New claims arise at Golden Boll Festival

ISTANBUL

This photo shows Zeki Demirkubuz (L), director of ‘The Underground’ and Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director of ‘Three Monkeys’ together when they were used be friends.

Even though the Adana Golden Boll has ended, controversy surrounding the film festival’s award ceremony rages on.

Daily Hürriyet columnist Ahmet Hakan has claimed that producer Zeynep Özbatur Atakan, who was part of the jury at the festival, prevented the jury from giving either Zeki Demirkubuz’s “Purgatory” or Yeşim Ustaoğlu’s “Underground” the award for Best Film. Atakan is known to be close to director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and according to the Hürriyet article, Ceylan does not like Ustaoğlu or Demirkubuz. It is for this reason that Atakan is claimed to have prevented the award from being given to either of them.

Both “Purgatory” and “Underground” were among the favorites for the Best Film award, and after the decision Demirkubuz took to Twitter, tweeting: “I am sick and tired of these stupid people who think I direct movies for them to decide on. I will not be competing in Turkish film festivals anymore.”

Demirkubuz is known to have a troubled relationship with Ceylan, and it is said that the idea for Ceylan’s movie “Three Monkeys” was stolen from Demirkubuza.

Speaking to daily Hürriyet, jury member Hasan Saltık said that Demirkubuzu’s movie was never in contention for the big prize: “Everyone in the jury was in favor of either ‘My Father’s Voice’ or ‘Observation Tower.’ I laugh at the claims that Zeynep Atakan affected the jury in such a way.”