Cyprus Film Days, the official international fiction feature film festival of Cyprus, ended on Sunday,
April 13th 2014, honouring independent filmmakers at the Award Ceremony.
The international Jury, consisting of Martin Schweighofer, Εxecutive Director of the Austrian Film Commission and chairman of the Jury,
Despina Mouzaki, producer- director and Μania Akbari, director- actress, presented the filmmakers with the awards.
Stratos by Yiannis Economides
The
Best Film Award was awarded to
Stratos, by Cypriot director
Yannis Economides. The award was presented to the director by Mrs. Elena Christodoulidou, Senior Officer at the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The Jury judged the film as follows: A slow burning crime and punishment drama and an explosive study of moral decay, set in Greece in times of crisis. Director Yiannis Economides and his powerful cast, led by the unblinking main character, introduce to us to an unmerciful contract killer, who is trying to make this mean, cold and ugly world he lives in a better place and for a few moments he actually succeeds.
Stratos by Yiannis Economides
The Special Jury Award was given to the film Funeral at Noon, directed by Adam Sanderson from Israel. A dramatic and painful story depicted in one of the most beautiful and poetic ways with just a few actors. A unique way of expression, raising questions about hidden and invisible realities in our lives. Mania Akbari, director- actress and member of the Int΄l Jury presented a representative of the director with the Award.
Standing Aside, Watching by Yorgos Servetas
For the allegorical vision of its director, rooted in Classical tragedy and in the codes of the Western genre. For the powerful story through which the film unearths an austere and uncaring landscape and reveals the inhuman face of contemporary Greece. For the strong metaphors of the community΄s troubling power relations and for the fierce central character that defies the male dominated structures that have corrupted the world she lives in. The
Glocal Images Award was awarded to the film
Standing Aside, Watching by
Yiorgos Servetas from Greece. The award was presented to the director by Mayor of Limassol, Mr Andreas Christou.
The viewers honoured their favourite film Life Feels Good, directed by Maciej Pieprzyca from Poland with the Audience Award, which was sponsored by Stella Artois. The same film also received the Student Jury Prize, which was decided by a student committee of Mediazone – University of Nicosia.