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. It takes place from the 10th to the 16th of October 2026 at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol.
The main objective of the ISFFC is to promote the art of Cinema by showcasing a diverse programme of short films from around the globe. The festival also aims to promote and encourage the production of short films and to foster a spirit of friendship and cooperation among filmmakers. Moreover, the ISFFC presents the work of talented filmmakers who effectively use various cinematic idioms to tell a story in a short film.
Eligibility
a. All films in competition must be Cyprus premieres.
b. The following short film genres are eligible to participate in the competition section: fiction, documentary, experimental, student, and animation.
c. Films must not exceed 30 minutes in length.
d. Formats eligible for screening are DCP, Quick Time: 720p - 1080p / H264, MPEG - 4: 720p - 1080p.
e. The overall artistry and quality of work, the film's dramaturgy level, and the directing's 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 participating film.
The European Film Academy selected the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus in 2019 to join its network of partner festivals. As a result, since 2019, the Festival has had 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 and the National Awards of the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture.
b. Cypriot Directors who live and work in Cyprus or abroad may submit their work. To prove their Cypriot Nationality, filmmakers must submit a copy of their ID card or passport.
c. Films must not exceed 30 minutes in length.
d. Films must have been completed after the 1st of January 2025.
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, meaning that they must be screened in Cyprus for the first time, whether online or in a cinema.
g. Awards shall be granted only in categories with more than one entry.
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 they study.
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 dialogue. In films whose narratives justify a higher percentage of dialogue in a foreign language, the applicant must provide an explanatory note. The final decision rests with the pre-selection committee. This term does not apply to student films; these may use all dialogue in a foreign language.
l. The monetary prizes shall be granted to the Director.
m. Pre-selection Committee:
The pre-selection committee consists of four members from the field of cinema.
The selection is made by a simple vote.
The pre-selection committee is not obliged to provide a motivation for selecting or rejecting a film.
The pre-selection committee has the right to propose a parallel programme of films not selected for the official competition.
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 to provide the film’s technical details and comply with the festival’s rules and regulations.
q. Deadline for submissions: 2nd May 2026.
r. Films competing in the National Competition Section are selected following their free submission to 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 of 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 publicly accessible and available online are excluded from the competition.
International Competition Section
a. Directors Keti Papadema and Diomedes Koufteros were appointed by the festival organisers as Artistic Directors.
b. International films competing in the International Competition Section will be selected and invited after being submitted to shortfilmdepot.com and filmfreeway.com. However, the Artistic Directors reserve the right to invite any other short films to participate directly by special invitation.
c. Films must have been completed after the 1st of January 2025.
d. Short films up to 30 minutes in length may be accepted for competition. They may be fiction, experimental, animation, student, or documentary shorts.
e. Submission fees: Regular Fee: €10 for submissions received up to and including 5 April 2026. Late Fee: €15 for submissions received from 6 April up to and including 2 May 2026 (final submission deadline).
f. Upon notification of official selection, the producer or director of the selected film must send a duly completed and signed application form stating all technical requirements to the following e-mail address: info@isffc.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
info@isffc.com.cy
f. Only the director/producer of the selected films shall be duly notified by the Festival.
g. The monetary prizes shall be granted to the Director.
h. Only one film per participant may be submitted.
i. Films containing dialogue 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.
l. The deadline for submissions via shortfilmdepot.com and filmfreeway.com is the 2nd of May 2026.
“Parallel Programme”: Screening of films out-of-competition. The latter are selected by the Artistic Directors and/or persons appointed by the Artistic Directors.
Hospitality: International Competition: The Festival covers the accommodation expenses of one representative from each film for up to three days and subsidises their airfare by up to €100. National Competition: The Festival covers the accommodation expenses of one representative from each film for up to three nights for Cypriots residing in Cyprus (excluding Limassol) and up to three days for Cypriots living abroad, while also subsidising their airfare by up to €100.
The Artistic Directors will also engage with and collaborate with students of the Cyprus University of Technology in events and parallel programmes that will emerge during the festival's planning process.
The Organisers reserve the right to settle any issue outside the scope of these rules and regulations.
Film excerpts of no more than 10% of the total duration shall be used for advertising and publicity (online, TV, etc.).
The Festival reserves the right to organise additional screenings of all films within the Republic of Cyprus, without the payment of a screening fee.
The Jury consists of five members, and meetings occur when at least three are present.
a. The Jury is responsible for granting the awards in both sections of the Festival.
b. No member of the Jury must be directly or indirectly involved in a film in competition.
c. During the Jury meetings, a representative of the organisers will be present but will not have the right to vote.
d. The jury members cannot disclose information about their procedures to the daily press or interested parties before the official announcement. Furthermore, they are not allowed to express their views on the participating films outside official meetings or before the official announcement of their final decision.
e. Decisions are made by the majority of the members' votes.
f. In case of equality of votes, the president has the winning vote.
g. The jury deliberations must be drawn up and announced only for the winning films.
h. The Jury reserves the right not to present any or all of the awards stated in these rules and regulations.
i. The Jury submits the short film candidate for the European Short Film – European Film Academy Awards.
The Awards
International Competition Section Awards:
1st Prize for Best Short Film: €4000
Best Director Award: €2500
2nd Prize for Best Short Film: €1500
Best Documentary Award: €3000
Best Eastern Mediterranean Film Award: €1500
The Jury may give up to 3 Honorary Distinctions in the International Competition Section.
Nomination for the European Film Academy Awards as per the regulations set by the European Film Academy.
National Competition Section Awards:
1st Prize for Best Cypriot Short Film: €4000 & Grading & DCP services provided by Full Moon Productions
2nd Prize for Best Cypriot Short Film: €2500.
Best Director Award "Dinos Katsouridis": €2500 & 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): €2000 - Limassol Municipality (granted to the actor/actress).
The Jury may give up to 3 Honorary Distinctions in the National Competition Section.
Other Awards
The organisers reserve the right to establish additional awards.
The Festival Organisers reserve the right to set up the Festival's programme and make any necessary changes.
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 (digitally), and the dialogue list in English;
c. An online link (screener) with 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 in English.
Under intellectual rights legislation, the producer is responsible for obtaining copyright clearance for each submitted film.
The Organisers' decision to interpret the rules and regulations is final.
Submitting the entry form to the ISFFC implies the unconditional acceptance of these rules and regulations.
Any legal disputes shall be settled exclusively by the Courts of Cyprus.
