Theatre: Babies are Delivered by the Stork
Wednesday 4 November, 8.30pm (120 minutes), ages 13+

Anemona Theatre stages the play by Michalis Reppas and Thanasis Papathanasiou, directed by Marinos Xenofontos. Blending drama and comedy, it is set in German-occupied Thessaloniki in 1943 and follows two childless couples, struggling to survive, who shelter a Jewish escapee from Auschwitz. In Greek.
Cast, in order of appearance: Irini Konstantinou, Giannis Kokkinos, Christopher Greco, Elena Chileti, Gianna Lefkati, Angelos Chatzimichael and Nikolas Arkadiou.
Tickets: 18, 12 and 8 euros.

Screening: The Fifth Step (National Theatre Live)
Friday 6 November, 8.30pm (80 minutes), ages 16+

David Ireland’s play follows James, who after years in the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step programme becomes sponsor to newcomer Luka. The two build a fragile friendship, but as Luka approaches step five, the moment of confession, truths emerge that threaten the trust on which both their recoveries depend. Finn den Hertog directs Olivier Award winner Jack Lowden and Emmy and BAFTA winner Martin Freeman in the production, filmed live in London’s West End. With Greek and English subtitles.
Tickets: 12 and 10 euros.

Presentation: Traces in Clay
Friday 13 November, 7pm (70 minutes)

A presentation of an interdisciplinary project to document, study, visualise and preserve the archive of ceramic artist Valentinos Charalambous, co-organised by The Cyprus Institute’s APAC Labs and Pylon Art and Culture.
Free entry.

Theatre: The 39 Steps
Tuesday 17 November, 8.30pm (85 minutes)

Lexi Theatre presents Patrick Barlow’s adaptation, directed by Marina Vrondi. Richard is caught up in espionage, conspiracy and the murder of a mysterious woman and goes on the run across Britain, meeting a series of eccentric characters along the way. The production is billed as a comedy thriller. In Greek.
Tickets: 25, 22 and 18 euros.

Music: Maria Papageorgiou, 4 in Groop
Friday 20 November, 8.30pm (120 minutes)

The Greek singer and songwriter performs with her band.
Musicians: Maria Papageorgiou (electric and acoustic guitar), Thanos Michailidis (drums), Giorgos Theodorakopoulos (keyboards, bass) and Evripidis Zemenidis (guitars, arrangements).
Tickets: 22 and 18 euros.

Music: A Tribute to Greek Operetta, Singing in the Storm
Sunday 22 November, 7pm (70 minutes)

Epilogi Cultural Movement presents excerpts from works by Theophrastos Sakellaridis and other popular songs of the era, sung by Cypriot classical singers with the Epilogi Cultural Movement Choir and a five-piece ensemble. Direction and script adaptation are by Angela-Kleopatra Saroglou, and musical direction and arrangements by Michalis Grigoriou.
Soloists: Margarita Elia, Mariza Anastasiadi, Marios Andreou, Stelios Georgiou, Danae Komodromou, Savvia Iakovou, Andreas Theodorou and Dimitris Sigalos.
Tickets: 15 and 10 euros.

Festival: Flash Festival
Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November, 7pm

The Flash Festival returns for a second year as a festival. It began in 2020 as FlashArt, an annual programme to support and showcase contemporary art production in Cyprus. This year’s three-day event includes 21S by Emiddio Vasquez and Stelios Antoniou, the performance TRACKS: From Stone to Concrete by x.ypno, and screenings presented with Queer Wave.
Tickets: 8 to 13 euros, or 30 euros for a festival pass.

Information and tickets: www.rialto.com.cy, 77777745.

Members of the European Film Academy will now watch the shortlisted films and vote to decide the official nominations, which will be announced on 14 November 2026.

The film, whose Greek title is ‘Κράτα Με’ (‘Hold Onto Me’), won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and is Cyprus’s official submission for best international feature film at the 99th Academy Awards.

More information on the awards and the shortlist is available at europeanfilmawards.eu.

The ceremony will be followed by a closing party with DJ Pueblo Franco.

New awards

Under the new Audience Award, viewers choose their favourite film, which receives a cash prize of 500 euros.

The Peer Award is an honorary distinction for one Cypriot entry, chosen by a committee of representatives from the Cyprus Directors’ Guild, the Actors’ Union of Cyprus (EHK) and the SIDIKEK-PEO Theatre Artists’ Branch. The festival says the award carries particular weight because it is given by professionals to their own colleagues.

