Lupa Pictures

28/09/2024

Dear Cyprus Friends,

Our short film 'The Hunt' will be screening today at 17:00 at Parko Akropolis as part of ‘Cyprus Q***r Cinema,’ a selection of shorts curated by Q***r Wave festival director Diego Armando Aparicio. The screening is part of ONEK’s Up To Youth festival, supported by GeekOtopos and Q***r Wave.

The screenings take place in the Caves of the Acropolis Park on Saturday 28 September 2024, between 18:00 and 20:00.

Sholeh Zahraei, Kamil Saldun

The GeekOtopos Collaborative Hive presents every year at Up to YOU(th) festival, short films by local creators to introduce our own cinema to young people.

A discussion with the creators of the films will follow.

The Youth Board of Cyprus Οργανισμός Νεολαίας Κύπρου / Youth Board of Cyprus and the IDEP Lifelong Learning Erasmus+ Cyprus are organizing the largest youth festival, featuring music, screenings, open discussions, and many other activities at the Acropolis Park!

Q***r Wave

Q***r Wave is the Cyprus LGBTI+ Film Festival. Its long-term goal is to celebrate, empower, challenge and excite – within and beyond q***r circles, making waves through film and the arts. While the majority of its activities take place in Nicosia, Q***r Wave aims to bring communities closer together – one film at a time.

GeekOtopos Collaborative Hive

GeekOtopos Collaborative Hive, founded in 2016 with pop-culture moods, Through the world of cinema, comics, podcasts and gaming – its mission is to provide a safe space for all geeks on the island. By offering support to projects of Cypriot creators, it has also managed to highlight new talents and bring to the fore alternative ways of expression.

O GeekOtopos και το Q***r Wave, έρχονται στις 28 Σεπτεμβρίου στο Up to YOU(th) Festival 2024 και μετατρέπουν τις σπηλιές του Πάρκου Ακρόπολης σε κινηματογραφική αίθουσα, για να μοιραστούν μαζί μας ένα εξαιρετικό πρόγραμμα προβολών που αποτυπώνει την ενέργεια και το πνεύμα της γενιάς δημιουργών!🎬
👉Περισσότερα: https://shorturl.at/e7HlJ


Το GeekOtopos Collaborative Hive παρουσιάζει κάθε χρόνο στο Up to YOU(th), ταινίες μικρού μήκους από ντόπιους δημιουργούς με τον στόχο να γνωρίσει τον δικό μας κινηματογράφο στους νέους.

Οι προβολές θα γίνουν στις Σπηλιές του Πάρκου Ακροπόλεως το Σάββατο στις 28/9/2024, μεταξύ των ωρών 18:30 και 20:00.

Θα ακολουθήσει συζήτηση με τους δημιουργούς των ταινιών.

Q***r Wave

Το Q***r Wave είναι το Φεστιβάλ ΛΟΑΤΚΙ+ Κινηματογράφου Κύπρου. Μακροπρόθεσμος στόχος του είναι να γιορτάσει, να ενδυναμώσει, να προκαλέσει και να διεγείρει – εντός και εκτός των q***r κύκλων, δημιουργώντας κυματισμούς μέσω του κινηματογράφου και των τεχνών. Ενώ η πλειοψηφία των δραστηριοτήτων του πραγματοποιείται στη Λευκωσία, το Q***r Wave έχει στόχο να φέρει τις κοινότητες πιο κοντά – μία ταινία τη φορά.

GeekOtopos Collaborative Hive

Το GeekOtopos Collaborative Hive, ιδρύθηκε το 2016 με διαθέσεις ποπ-κουλτούρας, Μέσα από τον κόσμο του κινηματογράφου, των κόμικς, podcasts και του gaming – αποστολή του είναι να προσφέρει ένα safe space για όλους τους geeks του νησιού. Προσφέροντας υποστήριξη σε πρότζεκτ Κυπρίων δημιουργών έχει επίσης καταφέρει να αναδείξει νέα ταλέντα και να φέρει στο προσκήνιο εναλλακτικούς τρόπους έκφρασης.

04/07/2024

Our film Gomşu - Neighbor reconciles Cyprus' past with the future, healing the wounds of Cyprus' history.

