Minos Papas

Minos Papas
Born
London, England
Alma materSchool of Visual Arts
OccupationFilmmaker
Years active2002–present
SpouseLiz Sargent

Minos Papas is a Greek-Cypriot film director, writer, producer, and cinematographer. He is based in Los Angeles, and heads the production company Cyprian Films, New York.

Early life and education

Papas was born in London and raised in Cyprus.[1][2] During his military service in Cyprus, he was the army's official cameraman.[1] He worked at the Acropole Cinema in Nicosia,[3] and then in 1999, he moved to New York City, earning a bachelor's degree from the School of Visual Arts in 2004.[1][2][4]

Career

Papas's debut feature film was the 2009 film Shutterbug, on which he served as writer, director, producer, and editor.[1][5] Filmed in New York City and starring Nando Del Castillo as a photographer with damaged vision, it was inspired by Dante's Inferno and Greek mythology.[5][6] The film was an extension of Papas's thesis short film Kalipolis.[1]

Papas's short documentary A Short Film About Guns won Best Online Short at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.[7] His short film Tango on the Balcony, about a US military veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder,[4] won the award for Best Director at the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus in 2016.[8] His second feature film as director, 2015's Behind the Mirror, was written by Nicholas Sampson and filmed in upstate New York.[9]

Papas produced and served as cinematographer on the short film Take Me Home, which was directed by his wife Liz Sargent and premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.[10] In 2024, it was announced that Take Me Home would be adapted into a feature film of the same name, to be written and directed by Sargent, with Papas producing.[10][11] The feature premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.[12]

Papas's folk horror feature film Motherwitch, which he wrote, directed and produced, premiered at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam.[11] It was filmed in Cyprus in March and April 2024, and was produced by Caretta Films, Focus Pocus, and Cyprian Films, New York as a co-production of Cyprus, North Macedonia, and the United States.[13][14] It is based on the Cypriot folklore of the Kallikantzaros,[14] and set in the late 19th century, with the characters speaking in the historical Cypriot dialect.[2]

As a cinematographer, Papas has shot two features for his father Michael Papas: Secret Paths (2013) and Little Odysseus and the Cyclops (2014).[15] He also shot the features Fatal Promises (directed by Kat Rohrer, 2009) and '79 Parts (directed by Ari Taub, 2016), Lisanne Skyler's documentary short film Brillo Box (3 ¢ Off) (2016),[16] and was a camera operator on Martin Scorsese's documentary The 50 Year Argument (2014).[8]

Papas founded and heads the production company Cyprian Films, New York, which he established in 2005,[4] and also heads the sister company Polyorama Pictures & Publishing, which is based in Cyprus.[17] He is a two-time New York Emmy Award winner.[17]

Personal life

Papas is married to filmmaker Liz Sargent.[10] His Cypriot father, Michael Papas, is also a filmmaker, and his British mother, Susan Papas, is a film producer.[1] After more than 20 years in New York City, Papas relocated to Los Angeles in 2024.[2][17]

Filmography

Feature films

Year Title Director Writer Producer DoP
2009 Shutterbug Yes Yes Yes No
2015 Behind the Mirror Yes No Yes No
2026 Take Me Home No No Yes 2nd unit
Motherwitch Yes Yes Yes No

Short films

Year Title Director Writer Producer DoP
2004 Kalipolis Yes Yes Yes Yes
2012 A Short Film About Guns Yes No Yes Yes
2016 Tango on the Balcony Yes Yes Yes Yes
2023 Take Me Home No No Yes Yes

Television

Year Title Director Writer Producer DoP Note
2021 Flowstate/North Brooklyn Artists Yes Yes Yes Yes 8 episodes

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Georgiou, Katerina. "Filmmaker Minos Papas Debuts Shutterbug". Neo Magazine. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d Koutsilas, Vasilis (29 October 2024). "Minos Papas on His New Film 'Motherwitch (Dodecameron: The Twelve Days of Christmas)'". The National Herald. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  3. ^ Panayides, Theo (24 June 2020). "Independent filmmaker on how to survive in NYC". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  4. ^ a b c "Tango on the Balcony – A Filmmaker's Take on the War That Continues Within". The National Herald. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  5. ^ a b Scheib, Ronnie (15 March 2010). "Shutterbug". Variety. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  6. ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (18 March 2010). "Photographer, Camera, Subjects". New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  7. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (25 April 2013). "Tribeca 2013: 'The Rocket,' 'Kill Team' among fest's top winners". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  8. ^ a b "Minos Papas, an award-winning director/producer is building on his brand". Hellenic News. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  9. ^ Corbett, Justin (16 May 2017). "'Behind the Mirror' is a Compelling Descent into Madness". Horror Geek Life. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  10. ^ a b c Gardner, Chris (21 June 2024). "Liz Sargent's Sundance Short 'Take Me Home' to Be Adapted into Full-Length Feature Film". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  11. ^ a b "Director Minos Papas on the Upcoming World Premiere of His Film 'Motherwitch'". The National Herald. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  12. ^ Raup, Jordan (21 January 2026). "2026 Sundance Film Festival Preview: The Must-See Films at the Final Year in Park City". The Film Stage. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  13. ^ "Cyprus film 'Motherwitch' to be screened at Rotterdam Film Festival in 2026". CBN. 29 December 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  14. ^ a b Lazarevska, Marina (4 March 2024). "Minos Papas Shoots Cypriot/Macedonian/US Motherwitch". Film New Europe. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  15. ^ Kourti, Marianna (4 March 2011). ""LITTLE ODYSSEUS AND THE CYCLOPS" Cypriot Film Inspired by Greek Mythology". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  16. ^ Roe, Matthew (7 August 2017). "Brillo Box (3ȼ Off)". Ion Cinema. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  17. ^ a b c "Interview with Minos Papas — DoP of Take Me Home". Kinefinity. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
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