Jury prizes

In the International Competition, the international jury will award first and second prizes for best short film, best director, best documentary and best Eastern Mediterranean film, and up to three honourable mentions.

In the National Competition, Cypriot films compete for first and second prizes for best Cypriot film, the Dinos Katsourides Best Director Award, named after the pioneer of Cypriot cinema, best cinematography and best performance, along with up to three honourable mentions.

Final screenings

The Rialto Theatre hosts the last screenings before the ceremony. The Space Between, a selection by the National Competition Preselection Committee, presents films by women filmmakers about life between languages, places and versions of the self. Cyprus Sideways brings together three films that look afresh at the island’s familiar landscapes.

The last films in the competition are Faux Bijoux, Shekerika, Crazy for You, Icarus and A hint of daily terrors, followed by a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers.

Friday 16 October programme

• 18:00: The Space Between, Rialto Theatre
• 18:30: Cyprus Sideways, Rialto Theatre
• 20:00: Competition screening and Q&A with the filmmakers, Rialto Theatre
• 21:30: Closing and award ceremony, Heroes’ Square, followed by the closing party with DJ Pueblo Franco

Heroes’ Square, which was recently renovated and reopened, has hosted the ISFFC Hub throughout the festival, where audiences, directors and actors gathered each night after the screenings to talk about the films.

All films are screened in their original language with English and Greek subtitles and are suitable for audiences aged 18 and over.

A day pass costs 5 euros and a festival pass 25 euros. Entry is free for students with a valid student ID, disability card holders, members of the Cyprus Directors’ Guild, and members of the Actors’ Union of Cyprus or the SIDIKEK-PEO Theatre Artists’ Branch.

The festival is organised by the Deputy Ministry of Culture’s Department of Contemporary Culture and the Rialto Theatre, in collaboration with Limassol Municipality. Information is available from the Rialto Theatre on 77 77 77 45, at isffc.com.cy and rialto.com.cy, on Facebook at Int’l Short Film Festival of Cyprus and on Instagram at isffc_filmfestival.

News of Mitte’s death in Brownsville, Texas, was confirmed in a statement released through the talent management agency that represented the actor. No other details about the circumstances of his death were given.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,” the statement said.

Mitte was best known for his breakout role on the AMC cable TV series “Breaking Bad,” playing the only son of actor Bryan Cranston’s lead character, Walter White, a terminally ill high school teacher who descends into a secret life of crime cooking crystal meth.

Drawing from his real-life background as a person with cerebral palsy, Mitte brought a rare measure of genuineness to a television character whose physical disability was portrayed as largely incidental to the storyline.

His performance as Walter “Flynn” White Jr, who walked with crutches and spoke with a slur, gained early attention from fans who dubbed him “the breakfast king” for his recurring appearances in scenes around the family breakfast table.

But his role grew in prominence as the story arc of the series progressed. He starts out as a carefree teenager who admires his father, then struggles to reckon with the family’s disintegration as the truth about Walter White’s meth-making “Heisenberg” alter ego emerges.

“Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion,” the statement said, noting his affiliation with a number of philanthropic organizations devoted to cerebral palsy and other muscle-control disorders.

The acclaimed series, often cited by critics as one of the best television dramas of all time, ran from 2008-2013, garnering 16 Emmy Awards, including two for best drama series.

Mitte later played a high school wrestler with cerebral palsy in the 2021 coming-of-age film “Triumph.”

Mitte, whose credits also include the films “The Recall” and “The Oak Room,” had been working to promote a new movie, “Talking to Strangers,” appearing as a podcast guest to discuss the film in recent days, according to Hollywood trade publication Variety.

Off screen, Mitte served as a Screen Actors Guild spokesman for performers with disabilities, and was a celebrity ambassador for the United Cerebral Palsy foundation.

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Mitte suffered brain damage at birth, was adopted as an infant and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3. He was fitted with leg braces and crutches for much of his childhood, but through athletics and exercise eventually outgrew his need for walking devices.

According to Wikipedia, Mitte was raised by his adoptive mother following his parents’ separation and assumed financial responsibility for a younger sister and his mother at age 13, after she became paralyzed.

