Johannesburg: Two Cyprus-produced documentaries have received awards at an international festival, according to the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture. The department also reports on recent collaborations in the field of Cypriot cinema.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the International Tourism Film Festival Africa (ITFFA) saw two Cypriot documentaries achieve significant success. The event, held on June 3, 2025, in Johannesburg, South Africa, awarded The Cyprus Bycatch Project by Constantinos Christou the Silver Award in the category ‘Doc, TV and Web – Wildlife and Conservation’. The documentary Varosha, Europe’s Enclosed Town by Tony Toumazis also received the Silver Award in the category ‘Doc, TV and Web – Culture and Heritage’.
The Department of Contemporary Culture has further announced a collaboration with the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF), one of the most established Greek-language film festivals in the United States. This year, the festival took place from May 27 to June 1, 2025, and featured a specially designed space to promote Cypriot cinema.
In efforts to strengthen international cultural relations and promote Cypriot cinematic work abroad, the Department developed collaborations with 31 Cypriot diplomatic missions by the end of June. These collaborations spanned countries including Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom, among others, allowing Cyprus to be represented at various international and European film festivals and cultural events.
The year 2025 continues to be productive for Cypriot cinema, with five new productions approved for filming, and another five nearing post-production completion, expected to premiere soon. The Deputy Ministry of Culture anticipates that 2026 will bring a wide range of new Cypriot film releases and premieres in cinemas and international festivals worldwide.