MOTHERWITCH tops Cyprus box office over Halloween weekend

Director Minos Papas’ MOTHERWITCH (DODECAMERON) topped the Cypriot box office over Halloween weekend, outperforming the Hollywood production CLAYFACE and marking an exceptionally strong opening in cinemas across Cyprus. Hundreds of moviegoers from across Cyprus travelled to PREMIER Cinemas at Nicosia Mall and RIO Cinemas in Limassol to see the country’s first horror film on the big screen. The enthusiastic audience response and increased demand have led to the film’s theatrical run being extended for another week to November 11, 2026. Cypriot audiences have welcomed the film with great enthusiasm, praising its production quality, its cinematic portrayal of Cyprus and the cast’s powerful performances. The film’s use of an older form of the Cypriot dialect made a particular impression, with many viewers hearing it on the big screen for the first time. Through its language, landscapes, traditions and folklore, MOTHERWITCH offers a rare window into Cyprus’s past, bringing an unfamiliar aspect of the island’s cultural identity to contemporary cinema. Best Actress award for Margarita Zachariou The film’s success in Cyprus has been accompanied by another significant international accolade. Lead actress Margarita Zachariou received the Best Actress Award at Grimmfest Film Festival in Manchester, one of the UK’s leading horror film festivals, for her leading performance as Eleni. “Margarita Zachariou delivers a raw, operatic portrayal of deep maternal grief, brilliantly balancing sympathy and terror while keeping her character deeply human,” said the festival jury. This Friday at Thessaloniki International Film Festival MOTHERWITCH’s international journey continues this Friday, November 6, 2026, with a screening at Thessaloniki International Film Festival as part of the Balkan Horrors programme. Stars Zachariou, Danai Katsameni and Athos Antoniou, along with the film’s producer Constantinos Nikiforou, will attend the screening. MOTHERWITCH also screened over Halloween in eight cities across Poland through the Multikino cinema chain.