(Reuters)

The organisers say this year’s edition draws its inspiration from the restless energy of adolescence.

Opening ceremony

The festival opens at 8pm on Saturday with a ceremony entitled ‘The Open Call: A Cheap, Ideal Idea’, directed by Marios Kakoullis. The organisers describe it as an ode to open calls and their late-night deadlines, and to the ideas that are selected and the many more that are not.

The ceremony features the Epilogi children’s and adult choirs, the Limassol Majorettes, the Limassol Municipality Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Giorgos Krasidis, and the Passion in Motion Cheerleading Academy by Antonis Leontiou. Performers are Polyxeni Savva and Anna Konstantinidi, with sign language performance by Fanos Theofanous. Eri Kyrgia wrote the text and lyrics, and Anastasia Dimitriadou (Nama Dama) composed the music.

First screenings

The ceremony is followed by the first screenings of the International and National Competition programmes, with five films. The filmmakers will then take part in a discussion with the audience. The films are:

• ‘Free Eliza (Notes on an Anatomical Imperfection)’, Alexandra Matthaiou, Cyprus, Greece and France, 20 minutes
• ‘Hyena’, Altay Ulan Yang, United States and China, 21 minutes
• ‘Cosmonauts’, Leo Černic, Slovenia and Italy, 14 minutes
• ‘Night Shift’, Talat Gokdemir, Cyprus, 17 minutes
• ‘Kentucky Gaza’, Omar Rammal, Jordan, 21 minutes

Opening night party

The opening night party takes place at the ISFFC Hub in Heroes’ Square from 10.30pm, with Ariadne as DJ. A Brandy Sour Hour is held at the Hub from 7pm.

Tickets and information

A daily ticket 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’ Union and the Theatre Artists’ Branch of SIDIKEK-PEO.

All films are screened in their original language with English and Greek subtitles. Screenings are suitable for audiences aged 18 and over.

Information is available from the Rialto Theatre on 77 77 77 45, and at www.isffc.com.cy and www.rialto.com.cy.

The festival is organised by the Deputy Ministry of Culture’s Department of Contemporary Culture and the Rialto Theatre, in cooperation with Limassol Municipality.

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.

The grounds were full of mythical creatures, video game heroes, witches, pirates, armoured warriors and elves. Guests from film, gaming, art and cosplay took part, and the festival also offered dozens of themed stalls, gaming tournaments, cosplay contests, activities for young children, food and live music.

Guests

The actors on the line-up included Callum Kerr of One Piece and Vincent Regan, known for One Piece, House of the Dragon, 300 and Troy.

Also on the line-up were Clive Russell, of Game of Thrones, One Piece and The Witcher, and Jonny Coyne. Coyne is an actor of Cypriot descent whose credits include The Mandalorian and Grogu, Preacher, The Blacklist and The Toxic Avenger.

Fans of last year’s video game of the year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, had the chance to meet members of its English-language voice and performance-capture cast. They were Kirsty Rider, the voice of Lune; Rich Keeble, the voice of Monoco; and Maxence Cazorla, the voice of Esquie and the performance-capture actor for Gustave, Verso and Renoir. Panels with the actors and voice actors were scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday.

The creative guests included Eisner Award-winning artist Chris Thompson, comic artist and writer Ulises Fariñas, and Darius Puia, a digital artist known as BakaArts who creates cinematic worlds.

International cosplay guests Leon Chiro, Taryn, Yannis Ammar, Trine and Captain Ghostly were due to meet fans and share their techniques. They were also due to sit on the judging panels for the weekend’s two main contests, the Mediterranean Cosplay Championship on Saturday and the Cyprus Comic Con Masquerade on Sunday.

Programme

The festival opened on Friday with a drone show, a symphonic metal take on Final Fantasy by Italy’s Chocobo Band, and Hiroki Takahashi performing the original Dragon Ball song ‘Makafushigi Adventure!’. Eurobeat singer Dave Rodgers was also on the bill, performing Initial D.

The programme was due to close on Sunday with Dragon Ball Live, featuring Takahashi with Panos Tsaparas and Katerina Xanthou of RustX singing the Greek version.

Two Black Boys in Paradise imagines a space where two Black boys can love each other safely. Why did you feel the need to tell this story?

