Minos Papas is a filmmaker from Cyprus. Son of internationally acclaimed film director Michael Papas, Minos was introduced to the film world at a young age.

Minos’ first film, Whispers (1993), a short he made on Hi-8 at the age of sixteen, won First Prize at the pan-European Make-A-Video Competition in Helsinki, Finland. As a result, Minos was invited to Zanka film workshop in Hungary where he made the short film, Silence in the forest of the Magyars (1994). Both shorts were broadcast on European TV Networks.

During his mandatory military service in the Cypriot National Guard, Minos served as a conscript sergeant and as cameraman and director/producer for the Information and Media office at the National Guard HQ, producing military operations and archival videos. After being discharged in 1997, Minos co-managed the Acropole Cinemas through 1999. The Acropole is a prestigious three-screen art-house cinema complex in Nicosia (acropolecinemas.com) where he learnt the business of exhibition and distribution of feature films.

Minos moved to New York City in 1999 to formalize his film education at the School of Visual Arts. The six shorts he produced and directed there went on to be screened at festivals in the US and Europe. Minos specialized firstly in editing and then in cinematography at SVA. He shot dozens of short films for his fellow students. Minos also continued making short films in Cyprus, producing and directing one of Cyprus’ first indie short films, Orpheus (2001). His last short film made at SVA, Kalipolis (2004), was awarded for cinematography at the 2004 Dusty Film Festival and screened in festivals in L.A., New York, Cyprus, Germany, the UK and Greece.
Apart from working as writer/director/producer on his own productions, Minos has also worked extensively as director of photography on short and feature films, music videos, documentaries and commercials. He has collaborated with many directors, achieving a high level of technical production experience. Keeping up an interest in the exhibition and distribution end of the film industry, Minos worked as a general manager and technical consultant for Cinema Village movie theater for eight years (2002 until 2010), handling all facets of exhibition and distribution, marketing, scheduling and special premiere events.

Minos Papas’ first feature film, Shutterbug (2009), was released theatrically in 2010 in New York and Los Angeles. The film was entirely self financed and shot guerilla style on a shoe-string budget, achieving high production values. Shutterbug received warm reviews from Variety, The Village Voice, The New York Times and many more publications and blogs which merited the film for its Lynchian atmosphere (shutterbugthefilm.com). Minos and his team of collaborators were invited to the Apple Store in New York’s SoHo to give a special ‘making-of’ presentation of Shutterbug.

Minos runs Cyprian Films, New York (cyprianfilmsny.com) an independent production company based in Brooklyn, New York. CFNY offers various production and distribution services to a wide client base ranging from individual companies to real estate media companies, film festivals and independent filmmakers.