Very happy and honored to be part of Cyprus' cultural heritage at the precious exhibition CYPRUS INSULA - Κύπρος Νήσος with our film Gomşu (Neighbor), curated by dear Dr. Yiannis Toumazis and Miss Demetra Ignatiou Ign Dmtreea, inaugurated by the president of the Republic of Cyprus Mr. Νίκος Χριστοδουλίδης - Nikos Christodoulides, organized by Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation.

We thank Dr. Yiannis Toumazis and Miss Demetra Ignatiou for inviting us and for the love and hard work they have put into this amazing exhibition.

We are especially happy and proud that our film is in Act V, the last part of the exhibition called 'Reflections Into The Future', which invites us to reflect on the future of Cyprus and to envision versions of it that reinstate the island's coherent cultural evolution. The curator's pose the questions: "How can the wound be healed? How can the rupture and spatial discontinuity be restored? How can the past be reconciled with the future?"

The exhibition 'Cyprus Insula: History – Memory – Reality' captures life in Cyprus from antiquity to the present day, conveying the unwavering message of the entirety of the insularity of Cyprus, in a contemporary and interactive way.

It examines the historically unified cultural character of Cyprus, which combines elements from the island’s rich, complex and multifaceted historical past.

An exhibition in five acts, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus.

The exhibition will run from 4 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, open daily 10:00–19:00 at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation in the old town of Nicosia. The Agora, the museum shop, will reopen, offering items inspired by the Foundation’s collections, as well as the Cyprus Insula exhibition.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a relevant publication, as well as parallel actions and events that will be directly related to the exhibition’s theme, such as:

Roundtable Discussions

Experiential and Educational programmes

Lectures, Guided Tours, Presentations

Specially designed activities based on the multi-sensory museum experience “Aisthiseis” (Senses) of the BoC Cultural Foundation for vulnerable groups

Centred around the notions of time, place and people, the exhibition fosters associations and narratives, showcasing aspects of the history and contemporary reality of Cyprus that have contributed to the forging of its inherent insular identity.

In addition, it brings to the fore continuities and discontinuities –sometimes dominating and other times eluding historical memory– which emerge and are assimilated over time in the historical trajectory of Cyprus.

The exhibition takes its name from Codex 655, Ptolemy’s Geography (late 13th–early 14th century), which features the earliest known cartographic depiction of Cyprus, by Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. This valuable exhibit, presented for the first time in Cyprus.

Through a specially designed immersive experience, viewers will have the opportunity to become acquainted with defining events of the recent history of Cyprus.

Modern and interactive technologies have been used for the design and presentation of the exhibition. Material from the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation’s collections, as well as selected exhibits from significant public and private collections, are combined to create compelling narratives and itineraries, with the aim of targeting all ages. Featured exhibits include antiquities, folk art, contemporary artworks, historical maps, rare publications, manuscripts and engravings, printed and digital archival material, and digital applications.

For the digital and interactive applications, the Cultural Foundation has collaborated with the CYENS Centre of Excellence, the Cyprus Institute, the Harokopio University of Athens, the Sylvia Ioannou Foundation, cloudy.works, Stathis Mitsios, Eleftheria Kalpenidou, Stavroula Gregoriou, Maria Leonidou and Rebecca Stylianou.

Cyprus Insula points to the Foundation’s new identity, which aims to showcase its rich collections through innovative museological and museographic approaches and at making its archive accessible to the general public.

The exhibition features works by:

• Myrian Abdi

• Costas Averkiou

• Costas Argyrou

• Baud-Bovy and Aristea Tzanou

• Panicos Chrysanthou

• Melita Couta

• Adamantios Diamantis

• Andros Efstathiou

• Georghios Pol. Georghiou

• Demetris Gerokostas

• Nina Iacovou

• Victor Ioannides

• Nurtane Karagil

• Toula Liasi

• Angelos Makrides

• Mariandrie

• Electra Megaw

• Panayiotis Michael

• Ioannis Notaras

• Anna Papaeti

• Kamil Saldun and Sholeh Zahraei

• Andreas Savva

• Simis Shukuroglou

• Panayiotis Tetsis

Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation

86-90 Phaneromenis Str., 1011 Nicosia, Cyprus

Contact: 00357 22 128157

www.boccf.org

01/05/2024

🇨🇾✌️🧿
We pitched our debut feature film project 'Shepherd Scar' at Dot.on.the.Map Industry Days as part of the Cyprus Film Days International Film Festival. It was fascinating and we got incredible feedback and interest in collaboration from the attending film professionals. More than 150 film industry professionals participated, from across 20 countries from Europe and the Middle East. We can't wait to bring our film to life. Many thanks to Danae Stylianou and her amazing team at Dot. on. the. Map and the whole festival team who hosted us throughout the festival period. Special thanks to Hakim Mao and Kate Leys for the training, support, and all the love! Stay tuned.

Sholeh Zahraei and Kamil Saldun
Co-Writers and Co-Directors
Producer Monica Nicolaidou

Photos by Pavlos Vrionides

12/01/2024

Cyprus in Berlin
Dear Berlin Friends,
Tomorrow evening we'll be screening 3 of our short films in Berlin at Galerie Salon Halit Art, 7pm.
Kreuzbergstr.72
Films: Gomşu - Neighbor, Letters to Cyprus, The Olive Tree at the Border
13 January 24 - Film screening by Sholeh Zahraei & Kamil Saldun with discussion, live music by Meryem Boran
Our dear friend and artist Hulusi Halit has invited us to join this collective exhibition called "HEIMAT!" (Home) at his wonderful gallery Salon Halit Art in Berlin's legendary Bergmannkiez.
We are four artists from Cyprus (Hulusi Halit, Kamil Saldun and Mustafa Kemal Kim) and Iran/Germany Sholeh Zahraei).
We have approached the topic of “home” with three different elements of painting, film and photography.

27 January 24 - Closing Film screening by Sholeh Zahraei & Kamil Saldun, Music by Meryem Boran

See you there!

04/01/2024

Happy New Year 2024!

2024 is kicking off with lots of great news and developments, and we are very thankful for that! We would like to thank our wonderful friends and audiences for your support and love and for accompaniying us on our journey. This means so much to us! May the new year be filled with health, peace, love, lots of creativity and productivity.
Here's to 2024! We are more than ready!
🥰✨🍾🥂
We start the year with a wonderful personal exhibition in Berlin, dedicated to the subject of "home":
Our dear friend and artist Hulusi Halit has invited us to join this collective exhibition called "HEIMAT!" (Home) at his wonderful gallery Salon Halit Art in Berlin's legendary Bergmannkiez.
We are four artists from Cyprus (Hulusi Halit, Kamil Saldun and Mustafa K. Kim mustakemakima) and Iran/Germany Sholeh Zahraei).
We have approached the topic of “home” with three different elements of painting, film and photography.
Live Music by Meryem Boran/Sahin Bahcesular
"HEIMAT!” 5 – 27 January, 2024 | Opening: FRIDAY, January 5th, 7 pm at Galerie Salon Halit Art

As part of the exhibition, the following events and activities will take place in the gallery:

05.January 24 - Opening with music by Meryem Boran/Sahin Bahcesular

11.January 24 - Stimmefarben (literature, music and art in dialogue) with Hulusi Halit, Sholeh Zahraei, Kamil Saldun and Mustafa K. Kim talking about their "homeland" and their art.

13 January 24 - Film screening by Sholeh Zahraei & Kamil Saldun with discussion, live music by Meryem Boran
Films: Gomşu - Neighbor, Letters to Cyprus, The Olive Tree at the Border

27 January 24 - Closing Film screening by Sholeh Zahraei & Kamil Saldun, Music by Meryem Boran

https://galerie.halit-art.com/Ausstellungen/heimat/

03/11/2023

China premiere!
We are very happy and proud to announce the Official Selection of our film ‘Av' (The Hunt) for China's amazing and brave ***r Beijing Q***r Film Festival aka 'Love Q***r Cinema Week's. Our film is still traveling the world after 3 years and keeps touching the audience's souls and hearts around the globe!
Many thanks to the Beijing Q***r Film Festival team for selecting our film.
Our film will be screened in the International Shorts Program 'Q***rship & Kinship' on 4 November at the French Institute Beijing at 17.45.