So many queer films and TV shows are so tragic, which reflects part of the queer experience, but it isn’t the whole picture for us. I wanted to show queer love and queer joy, and in particular Black queer love and joy. I hadn’t seen many stories like Two Black Boys in Paradise in the mainstream, certainly not from the British perspective.

Could you ever have imagined that this story, which began as a poem, would one day win the BAFTA for British Short Animation?

At the beginning, we took it one step at a time. Deciding to work together with Ben Jackson and Baz Sells of One6th Animation Studio was easy because they were so passionate about my poem, which we adapted into the film. It was quite hard for them to secure the funding for it, but once that was in place, it was a painstaking journey to make the film. Because it’s a stop-motion animation, it took a very long time, but once it was made, I knew it was fantastic, beautiful, important and would have a huge impact on anyone who saw it. The next stage was getting people to see it, getting the film into festivals, and we entered a lot of film festivals – over 200 submissions to film festivals – and we were selected for over 70 and have won over 30 awards. So when it came to the BAFTA, we were quite far into the journey and I knew how much people loved the film, so I did dare to believe we would win because all the signs were pointing in the right direction.

How did you react when the result was announced?

When the result was announced, I was stood beside my boyfriend and I asked him if I should hug him or kiss him because I knew this would go on TV and I wanted him to feel comfortable. He said I should hug him, so that’s what I did, and then I made my way to the stage to make the acceptance speech, which I had written the night before, and tried to get the words out, though my heart was racing. It was an incredibly overwhelming moment. It was one that felt like a great honour, and I was accepting on behalf of our director and producer, who was stood beside me, and our team of over 100 people that worked on the film, 25 of whom were in the auditorium at the BAFTAs cheering for us.

Did you feel that moment carried a significance beyond your personal achievement as a creator?

It did make me think of when Moonlight won an Oscar, I think because there are so few Black queer films that get mainstream recognition and success. And it felt like a massive payoff for the five years of work Baz and Ben, and the rest of the team, put into the film. I knew how much it was going to mean for them as filmmakers and the opportunities it would create for everyone who worked on the film.

When accepting the award, you spoke about the lack of representation of Black gay men on screen. What is keeping these stories on the margins?

I think we’re seeing great representation in literature and in theatre, but film and TV just cost more money, so there aren’t as many ‘risks’ being taken on things that might not pay off financially for those investors. I hate to talk about Black queer stories as a risk, but unfortunately that’s the language that’s being used when I speak to people in the industry; anything that isn’t straight, white, mainstream is considered niche and risky in terms of finding an audience for it and making back the money spent on it. I’m hoping there are films and TV shows in production that will have this meaningful representation that is so sorely needed.

Cyprus and Jamaica are very different geographically, historically and culturally. What have you inherited from each?

Cyprus and Jamaica were both British Crown colonies, so there is a shared history there in terms of colonialism and my grandparents on both sides coming to the UK as British citizens. I think my grandparents wanted their children and grandchildren to have good educations, to get on in British society and have the good life that they dreamed of having for themselves.

My heritage felt represented in my grandparents’ homes and then in the friends I had from those communities; so my Jamaican friends at school and the Cypriot friends I made at university and in my adult life. I grew up with Cypriot food and, to some extent, the language; although I could understand some Greek, I was never a confident speaker.

Because of my mixed heritage and growing up in London, I’ve always felt like I’ve belonged to many cultures, including British, Cypriot and Jamaican. As I’ve gotten older, I also recognise queer culture as my culture too.

How do these two worlds meet in your writing?

I’ve used Greek and Jamaican patois in my writing, in my poetry, fiction and non-fiction. I will say I’ve written fictional characters with my same heritage, poetry about my family on both sides and my mixed identity. Cyprus tends to feature a little bit more than Jamaica because I’ve come to Cyprus more often.

What did presenting your work at Queer Wave Cyprus mean to you?

I’ve admired the festival from afar and haven’t had the opportunity to visit Cyprus when it’s been on, so I’m delighted that my first time at Queer Wave is to screen a film and lead a workshop. I feel like I am contributing to the community while also benefiting from it. The queer community in Cyprus seems to be going from strength to strength, with various queer organisations and growing mainstream support for the community.

Is it true that your award-winning novel The Black Flamingo began with an image you encountered on the island?

The starting point for The Black Flamingo was the sighting of a real black flamingo on the Limassol Salt Lake in April 2015. That striking visual metaphor spoke to me in a very deep way and unlocked a lot of my feelings about being part-Cypriot but perceived as Black first and foremost.

