Countdown begins for Ankara Film Festival

ANKARA

Organized by the World Mass Media Research Foundation, the 30th Ankara International Film Festival will bring 120 films to the screens between April 18 and 28. Eleven films will be in the competition of the festival, which will also make the premiere of Nebil Özgentürk’s documentary film on Turkey’s world-famous poet Nazım Hikmet, “Nazım’ın Kanatları” (Nazım’s Wings).

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency, World Mass Media Research Foundation President İrfan Demirkol said that the festival will open on April 18 at MEB Şura Hall with a concert by Moğollar.

He said the honorary awards will be presented at the opening ceremony to actor Kadir İnanır, writer Nazlı Eray and actress Gülse Birsel.

He said that the festival films will be screened at the Kızılay Büyülü Fener Movie Theater, and that tickets for 120 films have already gone on sale.

Demirkol said 11 films will be in the competition of the festival. The prizes for the national competitions will be 50,000 Turkish Liras for Best National Feature Film, 10,000 liras for First National Feature Film, 20,000 liras for Best National Documentary Film, 10,000 liras for Best National Short Film, as well as 30,000 liras for the best project selected in the National Feature Film Project Development Support Competition.

Demirkol said the festival will also screen the best examples of world cinema, including the ones that competed at the Berlin Film Festival and won awards.

“We will show Turkish Director Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay’s film ‘Oray,’ which won the Best First Film Award in Berlin,” he added.

He said that the festival will also have a special section due to the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and that Werner Herzog’s films will be shown in this section.

Agnes Varda, the only female film director of the French New Wave and who recently died aged 90, will also be commemorated at the festival. “We also have films from the most important directors of Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia,” he added.

[HH] Aytaç Arman to be remembered

Demirkol said that a special screening of the film “Düşman” (The Enemy) will be held in memory of actor Aytaç Arman, who died of cancer in February this year.

Directed by Zeki Öktem, the film will be screened on April 26 at an event with the participation of the actor’s family and a presentation by Atilla Dorsay.

Demirkol said that this year they received more than 100 applications for the foundation’s Project Support Award, given to the directors who made their first and second films, adding that the winning project will announced as part of the festival and provided 30,000 liras in financial support.

Within the scope of the festival, Demirkol said that there will also be a photography exhibition and workshops as well as other special events.

The exhibition featuring photos by Ara Güler will open on April 22 at the Zülfü Livaneli Culture Center.