Congratulations and many thanks to our cast and crew!
And special thanks to all our partners, co-producers, sponsors, and the many who have contributed generously to our film in one way or another.
As always...One Cyprus, one world, one love!
Sholeh Zahraei & Kamil Saldun
(Co-directors & Co-writers)
🏳️‍🌈 💖 🇨🇾

***rfilmfestival
***rcinemaweek ***rFilmCyprus
***rCyprus

03/11/2023

China premiere!
We are very happy and proud to announce the Official Selection of our film ‘Av' (The Hunt) for China's amazing and brave ***r Beijing Q***r Film Festival aka 'Love Q***r Cinema Week's. Our film is still traveling the world after 3 years and keeps touching the audience's souls and hearts around the globe!
Many thanks to the Beijing Q***r Film Festival team for selecting our film.
Our film will be screened in the International Shorts Program 'Q***rship & Kinship' on 4 November at the French Institute Beijing at 17.45.
For tickets & more information plz scan the QR code on the last slide.

Congratulations and many thanks to our cast and crew!
And special thanks to all our partners, co-producers, sponsors, and the many who have contributed generously to our film in one way or another.
As always...One Cyprus, one world, one love!
Sholeh Zahraei & Kamil Saldun
(Co-directors & (Co-writers)
🏳️‍🌈 💖 🇨🇾

***rfilmfestival
***rcinemaweek ***rFilmCyprus
***rCyprus

01/09/2023

Our film 'The Hunt' will be screened in Limassol tonight! Thanks to the Friends of the Earth Cyprus - Φίλοι της Γης Κύπρου and Accept - LGBTI Cyprus for organizing this special event!
Date: 1 September 2023
Time: 20:00
Address: Agiou Andreou 361, Limassol

Day 3: LGBTQIA+ and Social justice 🤝🌈
Join us to watch:
Sharing an island 98’
Sharing an island is a documentary feature film about 3 Greek Cypriots & 3 Turkish Cypriots who travel together across divided Cyprus in an attempt of understanding.
Produced-Directed by Danae Stylianou.

The hunt 21’
Directed, written and produced by Iranian-German Sholeh Zahraei and Turkish-Cypriot Kamil Saldun, partners in life and film, the pair have made independent cinema together for the last decade with a special focus on intersectionality, exploring nature, borders and unity. In addition to homophobia and patriarchy, The Hunt takes on traditions, religion, the legacy of colonialism, animal abuse and toxic masculinity in Cypriot society.

🕒 Screenings start at 20:00; please arrive on time.
📍 Friends of the Earth Cyprus Backyard

Day 3 is organised with the support of Accept Cyprus.

After the screenings, feel free to stay for discussion, snacks, and some dancing. 🎧🗣️🍔

See you there!

11/06/2023

Our film ‘The Hunt’ will be screened this Wednesday in Nicosia!
Entrance is free.
‘The sudden discovery of his son's secret turns Ibrahim's traditional world upside down. Fraught with emotional conflict, he takes his son Ismail on a fateful trip.’
Screening and Discussion of the film on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at 8:15 p.m. at the "Egomio Cultural Centre , Εγκώμιο Πολιτιστικό Κέντρο" Neas Engomi 8 Nicosia.
After the film screening, a discussion will be held with our actor Erdogan Kavaz and Accept - LGBTI Cyprus Secretary Stefanos Stavros Evangelidis.
Event link
https://fb.me/e/TiGVpFrJ



Filmimiz ‘Av’ Lefkoşa’da gösterilecek!
‘Oğlunun sırrının ani keşfi, İbrahim'in geleneksel dünyasını altüst eder. Duygusal bir çatışma ile boğuşan Ibrahim, oğlunu hayati kararlar vereceği bir av yolculuğuna çıkarır.’
Filmin gösterimi ve söyleşi Çarşamba, 14 Haziran 2023 saat 20:15’te " Egomio Cultural Centre , Εγκώμιο Πολιτιστικό Κέντρο / Engomi Kültür Merkezi" Neas Engomi 8 Lefkoşa'da yapılıyor.
Filmin ardından oyuncumuz Erdoğan Kavaz ve Accept - LGBTI Kıbrıs Sekreteri Stefanos Stavros Evangelidis ile söyleşi gerçekleştirilecek.
Etkinlik bağlantısı
https://fb.me/e/TiGVpFrJ