When did you realise that the difference that once made you feel like an outsider could become a source of strength and creativity?

First, when I did drag performances as The Black Flamingo, dressing up in black feathers and high heels with makeup on, exploring my heritage and identity and celebrating through poetry, lip sync and burlesque. I realised how much I had to draw from in terms of my cultural background and creativity. Those early drag performances felt very liberating for me, and then when I wrote the book The Black Flamingo and put that experience into the character of Michael in the book, it reached so many people, and a character very similar to me became so loved by many, which made me feel loved as well.

You have said that you do not want to write as though you are representing the entire Black queer community, but rather your own experience. Can a personal story nevertheless acquire a collective meaning?

Absolutely. I think of Moonlight again, and I couldn’t put my finger on how the characters are similar to me apart from being Black and queer; however, just the fact of them being on screen, and that film winning an Oscar and straight people and white people going to see the film, made me feel like they might be more cognizant of my humanity because they’ve watched a film about Black queer characters. Similarly, with the TV show Pose, there are some elements of the club scene that were like my own coming of age; however, in the specific scenarios, I didn’t really face as much hardship as the characters did. I think it’s important for that hardship to be shown so that people realise what our community has collectively been through and how that affects us all in one way or another.

Do artists have a responsibility to take a stand?

I think by making art you are making a stand. By spending your time on art, you are saying that art in itself is a valuable thing. Then you may try and make money from your art, or you may spend time trying to get your art out there. Whether you are showing a film in a festival or performing poetry at an open mic or putting your work online, whatever that work is about, you are saying art has a purpose in the world, and that is a stance. For the most part, my work is advocating for the rights and humanity and love and joy of Black and queer people, and that’s because of who I am. And I think if I were a different person, my art would be focused on different issues and communities.

I think it’s important, when you can, to amplify voices from communities you feel are underrepresented, to share your platform, not to speak for people who can speak for themselves. But I definitely think sharing the art of people who are targets of hate or oppression is really important, so I appreciate how Queer Wave is platforming trans people and Palestinian people in the festival, as they’ve been doing for many years.

Looking back, what is the common story you see running through your work?

I think identity and belonging are the common threads, as well as love, whether that’s self-love, familial love, friendship love or romantic love. I love love, and I love writing about it.

I think my writing when I was younger was necessarily angrier. As I’ve gotten older and have a platform, I realise I don’t need to shout to be heard, and so I can be more gentle in my delivery. I can be more nuanced in the ideas I want to convey. I can take my time between putting work out. I can change my mind about things. I can take myself and my work in different directions, and I look at my work as a whole and my own growth, legacy, and try and keep my creativity fresh by trying new things, whether it’s writing for different age groups or writing books, for the screen, for the stage, working with music. I need to get my words out there to a variety of audiences.

What is it that you are still searching for through your writing?

I’m searching for confidence in my voice. I’m searching for beautiful sentences, lasting images, transformative moments, and things that people want to reread or rewatch, and that show something new each time. I’d like my work to be impactful on the first read or viewing. I want it to work on a surface level, on a deeper subtextual level and then also on a lasting subconscious level.

(Cover image: Thomas Sammut)

Organised by Stantar Kkomety, the fourth edition will feature Desiree Burch, Loren Kraut, Tamer Kattan, Rogier Bak, Zahid Dewji, Jen Kober and Maxi Witrak in its international line-up.

Greek and Cypriot performers will also feature. Festival founder Yorkos will headline The Locals in English and perform his Cypriot Greek solo show Είμαι Κυπρέος.

The festival will offer English- and Greek-language line-ups, headliner double bills, solo performances, new-material showcases, The NYC Gang and late-night RAW shows. Russian-language comedy and Pedja Bajović’s Yugo Show are also included.

Each performance will have its own specified language, allowing audiences to choose accordingly.

The festival will open on Wednesday with free events, including competitive open mics, New Festival Voices and the Roast of Cyprus.

Performances will take place at Theatre ENA, Sto Dromo Bar, the Old Dog Club, ARCO, Da Vinci and the Alley Stage, with street performances, music and pop-ups also planned between shows.

Individual tickets, day passes and festival passes will be available.

Full programme details, performance languages, current ticket options and venue information are available on the festival’s website.