For the most part, a spawn of the 21st century media takeover - film director, writer, photographer (and possibly slightly mad to be pursuing any of those). Add an intense flair for fusing visuals with music. Probably due to watching too many music videos on the island of Cyprus while growing up.
Alumni of the Sundance Lab, Berlinale Talents and BFI Network @ LFF. His short films have screened internationally and his latest BUFFER ZONE, a UK-Cyprus co-production with the support of the BFI Network and Cyprus Cinema, premiered at Clermont Ferrand 2023 winning awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor.
As a music video director, his work was pinned by Promo News amidst the likes of Massive Attack and Florence + the Machine, SIRENS won the Best Music Video award at Aesthetica Film Festival and his work for The Irrepressibles was picked and presented by NOWNESS.
In the commercials world, Savvas has produced commercials for giants such as Apple, Samsung, Nike and Mercedes through Radical Media, Agile Films, RSA Films, La Pac, Stink and Somesuch, as well as music videos for Muse, Sam Smith, Royal Blood, Sigrid and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Previously worked at Focus Features in Development and Production on films such as HANNA, ONE DAY and JANE EYRE, before assisting and supervising productions for Michael Winterbottom's company Revolution Films.
Currently developing first feature - one of 8 projects selected for the Sundance Mediterranean Screenwriters Lab 2018.
“Pulling on the heartstrings before punching us in the face with an impressive pay-off, Stavrou manages to conjour more emotions in a meagre four minutes than Michael Bay does in an entire four film franchise. Indeed, there are a few Hollywood directors that could learn from this young fellow.” - VultureHound
savvas.stavrou@googlemail.com | instagram |
ACCOLADES
2021 - BFI Network - London Film Festival (writer/director cohort)
2020 - Berlinale Talents - Berlinale Film Festival
2019 - Talents Sarajevo - Sarajevo Film Festival
2018 - Sundance Mediterranean Screenwriters Lab
2018 - Zurich Film Festival Academy
BUFFER ZONE
2023 - Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival - Opening Night Ceremony Premiere
2023 - BFI Flare Film Festival
2023 - Short Shorts Film Festival Asia
2024 - Seattle International Film Festival
2024 - FEST - New Directors New Films Festival
2023 - WINNER - Drama International Short Film Festival - Best Actor in a Leading Role + Best Queer Film (by the Onassis Foundation)
2023 - WINNER - Cyprus International Short Film Festival - Best Director + Best Performance
2023 - Helsinki International Film Festival
2023 - PÖFF Shorts
2023 - Festival du film court en plein air de Grenoble
2023 - Athens International Film Festival
2023 - MedFilm Film Festival Roma
2023 - Pink Screens Brussels
2023 - Rio LGBT Film Festival
2023 - Queer Filmfest Weiterstadt
2023 - Slovak Queer Film Festival
2023 - Chéries Chéris Film Festival
2023 - Seoul Pride Film Festival
2023 - Tolerance Film Festival
2024 - WINNER - Berlin Greek Film Festival - Best Short Film
2024 - WINNER - Prato Film Festival - Best Short Film
2024 - WINNER - Los Angeles Greek Film Festival - Special Jury Award
2024 - WINNER - San Francisco Greek Film Festival - Honorary Short Film Award
2024 - WINNER - Filmare la Storia - Special Jury Award
2024 - Mardi Gras Queer Screen Film Festival
2024 - Landshut Film Festival
2024 - Regard - Saguenay International Short Film Festival
2024 - Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam
2024 - Ennesimo Film Festival
2024 - Queer Lisboa Film Festival
2024 - Santiago del Estero Film Festival
2024 - Les Nuits Med Film Festival
A JAR OF NUTS
2019 - WINNER - Tirana Film Festival - Best Balkan Film - Oscar Qualifying
2019 - WINNER - Cyprus International Short Film Festival - Honorary Film Award
2021 - BFI London Film Festival
2019 - Aesthetica Film Festival - In Competition - BAFTA Qualifying
2019 - Brisbane International Film Festival - In Competition
2019 - Athens International Film Festival (Νὐχτες Πρεμιέρας) - In Competition
2019 - Thessaloniki International Short Film Festival - In Competition
2019 - Court en Scène Festival - In Competition
2019 - Firenze Film Festival - In Competition
2020 - European Independent Film Festival - In Competition
2020 - Psarokokkalo International Short Film Festival - In Competition
2020 - Paleochora Short Film Festival - In Competition
2020 - Los Angeles Greek Film Festival - In Competition
2020 - River Film Festival
2020 - Shorts Not Pants Film Festival - In Competition
2020 - Tehran International Short Film Festival - In Competition
2020 - San Francisco Greek Film Festival - In Competition
WANNA BE HERE
2019 - Aesthetica Film Festival - In Competition
2019 - WINNER - Beer Town Film Festival - Best Music Video Award
SUBMISSION
2019 - WINNER - ECU European Independent Film Festival - Best Editing
2019 - NOMINATION - ECU European Independent Film Festival - Best European Music Video Award
2019 - Buenos Aires Film Festival - In Competition
2018 - The Smalls Film Festival - In Competition
ADORINE
2018 - Aesthetica Film Festival - In Competition
2018 - The Smalls Film Festival - In Competition
SIRENS
2017 - WINNER - Aesthetica Film Festival - Best Music Video Award
2018 - Leeds International Film Festival - In Competition
2017 - The Smalls Film Festival - In Competition
“It's a gorgeous, harrowing and beautifully paced set piece that unfolds effortlessly over the five minute runtime, managing to feel very raw and fresh despite the meticulous planning on the part of Stavrou and crew.” - PromoNews 2017
SELENE
2016 - VOTD Award
”It's a beautiful, touching work for a soulful and melancholic song, conveying an emotionally resonant and heartfelt love story through dance, staging and camera movement.” - PromoNews 2016
INTERLUDE
2015 - WINNER - Sci-Fi Festival’s 48 Hour Film Challenge - Grand Prize Award
2016 - London Short Film Festival - In Competition
2016 - Bucheon International Film Festival - In Competition
2016 - Alcine Film Festival - In Competition
2015 - Cyprus International Short Film Festival
2015 - Comic-Con Cyprus Film Festival - In Competition
2016 - San Francisco Greek Film Festival - In Competition
DOROTHEA
2014 - Cyprus International Short Film Festival - In Competition
2014 - In the Palace Balchik Film Festival - In Competition
2014 - Isle of Wight Film Festival - In Competition
2014 - Portobello Film Festival - In Competition
SONG TO THE SIREN
2012 - Oakland International Film Festival - In Competition
2011 - In The Palace Balchik Film Festival - In Competition
2011 - Tangiers International Film Festival - In Competition
2011 - Split Croatia International Film Festival - In Competition
2011 - Brand New Eyes Short Film Festival 2011