Η ταινία μας 'Το Κυνήγι' θα προβληθεί στη Λευκωσία!
Όταν ένας συντηρητικός πατέρας ανακαλύπτει το καλά κρυμμένο μυστικό του γιού του, αποφασίζει να τον οδηγήσει σε ένα μοιραίο κυνήγι.’
Προβολή και Συζήτηση της ταινίας στις Τετάρτη 14 Ιουνίου 2023, ώρα 20:15 μ.μ. στο « Egomio Cultural Centre , Εγκώμιο Πολιτιστικό Κέντρο" Νεας Έγκωμης 8 Λευκωσία.
Μετά την προβολή της ταινίας, θα γίνει συζήτηση με τον ηθοποιό μας Erdoğan Kavaz και τον γραμματέα της Accept - LGBTI Κύπρου Στέφανο Σταύρο Ευαγγελίδη.
Σύνδεσμος εκδήλωσης
https://fb.me/e/TiGVpFrJ

Av / Το κυνήγι / The Hunt

Written and directed by: Sholeh Zahraei, Kamil Saldun
Cast: Ali Düşenkalkar, Erdoğan Kavaz, Andreas Orphanides, Barış Refikoğlu, Elmaziye Dervish, Yaşar Aydın Karaca, Harisson (dog)
Production: Out of Focus films - Marios Petrondas, Lupa Pictures
Year: 2020
Genre: Drama
Duration: 21min
Cinematographer: Stephan Metzner
Editing: Mustafa Köroğlu, Kamil Saldun
Music: Inal Bilsel
Co-produced by Cultural Services of the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture Πολιτιστικές Υπηρεσίες - Υφυπουργείο Πολιτισμού - Accept - LGBTI Cyprus and Οργανισμός Νεολαίας Κύπρου / Youth Board of Cyprus

About the Film: Made up of actors and crew from Cyprus’ Turkish-speaking and Greek-speaking communities, it is the first fiction film on the divided island to take on homophobia, patriarchal values, and q***r identity head-on.

Thanks to the organizers The Union of Theater Artists of Labour Federation Καλλιτέχνες Θεάτρου ΠΕΟ - Theatre Artists PEO & The Human Rights Bureau of ΑΚΕΛ - AKEL for the kind invitation.
Many Thanks to Mrs. Stavri Kalopsidiotou, the head of The Human Rights Bureau of AKEL and our dear friend Andry Demetriou for all their efforts.
Thanks to Egomio Cultural Centre for the location.

***rFilmCyprus
***rCyprus

Peter Stephanou Films Stelios Philanthropic Foundation Embassy of Ireland Cyprus Embassy of Sweden in Nicosia Union of Cypriots - Ένωσις Κυπρίων - Kıbrıslılar Birliği 2nd Chance Dogs

26/04/2023

Croatia Premiere!

Dear Friends in Zagreb,

We are happy to announce that our short film 'The Hunt' has been invited to be screened at Q***r Zagreb as part of the Q***r Moments film program (Q***r Momenti). Many thanks to Q***r Zagreb & Udruga Domino and Ivan Jamić for inviting us. Special thanks to Zeljko Luketic for selecting our film.

Our film will be screened on 27 April 2023 at Urania. 🇭🇷 🏳️‍🌈🇨🇾

For more information about us and our film in Croatian:

https://thisisadominoproject.org/the-hunt-2020-el-houb-2022/

Here is the full program:

https://thisisadominoproject.org/

Here is the event page:

https://facebook.com/events/s/q***r-momenti-2023/680485670547469/

Congratulations and many thanks to our cast and crew!

And special thanks to all our partners, co-producers, sponsors, and the many who have contributed generously to our film in one way or another.

