Turkish Film Week continues in Bodrum and Kos

Vecdi Sayar - BODRUM

The 8th Bodrum Film Week, organized by the Turkish Cinema Exhibitors Association (SİSAY), started on Sept. 13 in the western town of Bodrum with a meeting of exhibitors from different cities of Turkey. 

During the sessions of the meeting, excerpts of several new movies were screened at the Sea Garden Hotel where the meeting took place. Filmmakers Çağan Irmak, Müfit Can Saçıntı and Murat Şeker, whose new films will be screened in cinemas in the coming weeks or months, were among the guests of the film week. Some of the actors of the movies were also present in the presentations. 

The Turkish Film Week’s director is Cenk Sezgin, who is also the president of SİSAY. On Sept. 15, SİSAY organized an award ceremony at Trafo Cultural Center of Bodrum Municipality. 

This year’s Honorary Award went to the famous veteran actress Fatma Girik, who unfortunately could not attend the event due to health reasons. Award winners Altan Erkekli, Sumru Yavrucuk and Bahar Öztan received their awards on the stage. Other award winners, Ayşen Gruda, Timuçin Esen, Erkan Can and Zerrin Tekindor, could not attend due to work. 

During the ceremony, producer Mustafa Uslu, who earned a huge box-office success with his film “Ayla,” presented excerpts from his new productions - which will be on the screens in the coming months - “Müslüm,” “Turkish-i Dondurma” and “Çiçero.” 

Bodrum Turkish Week extended its program to the Greek island of Kos, the birthplace of Hippocrates, as it did last year. Previously, the Rhodes island was planned as one of the venues of the film week, but the election of a new mayor postponed this cooperation to the upcoming year. The guests of the film week were taken to Kos and the events on the island started on Sept. 16 with a press conference attended by the deputy mayor of Kos, representatives of the İstanköy Turkish Association, and members of the press. 

The screenings of 10 mainstream movies were made at Bodrum’s Cinemarine cinema, together with several outdoor screenings, as well as at the Orpheus Cinemas on Kos. The screenings will continue through Sept. 21 in both cities. 

Sezgin and his staff’s organization was to the point, excluding pompous shows and focusing on the necessary elements of a film event. It is also a remarkable attitude not to call the event a “festival,” but to name it “film week.” 

The screenings and meetings in both Turkey and Greece can lead to new co-operations in the film sector, as well as enlarging the scope of understanding between the peoples of both countries.