Cyprus has made the big decision! Cypriot cinema is heading to the Oscars. Its first attempt is with the multi-award-winning film “Hold Me,” written and directed by Myrsini Aristidou.
“Cyprus’s decision to submit a nomination for the Oscars stems primarily from the numerous and significant successes of Cypriot films abroad in recent years and from the industry’s desire to take this step,” said Elena Christodoulidou, Head of the Film Office at the Deputy Ministry of Culture.
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Cyprus at the 78th Frankfurt International Book Fair 2026
The Deputy Ministry of Culture initiated the procedures, established a National Committee, and selected, from among two nominees, following a secret ballot, the film that will inaugurate this inaugural effort.
“There were two films: the first was ‘Hold onto Me,’ directed by Ms. Aristidou. The second was ‘Smaragda’ by Aimilios Avraam.”
“I feel very happy and deeply honored to represent Cyprus at the Academy Awards, and I also feel a sense of responsibility—not only for the film itself, but also for our country, as this is the first time it will embark on this journey,” says Myrsini Aristidou, director of the film “Hold Me.”
The 99th Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on March 14, 2027, and until then, we have six months ahead of us with two important milestones. The first milestone is December. The film “Hold Me” must make it into the list of 15 films selected to advance to the next round.
“The greatest responsibility now for all of us—and especially for the government, of course— is to help promote the film, because, as you can imagine, there’s fierce competition to make it to the final nominations. Often, films have perhaps even a million to promote their films for the Oscars. We, with our limited resources, will do everything in our power to help the producer and the director.”
Elena Christodoulidou, Head of the Film Office at the Deputy Ministry of Culture
“We need a lot of promotion in the U.S., calling on voters—who number about 11,000 members of the Academy—to vote for the film. Basically, every day is critical, from today through December, if we are to make it into the top 15.”
Myrsini Aristidou, director
From that point on, the process begins to select the five films that will make the list of Oscar nominees, and these five films will now be strong contenders for an Oscar in the Best International Feature Film. But how will the State support this effort?
“We will promote it to influential film magazine editors around the world, primarily, of course, in the U.S. There is a coordinated effort on the part of the Deputy Ministry and CIPA, which is responsible for promoting our country’s incentives and showcasing Greece as a filming location, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This coordinated effort will undoubtedly yield results, enabling us to promote our film in the best possible way.”
Elena Christodoulidou, Head of the Film Office at the Deputy Ministry of Culture
The film “Hold Me” will be shown in theaters across Cyprus starting September 17.
“In this endeavor, we also need the support of the people of Cyprus. Every person who embraces the film, who speaks about it, and who supports it becomes part of this journey. It’s a collective effort, and every bit of support truly counts.”
Myrsini Aristidou, director
And now the question is: Will the Oscars become an institution for Cyprus as well?
“We’ll aim to participate every year. That means forming a committee, getting it approved by the relevant Oscar authority, issuing our call for entries, and seeing how it goes. We will make an effort to hold it every year.”
Elena Christodoulidou, Head of the Film Office at the Deputy Ministry of Culture