As always...One Cyprus, one world, one love!
🏳️‍🌈 💖 🇭🇷🇨🇾

Peter Stephanou Films
Full Moon Productions
2nd Chance Dogs
Inal Bilsel
Accept - LGBTI Cyprus
Embassy of Ireland Cyprus
Embassy of Sweden in Nicosia
Union of Cypriots - Ένωσις Κυπρίων - Kıbrıslılar Birliği
Stelios Philanthropic Foundation
Nicosia Art Theatre Lefkoşa Sanat Tiyatrosu
Meltemi

***rZagreb ***rMomenti ***rCroatia ***rFilmCyprus
***rCyprus

Q***r MoMenti 2023. prikazuju filmove: The Hunt (2020) | El Houb (2022) u četvrtak, 27. 4. / 21:00 / Urania.

21/12/2022

Muhteşem haberlerimiz hakkındaki paylaşımı için sevgili Murat Obenler'e teşekkür ederiz.

Thank you for sharing our great news dear Murat Obenler.

**THE HUNT / AV was awarded by the wonderful Q***r International Merlinka festival in Serbia.**
**Best International Short Film**

Actors/Actresses: Ali Düşenkalkar, Erdogan Kavaz, Elmaziye Dervish, Yaşar Aydın Karaca, Barış Refikoğlu

Directors: Sholeh Zahraei & Kamil Saldun




***rCinema

14.Merlinka Uluslararası Q***r Film Festivali'nde jüri Kısa Film dalında En İyi Film Ödülü’nü Av’a verdi.

12/12/2022

Another award for our short film 'THE HUNT / AV', this time from Serbia by the amazing Merlinka Film Festival in Belgrade!
🏳️‍🌈💖🇷🇸🇨🇾
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM AWARD goes to......CYPRUS!!

We are so so happy and proud!
We say a big THANK YOU to the Jury members, the festival audience, and the team of the Merlinka Film Festival!
Thank you for seeing and feeling our film!

We dedicate this award to the LGBTIQ+ community in Iran, who are fighting for their right to existence, freedom, and equal rights in the streets of Iran during the revolution now.
Homosexuality is punished by the death penalty in Iran...
May they succeed as soon as possible!

Congratulations and many thanks to our cast and crew!
And special thanks to all our partners, co-producers, sponsors, and the many who have contributed generously to our film in one way or another.
As always...One Cyprus, one world, one love!
🏳️‍🌈 💖 🇨🇾

Av (The Hunt)
Written and directed by: Sholeh Zahraei, Kamil Saldun
Cast: Ali Düşenkalkar, Erdogan Kavaz, Andreas Orphanides, Barış Refikoğlu, Elmaziye Dervish, Yaşar Aydın Karaca, Harisson (dog)
Production: Cultural Services of the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture Πολιτιστικές Υπηρεσίες - Υφυπουργείο Πολιτισμού
Out of Focus films - Marios Petrondas, Lupa Pictures
Year: 2020
Genre: Drama
Duration: 21min
Cinematographer: Stephan Metzner
Editing: Mustafa Köroğlu, Kamil Saldun
Music: Inal Bilsel

Synopsis: The sudden discovery of his son's secret turns Ibrahim's traditional world upside down. Fraught with emotional conflict, he takes his son Ismail on a fateful trip.

About the Film: Made up of actors and crew from Cyprus’ Turkish-speaking and Greek-speaking communities, it is the first fiction film on the divided island to take on homophobia, patriarchal values, and q***r identity head-on.

Elena Christodoulidou, Petros Charalambous, Panicos Petrides, Peter Stephanou Films, Christos Kyriacoullis, Tanur Tsiknakis, Caterina Ttakka, Andreas Antoniou, Marios Neocleous, Kyriakos Politis, Aristos Steliou, Doris Karayianni, Maria Ioannidou, Emma Patrice

2nd Chance Dogs
Accept - LGBTI Cyprus
Embassy of Ireland Cyprus
Embassy of Sweden in Nicosia
Union of Cypriots - Ένωσις Κυπρίων - Kıbrıslılar Birliği
Stelios Philanthropic Foundation
Οργανισμός Νεολαίας Κύπρου / Youth Board of Cyprus
Lefkoşa Sanat Tiyatrosu
Meltemi

***rFilmCyprus
***rCyprus

Najbolji kratki film - LOV
Žiri u sastavu Ljubomir Radanov, Đorđe Galić i Namo Safideen dodelili su nagradu za najbolji kratki film kiparskom ostvarenju LOV (režija: Sholeh Zahraei, Kamil Saldun).

