Within the framework of the 600th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Poland, the second stage of the film program will be hosted with the cooperation of the Istanbul Film Festival–Meetings on the Bridge and New Horizons Film Festival, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, and the support of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
How It All Began
The initial introduction of heads of film institutions and filmmakers from each country was realized in April 2013 at a panel within the scope of the Istanbul Film Festival–Meetings on the Bridge with the purpose of initiating the exchange of cultural information and taking the first step for future collaboration. The representatives of film funds and film centres, film festivals, TV stations, filmmakers, and distributors got together to discuss possibilities of co-production in the future. In 2014, within the scope of Istanbul Film Festival and Meetings on the Bridge, the first edition of the program that brought together members of the film industries of the two countries was organized. Acclaimed filmmakers, experts, artists, and decision makers from Poland came to Istanbul to meet the Turkish film industry at master classes, screenings and one to one meetings programmed during Istanbul Film Festival–Meetings on the Bridge. The events took place with the content-related and financial support of the Polish Film Institute.
What's Happening at the Second Edition?
In the second edition of the program, a delegation consisting of representatives from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Turkish state television (TRT), producers, directors and a distributor will be joining the Wroclaw New Horizons Film Festival to take part in the program of screenings, workshops, a roundtable meeting, master-class and Turkish reception.
One of the most influential and unique contemporary auteurs of Turkey, Reha Erdem will hold a master class moderated by film critic Esin Küçüktepepınar. His films Korkuyorum Anne (Mommy, I'm Scared), Kosmos (Cosmos) and Şarkı Söyleyen Kadınlar (Singing Women) will be screened during the festival.
Award-winning and acclaimed writer-director Tayfun Pirselimoğlu, who received the Golden Tulip Best Film Award with his fifth feature, Ben O Değilim (I am not Him), at the 33rd Istanbul Film Festival National Competition this year will be a guest of the New Horizons Film Festival, where the film will be screened.
Selected Documentary Screenings & Workshops
With the purpose of introducing the younger generation of filmmakers of Turkey, two feature and one documentary film projects from Meetings on the Bridge Film Development Workshop are selected. Within the scope of Polish Days the directors and producers of Reproduction (Reprodüksiyon, Atasay Koç), Fish (Balık, Eset Akçilad) and The Fragments (Parçalar, Rojda Akbayır) will be discussing their projects with international professionals, and continue their dialogue with Polish producers, which had started at Istanbul Film Festival in April 2014.
Hasan Serin, whose short film Ağrı ve Dağ (Ağrı and the Mountain) premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, and Müge Özen, the producer of the Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize-winning film Nergis Hanım (Mrs Nergis) at Istanbul Film Festival this year, will join the New Horizons Studio Workshop. Director-producer Emre Yeksan will talk about his inspiring experiences on film making in Turkey with the young participants at the Studio Workshop.
Turkish Reception on July 30th
There will be a Turkish Reception hosted by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism introducing the members of the delegation from Turkey on July 30, with the participation of Polish and international guests of the festival. The following day, a breakfast roundtable is planned to take place with a briefing session on the conditions of film production, financing, distribution, and co-production in Turkey.
Supported by the Republic of Turkey, the event series aims to provide a platform for co-productions by bringing together film professionals from Turkey and Poland, and to increase the number of such co-operations. The main objective is to foster the dialogue between film professionals, and to create a continuous exchange of industry specific information and culture.
The event is organized as part of the 2014 cultural programme, celebrating the 600th anniversary of Polish-Turkish diplomatic relations. To view our calendar of events, visit http://turkiye.culture.pl/en/events
Edited by E.M. 18/07/2014