Minos Papas’ Motherwitch, filmed in Cyprus, selected for the Frontières Platform in Cannes

The Feature Film "Motherwitch”, filmed in Cyprus under the acclaimed Cypriot director Minos Papas, has been selected for the Frontières Platform in Cannes.

Frontières is the world’s leading international co-production market and networking platform focused on genre film financing and co-production between Europe and North America, organised by the Fantasia International Film Festival, in partnership with the Marché du Film.

Actress Margarita Zachariou as Eleni

Motherwitch, produced by Caretta Films and co-produced by Focus Pocus (N. Macedonia) and Cyprian Films, New York, is set in the abandoned 15th-century stone village of Parsada, in 1888 Cyprus. Eleni, a painter, tries to resurrect her dead children, but instead unleashes a horde of Kalikantzari – Cypriot folklore creatures that appear during the Twelve Days of Christmas – upon her village. Only by becoming a good mother to a talented, but abused boy can she bring natural order to the world again.

Director Minos Papas

“My love letter to Cyprus”

“Motherwitch is my love letter to Cyprus, its folklore, language and history,” Papas explains. “It is a fairy tale about parenthood, mourning, and how we attempt to overcome grief and loss. The film paints a magical story of creativity vs anger, while exploring the fragile creative child within us all.”

Legend has it that at Christmas, the souls of dead children come back to haunt their parents. “It’s a very vivid, striking metaphor for a grief that never leaves you,” he said.

Indeed, in the film, Eleni’s three children are killed in the collapse of an ancient chapel. Saint Marina, protector of children, appears and makes a mysterious pact with her. Soon after, Eleni befriends little Michalakis, a talented boy abused by his father, and enlists his help to paint a magical portrait with his blood to resurrect her children on Christmas Eve. However, the beings that emerge are not her children but malevolent creatures—Kalikantzari—led by Lamia, a demi-goddess disguised as Marina and who tricked Eleni. As chaos ensues, Eleni realises she must come to terms with her loss and banish the creatures.

SFX Make-Up Artist Goran Ignjatovski at work creating a "Kalikantzaros"

Supported by the Cyprus Audiovisual Incentive Scheme

Described as “a captivating folk horror story based on never-before-seen Cypriot folklore, told in a Gothic fairy tale style”, Motherwitch was filmed in March-April 2024 and was supported by the Cyprus Audiovisual Incentive Scheme of the Cyprus Film Commission.

The film stars Margarita Zachariou, a renowned Cypriot actress; Miltos Yerolemou, who some may recognise from his participation in Game of Thrones and The Crown; Jason Hughes of Midsomer Murders fame, along with Athos Antoniou, Danai Katsameni, Marina Makris, Demetri Andrea, and Sifis Katsoulakis in his breakout role of little Michalakis, who is being hailed as a rising star.

Bringing together financiers, sales agents, distributors and festival programmers

The Frontières Platform in Cannes brings together financiers, sales agents, distributors and festival programmers with today’s up-and-coming genre film talents and their captivating projects!

The Frontières program includes two key presentations: Proof of Concept, showcasing genre film projects in advanced financing stages, and Buyers Showcase, highlighting genre film projects in the post-production stage. These presentations are complemented by a networking lunch connecting Platform projects with industry professionals, and concluding with the Fantastic Night, a celebratory event dedicated to the genre film community.

Motherwitch has been selected under the Buyers Showcase category, which presents works-in-progress or recently completed films seeking international distribution, festival selection and/or sales representation.

Find out more here