The non profit organisation: Α.Ε.Ι. AUDIOVISUAL FORUM along with TETRAKTYS FILMS Company and the Aglantzia Municipality co-organize the 3rd edition of the Cyprus Archaeological, Ethnographic and Historical Documentary Film Festival (AEI 2020 Film Festival).
The AEI Film Festival aims to raise awareness about the importance of heritage conservation, promote inter-cultural understanding and encourage sustainable tourism by introducing the public to important examples of archaeological and cultural heritage from Cyprus and around the world through documentary films. It further aims to encourage filmmakers in documenting world heritage . The program includes screenings of documentary films from Cyprus and abroad as well as workshops, master classes and lectures. Our categories include films from Cypriot and International filmmakers, student films up to 10 minutes (both Cypriot and international) and every year we have a special category dealing with a specific issue.
The festival focuses on community, inclusivity and (of course) good times. It aims to travel across borders in order to develop a spirit of friendship and cooperation with filmmakers from Cyprus and from all over the world. Cypriot and foreign filmmakers are invited to engage in discussions with colleagues and conversations with the audience.
The Cyprus Archaeological, Ethnographic and Historical Film Festival (AEI Film Festival) received in 2019 the EFFE 2019-2020 Label which is Europe’s quality stamp for remarkable arts festivals showing the Festival's engagement in the field of the arts, community involvement and international openness.
The 2nd edition of the AEI Film Festival that took place in September 2019 hosted 31 documentaries, which carried the audience to Russia, India, New Zealand, Italy, Mexico, the U.K., Greece and of course Cyprus. The national screening program included the world premiere of two Cypriot documentaries: The social/historical documentary MENDIL and the archaeological documentary KINYRAS, THE CHERISHED PRIEST OF APHRODITE. Additionally, the audience had the pleasure of meeting many filmmakers, who presented their films and shared their experiences.
Due to the pandemic of corona virus, we have been forced to change the date of the 3rd edition of AEI Film Festival quite a few times, obeying the decrees regarding festivals and other cultural activities announced by the Cyprus government for the protection of the citizens. Therefor the new dates for the AEI2020 film festival are the 11th, 12th and 13th of September. Within the three days of the AEI Film Festival, 35 documentaries will be hosted divided into three categories: The INTERNATIONAL CATEGORY in which 10 selected films from abroad will be screened, the NATIONAL CATEGORY in which six documentaries produced by Cypriot filmmakers will be screened and the STUDENT CATEGORY in which 24 ten-minute documentaries will be screened, prepared by high school students, who participated in workshops organised by the AEI 2020 Film Festival, in collaboration with the UNESCO Associated Schools Network.
For further information about the AEI 2020 Film Festival, go to our web site www.aei-filmfestival.org, our FB page https://www.facebook.com/Cyprus-Archaeological-Ethnographic-Historical-Film-Festival-107082787325403/ or email us at aei.filmfestival@cytanet.com.cy
Audience Award
- The best documentary film Cypriot of foreign belonging at any of the three main categories will be voted from the audience. The student films are excepted.