08/12/2022

Serbia Premiere!

Dear Friends in Belgrade,
We are very happy and proud to announce the Official Selection of our film ‘The Hunt (Av) for Serbia's amazing International Q***r Film festival of Merlinka. Our film is still travelling the world and keeps touching the audience's souls and hearts around the globe!
Many thanks to the Merlinka festival team for selecting our film.

Our film will be screened in the International Shorts Program on 9th December 18.00

For more information about our film and the screening.
http://merlinka.com/portfolio-item/lov/

Congratulations and many thanks to our cast and crew!
And special thanks to all our partners, co-producers, sponsors, and the many who have contributed generously to our film in one way or another.

As always...One Cyprus, one world, one love!
🏳️‍🌈 💖 🇨🇾

Kamil Saldun, Sholeh Zahraei, Ali Düşenkalkar, Erdogan Kavaz, Andreas Orphanides, Elmaziye Dervish, Yaşar Aydın Karaca, Inal Bilsel, Inal Bilsel, Marios Petrondas, Panicos Petrides, Barış Refikoğlu, Peter Stephanou Films, Christos Kyriacoullis, Caterina Ttakka, Andreas Antoniou, Marios Neocleous, Kyriakos Politis, Aristos Steliou, Doris Karayianni, Maria Ioannidou, Emma Patrice

2nd Chance Dogs
Accept - LGBTI Cyprus
Embassy of Ireland Cyprus
BEmbassy of Sweden in Nicosia
Union of Cypriots - Ένωσις Κυπρίων - Kıbrıslılar Birliği
Stelios Philanthropic Foundation
Οργανισμός Νεολαίας Κύπρου / Youth Board of Cyprus
Nicosia Art Theatre (Lefkoşa Sanat Tiyatrosu)
Meltemi



***rFilmCyprus
***rCyprus

11/08/2022

Dear friends in Cyprus!
Our film THE HUNT (Av) will be screened in Paphos / Baf at Kimonos Art Center on Saturday, August 13th at 21:00, together with a collection of 7 short films by Cypriot directors.

Many thanks to Yiannis Sakellis and the Kimonos Art Center team for organizing the event.

This is the program of Kimonos Art Center's Garden Screenings, the open-air cinema sessions held every summer at the Center's garden

26/06/2022

Dear friends in Ireland!
We are happy and proud to share with you the great news that our film 'The Hunt /Av' will be screened at the Cork International Film Festival in Ireland as part of the 3rd programme of CIFF Film Club: European Shorts Season, guest-curated by Int'l Short Film Festival of Cyprus.
This Tuesday, 28th June at 6pm in The Gate Cinemas Cork.

🎥 🇮🇪🇨🇾🏳️‍🌈

Book now 👉 https://bit.ly/39JMTRC
⁠
Special thanks to the Embassy of Ireland Cyprus for their support.

Sholeh Zahraei, Kamil Saldun

17/06/2022

It was our great pleasure to participate in the wonderful Los Angeles Greek Film Festival with our film THE HUNT (Av) as part of the Short Film Competition Program.

Happy to have presented our film in person with a following Q&A at the amazing Regal L.A. LIVE cinema in Downtown in L.A.!

Many thanks to the Los Angeles audience and all our supporters!
Congratulations and our appreciation to our cast and crew!

And special thanks again to the great team of The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival!

One love! 🇨🇾🏳️‍🌈🇺🇸💖

Sholeh Zahraei & Kamil Saldun

***rcinema

14/05/2022

Our film THE HUNT (Av) screened at the great IDAHOT - Forum on 12th May in Limassol at St Raphael Resort.

Thanks to everyone who came and for the great discussion afterwards.

Many Thanks to Costa Gavrielides - Κώστας Γαβριηλίδης and Anna Kouma for inviting our film!

The Forum is a major annual event organized by the European Network of LGBTI Governmental Focal Points (EFPN) that is coordinated by the Council of Europe. This year’s Forum is co-hosted by the Republic of Cyprus and the UK Governments, with the support of the Council of Europe’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) unit.
🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇾

www.idahot.eu

Following a year’s absence in 2020, and a virtual event in 2021, the European Governmental LGBTI Focal Points Network’s (EFPN) IDAHOT+ Forum finally returned this year with a live event on 12 May 2022 in the city of Limassol, Cyprus, co-hosted by the Republic of Cyprus and the UK Governments, with the support of the Council of Europe’s SOGI Unit.

