Square,
3040 Limassol Cyprus
Tel: +35725343907
Fax: +35725749663
isffc@rialto.com.cy
f. Only the director/producer of the selected films shall be duly notified by the ISFFC.
g. The monetary prizes shall be granted to the Director.
h. Only one film per participant may be submitted.
i. Films containing dialogues in a foreign language must be submitted with English subtitles.
j. All films must be Cyprus premieres.
k. Following submission of the entry form, the director or producer has no right to withdraw their application.
λ. The deadline for submissions via shortfilmdepot.com and filmfreeway.com is the 1st June 2024.
“Amaze me” Competition Section
This competition programme includes top-notch music videos from around the world, invited by the Artistic Committee. A student jury from the Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts of Cyprus University of Technology shall decide about the award.
“Parallel Programme”: Screening of films in a non-competitive programme. The latter are selected by the Artistic Directors and/or persons appointed by the Artistic Directors.
The Organisers reserve the right to settle any issue that may arise, which is not included in these rules and regulations.
Film excerpts of no more than 10% of the total duration shall be used for advertising and publicity purposes (online, TV etc.).
The Festival reserves the right to screen the selected films in its travelling programme in Cyprus, only for cultural purposes.
Jury
a. The Jury consists of five members and the meetings take place when at least three members are present.
b. The Jury is responsible for granting the awards in both sections of the Festival.
c. No member of the Jury must be directly or indirectly involved in a film in competition.
d. During the Jury meetings, a representative of the organisers shall be present yet having no right to vote.
e. The Jury Members are not allowed to release to the daily press or to any interested parties anything that concerns its procedures prior to the official announcement. Furthermore, they are not allowed to express their views about the participating films outside the official meetings and before the official announcement of their final decision.
f. Decisions are made by the majority of the members' votes.
g. In case of equality of votes, the president has the winning vote.
h. The jury deliberations must be drawn up and announced only for the winning films.
i. The Jury reserves the right not to present any or all of the awards stated in these rules and regulations.
International Competition Section Awards:
1st Prize for Best Short Film: 4000 euro
Best Director Award: 2500 euro
2nd Prize for Best Short Film: 1500 euro
Best Documentary Award: 3000 euro
The Jury may give up to 3 Honorary Distinctions in the International Competition Section.
Nomination for the European Film Academy Awards according to the regulations set by the European Film Academy.
National Competition Section Awards:
1st Prize for Best Cypriot Short Film: 4000 euro & Distribution services from Radiator Sales.
2nd Prize for Best Cypriot Short Film: 2500 euro.
Best Director Award "Dinos Katsouridis": 2500 euro & provision of technical equipment for the director’s next short film (in services).
Best Cinematography Award: post-production services, colour correction & DCP in HD – by Stefilm.
Best Performance Award (National Competition Section): 1000 euro - Limassol Municipality (granted to the actor/actress).
The Jury may give up to 3 Honorary Distinctions in the National Competition Section.
Other Awards
Student Jury Award for Best Music Video in the Amaze Me competition section: 500 euro - Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts, Cyprus University of Technology.
The Festival Organisers reserve the right to organise the Festival's programme and proceed to any changes if deemed necessary.
For Cypriot films the following are required:
a. A synopsis in Greek and English for Greek Cypriot films, a synopsis in English for Turkish Cypriot Films;
b. Main cast and credits (electronically), as well as the dialogue list of the film in English;
c. The online link must have embedded English subtitles;
d. For Greek Cypriot films, the director’s filmography and biography in English and Greek. For Turkish Cypriot films, the director’s filmography and biography only in English.
Copyright clearance is the responsibility of the producer for each submitted film, pursuant to the provisions of the intellectual rights legislation.
The decision of the Organisers, as to the interpretation of the rules and regulations, is final.
Submission of the entry form to the ISFFC implies the unconditional acceptance of these rules and regulations.
Any legal disputes shall only be settled by the Cypriot Court.
