Nicosia: The Golden Aphrodite Awards Ceremony marked the culmination of the 20th Cyprus International Film Festival and the 5th Women in Film and TV – Cyprus event at the Melina Merkouri Hall. The glittering evening was highlighted by the presentation of the WIFT-Cyprus Life Achievement Awards. Vice Mayor Chrysanthos Fakas, representing the Mayor of Nicosia, officially welcomed the attendees.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon Haris Romas, a renowned actor and special guest of the festival, by Elena Stavrou, a journalist at CyBC. The WIFT-Cyprus Life Achievement Awards honored Nese Yasin, a celebrated poet and writer, and Fryni Papadopoulou, a former TV and radio presenter at CyBC.
The ceremony also recognized notable films and directors. The WIFT CYPRUS Special Award went to “My Name is Maalum” by Luísa Copetti from Brazil, while the WIFT CYPRUS Feature Film Award was awarded to “Where the Kids Have No Name” by Jamillah van der Hulst from Bangladesh. The WIFT
CYPRUS Short Film Award was presented to “A DURAS (Dedicated to Marguerite Duras)” by Elisabet Mabres of Spain.
Prominent jurors from different countries evaluated entries in various categories. Avraam Papadopoulos, Nurdan Tekeoglu, Dimitris Kannavos, Bejay Browne, Alexis Chaviaras, and Anna Christofini were among those who judged the films. Awards in short films, documentaries, and other categories were conferred, including the Best Dance Award in a Short Film for “Letter to My Daughter” by Michael Maurissens from Germany and the Best Art/Experimental Award for “Tainted by the Visual” by Laura Calzada of the United Kingdom.
The Animation Award was presented to “The Meng Pool” by Wei BI from China, and the Aphrodite Cinematic Award went to “Arundel’s Lighthouse” by Julie Fackler (France, USA). The 50/50 Award acknowledged “Flgge” by Leopold Schraudolph and Dani Rose Cortés from Germany for their balanced collaboration.
In a nod to emerging talent, the Got Talent Award was given to “A Film by Roland Wehap”
by Roland Wehap from Austria. Several films received honorary mentions, signifying their exceptional contributions to cinema, including “Argento” by Massimiliano Russo (Italy) and “A Clown Girl” by Sokratis Alafouzos (Greece, USA).
In the veterans’ categories, “When I See You Again” by Elvis Hau Chor Fung from Hong Kong received multiple accolades, including Best Veteran’s Cinematography and Best Veteran’s Feature Film. Other notable winners included “Season of Rain” by Sergei Talybov from Belarus and “Confusion” by Youssef Hussen Alzahrani from Saudi Arabia for Best Production Design.
The prestigious Golden Aphrodite Award for Best First Feature Film was awarded to “Portrait” by Beomzin Seok. The event celebrated the rich diversity and talent in global cinema, with winners hailing from different corners of the world, showcasing the universal language of film.