The beloved Paphos International Film Festival (PIFF) celebrates its 10th edition this year with a compelling programme of short films and documentaries. Taking place from June 27 to 29, the open-air screenings at Technopolis 20 Garden invite audiences to experience independent cinema under the stars.

This year’s selection brings together 18 powerful films from across the globe, exploring themes of memory, conflict, identity, and human connection. As always, festival-goers will vote for their favourite film each night, with the Audience Award up for grabs.

From Cyprus, 74 by Charalambos Margaritis revisits the events of the 1974 invasion through animation. Personal stories resonate in 3350 KM (from Syria), a documentary chronicling the digital connection between a father and daughter separated by war, and Free Words (Turkey), which follows detained Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha.

Dramatic works include France’s Him and The Uncle, Italy’s Via delle Rose 36, Spain’s Trolling and Predator, Poland’s Like All the Others, Greece’s Minus Two Hundred, and Argentina’s Una Monedita. Each portrays deeply human struggles – from political resistance to personal healing.

Lighter tones and surrealism appear in Blood Ties (France), a darkly comic family lunch; Quarantine (Spain), a post-lockdown vignette; and The Eggregores’ Theory (Italy), a haunting AI-generated memory trip.

Nature and imagination shine in The Blue House (Panama), where children in rural schools blend poetry and play, and Treasure (Spain), in which an elderly woman finds unexpected joy through crows’ curious gifts. Animation fans can look forward to The Little Ancestor (Canada), a poetic tale of a house building itself, brick by brick.

Completing the line-up is The Distance Between Us (France), following a woman on a quiet, urgent journey across the city.

Screened in the Technopolis20’ garden, all of the films will be shown in their original languages with English subtitles. With its powerful stories and global reach, the 2025 edition promises to be a cinematic celebration of creativity and connection – and with free entrance.

10th Paphos International Film

Outdoor film screenings. June 27-29. Technopolis 20, Paphos. 8.45pm. Free. With subtitles in English. www.piffcyprus.com