Headed by Jury President Jason Anderson, International Programmer for Short Cuts for Toronto’s International Film Festival, the international jury also consisted of: Sven Schwarz, Managing Director of the Kurzfilm Festival, Hamburg, Germany; Sanne Jehoul, Programme Director at Glascow Short Film Festival, Scotland; Aris Dimokidis, journalist and podcaster, Greece; and Janine Teerling, Cyprus-based film producer.
In the words of the jury president:
“The jury would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the festival for inviting us to share in a moving and enlightening celebration of cinema that is also a vital reminder of the kind of beautiful and deeply connected community film and filmmakers can create. In watching this year's selection, we were struck by the immense variety of voices, styles, perspectives and experiences represented among the films, especially those from places and people who have gone underrepresented for so long. We were also very happy to see so much strong and distinctive work by the female directors in the selection and we hope to see their presence continue to grow. We commend all of the filmmakers and their teams for their achievements and look forward to the many stories they will surely share with us in the years to come, hopefully here in the Rialto. Thanks again to the whole festival team for their generosity and all their excellent care.”
The detailed awards and jury statements are found below:
AWARDS - INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION SECTION
First Prize for Best Short Film
The First Prize for Best Short Film, accompanied by the monetary prize of 4000 euro, went to Daydreaming So Vividly about Our Spanish Holidays directed by Christian Aviles from Spain. “The jury is very pleased to get the chance to acknowledge a film that impressed us with its boldness, originality and capacity to continually surprise us. Visually sumptuous and adventurous in form and approach as an absurdist commentary on a strange but true phenomenon, the film combines an absurdist sense of humour with a subtle and keenly felt poignancy.”
Best Director Award
The Best Director Award, accompanied by the monetary prize of 2500 euro, went to Matthew Thorne and Derik Lynch from Australia for Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black). “We award this directorial duo for their sensitive collaborative approach, one that was crucial for the balance and perspective of this intelligent autofiction-doc hybrid. It is a moving and political portrait of the co-director’s life, interweaving his queer identity, sense of belonging and indigenous community.”
Second Prize for Best Short Film
The Second Prize for Best Short Film, accompanied by the monetary prize of 1500 euros, went to Marungka Tjalatjunu (or Dipped in Black) by Matthew Thorne and Derik Lynch from Australia. “Through its mystical depiction of the protagonist’s journey back home from the confines of white urban life to the indigenous land of his roots, this film merges memory, dream and present in a manner that is inventive, energetic and visually stunning.”
Best Documentary Award
The Best Documentary Award accompanied by the monetary prize of 3000 euro went to Suddenly TV directed by Roopa Gogineni, a Sudan-Qatar co-production. “The power of short film lies in its possibilities to show us the recent developments in the world very quickly with less technical and financial restrictions. We follow a group of young people who have a literal No Budget approach to documenting the difficult political situation in their country. Through them we learn about a conflict that is widely ignored by western media. Even though the revolution will not be televised it’s documented very well by Suddenly TV by Roopa Gogineni, the winner of the Best Documentary award.”
European Film Academy Nomination
The International Jury of the ISFFC 2023 selected the film Aerolin by Greek director Alexis Koukias Pantelis as the nomination for the short film category for the European Film Awards 2024. “This film, which portrays a day in the life of a hard working woman, is straightforward, cute and funny, yet it is rooted in a real struggle with which people from all European countries can identify. For its captivating female lead, the effortless rhythm and the funny-but-true-story”.
Honorary Distinction
An honorary distinction was given to Simo by Aziz Zoromba from Canada “for its compelling and intimate portrayal of the migrant experiences and the negotiation of cultural identity, both within a family and society at large, beautifully brought to life by the sterling performances of the lead actors”.
AWARDS - NATIONAL COMPETITION SECTION
First Prize for Best Cypriot Short Film
The First Prize for Best Cypriot Short Film, accompanied by the amount of 4000 euro and distribution services by Radiator Sales, went to The Tornado Outside by Maria Tomazou. “This visually kinetic film allows the audience to immerse themselves in the whimsical yet poignant world of the protagonist as she is forced to venture out of her comfort zone. Through her complex and richly detailed design, which she combines with a deeply human and sensitive sense of storytelling, this promising young filmmaker demonstrates great talent in the art of animation.”
The First Prize for Best Cypriot Short Film was presented to the winner by Dr Elena Christodoulidou, Senior Cultural Officer, Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture - Deputy Ministry of Culture.
Second Prize for Best Cypriot Short Film
The Second Prize for Best Cypriot Short Film, accompanied by the monetary prize of 2500 euro, went to Acceptance by Mark Kassinos. “This film presents a local and specific theme that resonates on a global scale thanks to its very thoughtful take on the subject of displacement. Being very sensitive to its subjects, human and animal alike, it shows how society doesn't make space for people trying to live a different kind of life.”
The Second Prize for Best Cypriot Short Film was presented to the winner by Mrs Georgia Doetzer, Chief Executive of the Rialto Theatre.
Best Director Award Dinos Katsouridis
The Best Director Award accompanied by the amount of 2500 euro and provision of technical equipment for the director’s next short film went to Savvas Stavrou for his film Buffer Zone. The film stood out “for the bold and unique take on an important subject, for the way a well trodden subject is literally lifted up into something magical and inventive, for the great control of tone and composition and for the masterful guidance of the newcomer lead,”
The award was presented to the winner by Mrs Isavella Mavraki.
Best Cinematography Award
The Best Cinematography Award accompanied by post-production services, colour correction & DCP in HD by Stelfilm, went to Sofronis Sofroniou for Pillars, directed by Andreas Dimitriou. “The jury wants very much to acknowledge this film and its cinematography for its cohesive visual approach and ability to capture a highly detailed world that is inventive yet believable. It immerses you into a variety of richly textured spaces both large and small without ever missing the nuances in the performances.”
The Best Cinematography Award was presented to the winner by Mr Angelos Argyroullis, director of STEFILM.
Best Performance Award
The Best Performance Award, accompanied by the monetary prize of 1000 euro, offered by Limassol Municipality, went to Andreas Marcou for his performance in Buffer Zone, directed by Savvas Stavrou. “This upcoming actor impressed us with his sensitive performance, a subtle portrayal of vulnerability and warmth in a complex authoritarian environment. He drew us in through an honest and musical emotional journey.”
The award was presented to the winner by Mr Aristos Aristidou, Municipal Councillor of Limassol.
Best Music Video “Amaze Me”
The Best Music Video Award was decided by the student jury of the Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts - Cyprus University of Technology to Acid Arab, directed by Jordan Cardoso. “To a film that managed to show a current taboo by amplifying the coexistence of traditional and modern elements in music, through his image”.
The award was announced by representatives of the Student Jury.
The Festival renewed its annual rendez-vous with the cinephile audience, next October 2024, for the 14th edition of the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus.
Organised by:
In collaboration with: Limassol Municipality
Award Sponsor: Stefilm
Media Sponsors: CyBC, Check in, City
Technical Partner: Event Pro
Hospitality Sponsor: Mediterranean Beach Hotel
TSFM Supporters: Alinea Hotels, Diomedes Dining
Supporters: Organisation of European Programmes and Cultural Relations, Cyprus University of Technology, University of Cyprus (Alumni Office), Limassol Today, Lemesos Newspaper, Lemesos Blog, EMEL Limassol, Limassol Cine Club, Limassol Tourism Board, Vestnik Kipra, MITOS, Vivliotropio, Art Studio 55, Black Lemon Projects, Tsiakkas Winery.
