Award-Winning Filmmaker Minos Papas' 'MOTHERWITCH' Premieres at Int'l Film Festival Rotterdam

Psychological Horror, Dark Folklore Gothic Film Wows Audiences Before Heading to EFM

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Acclaimed and prolific Emmy award-winning filmmaker Minos Papas thrilled audiences at his sold-out world premiere screenings of his psychological horror, dark folklore gothic MOTHERWITCH at International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film began screening with an electric world premiere on February 3rd, with additional packed screenings on February 5th and February 6th. International audiences can next see Motherwitch at the EFM Market with multiple screenings on February 16th.

Why it matters

Papas continues to offer powerful narratives as a director and cinematographer where his films move between the worlds of myth and memory, offering a perfect juxtaposition of realism and the uncanny. His work draws audiences in with empathy and knowledge, while empowering his characters to overcome all that works to destroy us.

The details

Motherwitch is a co-production collaboration between Cyprus, North Macedonia, Canada and the USA. The film is very much a love-letter to Cyprus—to its captivating beauty, its clouds wept mountains and blood-red earth, its lullabies, superstitions, and stories whispered from grandmother to child. Working between Los Angeles and Cyprus, Papas crafts atmospheric, character-driven stories that explore grief, trauma, and how we use mythology to map the inexplicable.

  • The film began screening with an electric world premiere on February 3, 2026.
  • Additional packed screenings were held on February 5 and February 6, 2026.
  • International audiences can next see Motherwitch at the EFM Market with multiple screenings on February 16, 2026.

The players

Minos Papas

An acclaimed and prolific Emmy award-winning filmmaker known for powerful narratives that move between the worlds of myth and memory.

Motherwitch

Papas' psychological horror, dark folklore gothic film that had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

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What they’re saying

“Motherwitch is a dark fairy tale that deals with primordial feelings and issues we can all identify with. It is a journey into a past which revives the landscape, the scent, the manner and morals of a Cyprus that no longer exists. It derives inspiration from the ancient Greek myths of the eternal cycle of life, birth, death and rebirth.”

— Ambassador H.E. Mr Spyros Attas (Instagram)

What’s next

Motherwitch will have multiple screenings at the EFM Market on February 16, 2026.

The takeaway

Minos Papas' Motherwitch offers a powerful exploration of myth, memory, and the human experience, drawing audiences in with empathy and knowledge while empowering his characters to overcome adversity.