The annual IDAHOT+ Forum aims to strengthen cooperation and understanding on LGBTI+ politics between European Governments, International Governmental Organisations, International Civil Society Organisations, Businesses, Academics, and key stakeholders.

As the main European event where governments and key stakeholders meet to assess the progress of LGBTI+ rights in the continent, celebrate achievements and set new goals, the event is highly anticipated by many. Each time, the organization of the Forum is carried out by different EFPN-member governments allowing the discussions on LGBTI+ matters to reach government departments that could otherwise be difficult to reach.
Understandably, in 2022, not only do we find ourselves examining government responses to Covid19, and specifically how these affected marginalized groups, but we look at the war in Ukraine and how the new refugee crisis is affecting the LGBTI+ people and the Civil Society Organisations dealing with LGBTI+ rights, in general.

A number of high-level speakers made this year's IDAHOT+ Forum a worthy meeting point for those working to progress on LGBTI+ rights.
What we consider our “Common” European Values face real threats. Human Dignity, Freedom, Democracy, Equality, Rule of Law, and Human Rights have underpinned European institutions and progress over the last decades. However, they are being impacted by governments’ actions, by the Covid-19 crisis and now the war in Ukraine.

In the high-level discussion, "War in Ukraine: Challenges to our Common European Values Through the Experiences of LGBTI+ People", Speaker of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, Annita Demetriou, and EU Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, joined representatives from the Council of Europe, EU and EFPN member states, who together with Evelyne Paradis the Executive Director of ILGA-Europe examined Europe’s reaction to the challenges raised to our common European values, and how these affect LGBTI+ people on the continent.
Additionally, this year, the Forum offered a good opportunity to highlight the vital area of LGBTI+ people in the workplace and examine how the benefits of diversity should also drive Businesses themselves to seek and promote the rights of LGBTI+ for a fairer society. Our discussion "The Benefits of LGBTI+ Inclusion in Businesses – D&I as a core element of ESG and CSR investment" examines exactly this.

There is currently a big gap in the understanding of the benefits of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), and particularly LGBTI+ D&I in different countries in Europe. Southern and Eastern European countries are being led by the research produced elsewhere and are just starting to receive critical information about the benefits of embracing diversity and inclusion and specifically LGBTI+ inclusion. Many executives in this region want to know more. As such, this discussion aims to help businesses, and primarily large businesses, in this region to identify tangible and measurable targets through ESG’s and CSR, as the main tools for engagement.

The Council of Europe issued in 2021 its guideline paper on “Diversity in the Workplace”, while the European Commission included the workplace as a key area for action to support LGBTI+ in its 2020 LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025. The Forum will aim to highlight how businesses themselves can benefit from a fairer workplace, including how this reflects on their CRS and ESG criteria, and try to network key stakeholders together.

Furthermore, the European Civil Society Organisations presented the State of LGBTI+ Rights in Europe in 2022, through their annual maps.

ILGA-Europe – Rainbow Index 2022
TGEU - Trans Rights Map of Europe & Central Asia 2022
OII – Good Practice Map
IGLYO 2nd LGBTQI Inclusive Education Map, Index & Report
In addition to the above, delegates will be invited to attend a range of breakout discussions on the following topics (final titles tbc):

Protecting the rights of LGBTI+ refugees and migrants
Governmental and Cross-Sector Solidarity in Countering Anti-Gender Attacks
Rule of law and LGBTI+ rights
The Roles of Different Sectors in Ending Conversion Therapy for LGBTI+

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Cyprus High Commission in the UK - Υπάτη Αρμοστεία Κύπρου στο ΗΒ
Organisation for European Programmes & Cultural Relations - ΟΕΠΠΣ
CERV Cyprus - EU "Citizens, Equality, Rights & Values" Contact Point
Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs
European Parliament Intergroup on LGBTI Rights
UNHCR Cyprus
Council of Europe Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Unit