Coffee and community: LOYAL comedy captures Cypriot diaspora life in North London

Films ArtculturediasporamoviesTop Newsuk Coffee and community: LOYAL comedy captures Cypriot diaspora life in North London Loyal Cover Relevant News Dionysus Mansion: the modern face of Cypriot cuisine 19 August 2026 Coffee and community: LOYAL comedy captures Cypriot diaspora life in North London 19 August 2026 Cyprus weather: mostly clear with isolated storms possible Wednesday 19 August 2026 Christina Karakondylou 19 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber A coffee loyalty card picked up during a walk through North London became the unlikely inspiration for LOYAL, a nine-minute comedy by Nicosia-born Antonis Papamichael and Sara Chia-Jewell about community, routine and café betrayal. The short film, set in a Cypriot café in North London, was released on Omeleto in July following a festival run that began at PÖFF Shorts in 2024. Arlo, played by Chia-Jewell, buys her coffee from the same café every morning, collecting stamps on her loyalty card while chatting to Eleni, the barista played by Eve Polycarpou. On the morning she can finally claim her free coffee, however, the café is busy and she goes elsewhere. Eleni then spots her walking past with another café’s cup in her hand. The film is predominantly in English, with Cypriot Greek heard in the background in several scenes. A loyalty card and a walk around North London The idea came while Chia-Jewell and Papamichael were walking around North London looking for inspiration. “The first thing we did was get a coffee, and the first thing they did was give us a loyalty card,” they said. “So, to be honest, the idea came from that,” they told en.philenews. They wanted the heart of the film to be about community, while allowing the story to escalate into something increasingly absurd. “We made a film that we wanted to watch.” Cypriot cafés as community anchors For Papamichael, the setting also drew on his own upbringing. Born in Nicosia, he said he grew up spending time in both traditional and more modern Cypriot cafés. “No matter where, the sense of place and community was strong,” he said. After years living in London, he said he notices that role even more strongly in cafés serving Cypriot communities, where halloumi, newspapers and other products sit alongside the coffee. The filmmakers wanted Eleni’s café to have the same feeling — “that sense of a home away from home for Cypriots”. “I loved this opportunity of hearing my mother tongue spoken both on-screen and behind camera,” Papamichael said. Backed by the neighbourhood Talkies Community Cinema commissioned LOYAL, while the filmmakers crowdfunded much of the remaining budget. “The film wouldn’t exist without community support!” they said. Local businesses waived location fees, provided storage space and helped dress the set. Y&S Mini Mart, for example, supplied Cypriot products as well as fresh pastries and bread for the shoot. Chia-Jewell said it was particularly special for Papamichael to see the Cypriot community come together around the project — and to see some of his favourite pastries on screen. Two shoot days and plenty of coffee beans Chia-Jewell and Papamichael wrote, produced and directed the film together. “We are lucky that we have similar tastes and have developed a shorthand with each other from working together over the years,” they said. With only two shoot days, they storyboarded the film with cinematographer Jack Worrall and rehearsed the closing action sequence in advance. For one montage, much of the crew stood behind the camera throwing coffee beans towards the actors, alongside flying loyalty cards and milk cartons. Festival run LOYAL played PÖFF Shorts in 2024 before screening at festivals including Brighton Rocks, Hong Kong Film Festival UK, Short Focus Film Festival, Leicester Film Festival and Absurd Film Festival, where it won Best Super Short. It was also longlisted for CentreFrame Selects 2026 and screened at Super Shorts Hackney in 2026. Now that the film has moved online through Omeleto, the directors say their ambitions for audiences are relatively simple. “We just want people to have a good time watching it! To be surprised and enheartened,” they said. “To remember the power of community, and kindness, regardless of cultural differences.” And for coffee lovers, there is one final detail to look out for: the seahorse latte. You can watch LOYAL on Omeleto’s YouTube channel below: Read more: Grenglish: The Cypriot Greek spoken outside of Cyprus Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Dionysus Mansion: the modern face of Cypriot cuisine Cyprus weather: mostly clear with isolated storms possible Wednesday Overnight pharmacies on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 Woman, 82, dies after Limassol traffic collision Man, 27, drowns off Lady’s Mile after diving in to retrieve phone Yellow weather warning in effect as heavy rain hits Cyprus mountains Taverna Kamasias: from Cypriot soil to the plate Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.