For one full day, the Organisation for Positive Urbanism (OPU) opens the streets of imagination and participation; with films, discussions and activities that turn the bicycle into a symbol of social change and urban renewal.
After travelling to more than a hundred cities around the world, from New York and Tokyo to Barcelona and Copenhagen, the Bicycle Film Festival (BFF) arrives in Nicosia for the first time. It is organised by OPU, in collaboration with the Nicosia International Festival and the Nicosia Municipal Theatre, where the event will take place on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
Throughout the day, Nicosia will become a meeting point of people, ideas and stories revolving around the bicycle, from childhood wonder to collective urban action. George Sotiropoulos, co-founder of OPU and the driving force behind bringing the BFF to Cyprus, spoke to Politis about the vision behind it.
“A culture ready to take root”
“I first attended the Bicycle Film Festival in New York and immediately felt it was something that could inspire real change in Cyprus,” says Sotiropoulos. “In a car-dominated society, cultivating a cycling culture is not just about mobility; it’s about freedom, creativity, and reclaiming public space.”
He notes that the festival’s arrival builds on OPU’s ongoing work, including the ‘Laou Laou - Open Streets’ project, which recently filled Nicosia and Limassol neighbourhoods with life and movement by temporarily closing streets to cars. “The growing number of cycling initiatives, from Nicosia Cyclists and Ride With Confidence to One Island and Critical Mass, shows that cycling in Cyprus is no longer niche. It’s becoming a community with roots and vision,” he adds.
For Sotiropoulos, bringing the Bicycle Film Festival to Nicosia was “a natural continuation” of this evolution, and an opportunity to give visibility to a movement that connects art, mobility and civic engagement.
Partnership with the Nicosia International Festival
“The inclusion of BFF in the Nicosia International Festival programme was an honour and a powerful statement,” Sotiropoulos says. “It recognises that urban culture is an essential part of a city’s cultural fabric.”
Hosting the event at the Municipal Theatre, he adds, “is more than a collaboration, it’s symbolic. A cultural institution is taking a stand for a more accessible, sustainable and human city.”
He describes the festival as a way to revive the nostalgia of Nicosia’s old “Magic Palace” cinema, once surrounded by rows of parked bicycles. “If we could see that same image again outside the theatre today, it would be a powerful message of change.”
The festival’s curated programme, designed with the BFF team, includes three themed sections:
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For all ages (11:30) – short live-action and animated films that celebrate imagination, freedom and the joy of cycling, aimed at children and families.
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Cinematic Shorts (16:30) – artistic short films from around the world exploring the intersection of cycling, culture and city life.
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Cycle for Change (19:00) – stories from Rwanda to Kyrgyzstan that show the bicycle as a vehicle for social change, empowerment and environmental awareness.
The third section will be followed by a live Q&A with director Nikoleta Assioti and athlete Alexandros Agrotis, who will share insights from their 600-kilometre cycling journey across Cyprus.
A platform for dialogue and action
“The Bicycle Film Festival isn’t just about screenings, it’s a platform for conversation,” says Sotiropoulos. After the second screening, a panel will bring together food delivery riders, Marina Kyriakou, Nicosia’s Bicycle Mayor and sustainability expert, and a local e-bike entrepreneur.
“The goal is to open a real discussion about the challenges and opportunities cyclists face in Cyprus. For some, the bike is leisure; for others, it’s a livelihood or a conscious lifestyle choice,” he notes.
A celebration of cycling and urban life
Beyond the films, the festival will be an all-day celebration with food, drinks, roller skating, cycling lessons, kids’ activities and an after-party with DJ Cotsios o Pikadillis in the open-air courtyard of the Municipal Theatre.
“Culture can change how we think about public space,” says Sotiropoulos. “Through events like BFF, we want to shift focus from vehicles to people, and imagine a city where movement and creativity coexist.”
What It Includes
The Bicycle Film Festival aims to inspire people of all ages to see the bicycle as a tool for sustainability, health, and freedom. Through a multifaceted program, it brings together art, storytelling, culture, and mental and physical health around a common denominator: the bicycle.
On top of a full day of short film screenings at the Nicosia Municipal Theater, Nicosia Rollers, the Dutch Embassy and Alexandros Agrotis are teaching biking and rollers while DJ Picatillys will be spinning some records to celebrate this day full is well as various activities taking place in the Nicosia Municipal Garden.
The film screenings focus on themes of inclusion and equality, embracing diversity in all its forms; age, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.
ALL AGES PROGRAM
PROGRAM 1
11:30
This collection of short films celebrates the freedom, creativity, and courage of young people on bikes and beyond. From a “girls only” day at an indoor bike park to a daring candy quest and a ride through comic book dreams, each story explores what it means to move forward on two wheels and in life. Spanning Canada to Hong Kong, Estonia to the USA, this global adventure is sure to inspire young audiences with tales of strength, imagination, and resilience.
CINEMATIC SHORTS
PROGRAM 2
16:30
A moving and diverse collection of international short films exploring the bicycle as a symbol of freedom for everyday life. From the bustling streets of Mexico City to the heart of the Navajo Nation, China’s markets, South Africa’s dynamic neighborhoods and the welcoming communities of the Netherlands, these narratives, documentaries, animations and musically rich works showcase courageous stories brought to life. Award-winning films share the program with bold new voices to create an inspiring film program.
CYCLE FOR CHANGE SHORTS
PROGRAM 3
19:00
From the mountains of Rwanda to the remote roads of Kyrgyzstan, this moving collection of international films explores the bicycle as a tool for adventure, healing, and transformation. Whether it’s empowering schoolchildren in Uganda with bikes, offering joy to elders in the United States, or following professional cyclist Alexandros Agrotis’s epic 600 kilometer ride around Cyprus, captured by Nicoleta Assioti, these stories celebrate the endurance and spirit of people on two wheels. This program is a cinematic journey showing how bicycles can help change the world.
Duration: 1 day
Ticket Pricing: https://www.more.com/cy-en/cinema/festival/bicycle-film-festival/
Screenings 1, 2 & 3 Full Pass 12€
All Ages 11:30 5€
Cinematic Shorts 16:30 7€
Cycle For Change 19:00 7€
Reduced tickets are valid for: Unemployed, kids (up to 12 years old), Students, soldiers, pensioners, large families, actors, companions.
Disabled: Free for the individual with the relevant disable ID and reduced ticket for one companion.
For more information on disabled ticketing, please call +357 22254657.
Information: 22 797979 (Monday - Friday 10:00-13:00)