The 16th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC) runs in Limassol from 10 to 16 October at the Rialto Theatre and the newly renovated Heroes Square. Alongside its International and National Competition programmes, the festival is holding special screenings, workshops and meetings aimed at bringing audiences closer to the people who make films.
The festival is organised by the Deputy Ministry of Culture’s Department of Contemporary Culture and the Rialto Theatre, in collaboration with the Municipality of Limassol.
Parallel events
Actors × Directors Speed Dating
Saturday 10 October, 5.30pm to 7pm, Art Studio 55
Actors and directors meet in short, informal one-to-one sessions, without the pressure of a casting call, to get to know each other, swap ideas and perhaps find their next collaborator. The event is held with the Cyprus Directors Guild, the Cyprus Actors Union and the Theatre Artists Branch of SIDIKEK-PEO. Places are limited.
Shoot’n’Run 2026
Wednesday 14 October, 5.30pm, Rialto Theatre, On Stage
Students living in Cyprus have three days to make a short film in teams. The results are shown at a special screening. The event is run by the Cyprus University of Technology’s Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts with the ISFFC.
Cinematherapy by EKKOMED
Thursday 15 October, 5.30pm, Rialto Theatre, On Stage
Cinematherapy uses film as a tool for self-discovery, helping participants explore their emotions and experiences. This year’s film is ‘Prelude for a Supernova’ by Christos Artemiou, followed by a discussion with the director and coordinator Denise Nicolacou, an integrative psychotherapist and cinema therapist who heads Cinematherapy by EKKOMED. It is held in collaboration with the ISFFC.
Special screenings
Shorty Shorts
Sunday 11 October, 11am, Rialto Theatre, suggested age 5+
Five short films for young viewers and the adults who bring them, featuring strange creatures, dreamlike landscapes and unexpected encounters. All the films are rated K, suitable for all ages, by the Cyprus Film Classification Board.
Beirut Shorts × ISFFC
Sunday 11 October, 5.30pm, Rialto Theatre, On Stage
Drawing on the long-standing relationship between the two festivals, this programme looks at Lebanon’s political and social life and raises questions that also resonate in Cyprus, 245 kilometres away. It brings together three short films and a live cinematic performance, moving from personal experience to the city itself. The programme is curated by Nicolas Khabbaz and followed by a discussion.
Thresholds
Tuesday 13 October, 6.15pm, Rialto Theatre, On Stage
Four films follow different rites of passage in adolescence, set in bedrooms, cars, back streets and digital spaces.
The Space Between
Friday 16 October, 6pm, Rialto Theatre, On Stage
Women filmmakers explore displacement, dual identity and the search for belonging, each from her own perspective. The programme is curated by the National Competition Preselection Committee: Adonis Floridis, Doros Demetriou, Yianna Americanou and Peter Cerovšek.
Cyprus Sideways
Friday 16 October, 6.30pm, Rialto Theatre, On Stage
Three films show familiar Cypriot landscapes from unexpected angles, including fleeting queer encounters and the hidden life of the island at night.
Industry events
T-Port TalentBridge Cyprus 2026
Sunday 11 and Monday 12 October, 10am to 6pm, Art Studio 55
Two days of intensive training for emerging short filmmakers. Through masterclasses, case studies, networking and one-to-one mentoring, directors, producers and screenwriters learn how to build an international career, covering festivals, funding, co-productions and distribution. It is co-organised by the ISFFC, the Deputy Ministry of Culture’s Department of Contemporary Culture, the Rialto Theatre and T-Port, and co-funded by the Deputy Ministry of Culture, Creative Europe MEDIA and the FFA, the German Federal Film Board.
TGF: What’s the Story? Cyprus
Monday 12 to Friday 16 October, RESET multifunctional social space
Eight directors and screenwriters from Cyprus and the Mediterranean spend five days developing short film scripts with two experienced tutors, as part of the Talents Generator Factory initiative. At the end, one participant will be selected for further mentoring through to a final draft. All participants meet industry professionals and get opportunities to promote their scripts.
Info session: Creative Europe MEDIA
Monday 12 October, noon, RESET multifunctional social space
Nenad Bogdanovic, head of the Creative Europe Desk Cyprus, presents the Creative Europe MEDIA programme and what it offers audiovisual professionals.
Tickets and information
All films are screened in their original language with English and Greek subtitles.
A day pass costs five euros and a festival pass 25 euros. Admission is free for students with a valid student card, disability card holders, directors who are members of the Cyprus Directors’ Guild, and actors who are members of the Cyprus Actors’ Guild and of the Theatre Artists’ Branch of SEDIKEK-PEO.
For information, call the Rialto Theatre on 77 77 77 45, or visit www.isffc.com.cy or www.rialto.com.cy. The festival is on Facebook as Int’l Short Film Festival of Cyprus and on Instagram as isffc_filmfestival.
