Film producers turning eye to Turkey’s Muğla

MUĞLA - Anadolu Agency

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The southwestern Turkish province of Muğla, which is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, is also becoming increasingly popular among producers, with films and TV series shot in the province in recent years. 

Australian actor Russell Crowe’s recent effort “The Water Diviner,” as well as Turkish productions such as “Dondurmam Gaymak” (Ice Cream, I Scream), “Dabbe: Cin Çarpması,” (Dabbe: Curse of the Jinn), “Sürgün İnek” (Exiled Cow), “Mandıra Filozofu” (Dairy Philosopher) as well as TV series “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (Magnificent Century), “Baba Ocağı” (Father’s Hearth) and “Güzel Köylü” (Beautiful Villager) are among the best known productions that have been shot in Muğla recently. 

Muğla Governor Amir Çiçek said the province had been home to many civilizations since the ancient era, making it an attractive and culturally rich region that was now being discovered by film producers. 

“We have many historical and cultural spaces for TV series and films. The area has green valleys, coves and thousands of plant species. This is why it is so popular among producers,” Çiçek said. 

He added that the local administrations aimed to make everything easier for directors and producers who want to make films in the city. 

“This is why there has been a great increase in cinema and TV series productions shot in the region in 2015. The tolerance and hospitality of the people living in the region is also a great factor in this increase. This year, Muğla and its districts have been home to 12 TV series, 19 films, nine documentaries, 18 travel programs, seven promotional films and two music videos. It has doubled its number from previous years,” the governor said. 


Boom in local tourists

Çiçek said TV productions also led to a rise in the number of visitors to the region, with people visiting Muğla in order to see the sites of productions they see on TV. 

“Thanks to the films and series made here in recent years, the city has become a natural film site. There is local tourist boom, especially in the Bozüyük neighborhood of the Yatağan district and the Akyaka neighborhood of the Ula district, where many film shootings take place,” he added. 

The governor also said locals were performing in a number of the productions shot in the province.
“Lots of people living in the region have begun to act in the productions. Young people are trained in this field. A cinema workshop has been established for them. People between its the ages of 12 and 60 have joined these workshops. I believe important films stars will emerge from our region in the coming years,” Çiçek said, adding that applications had already started for future films and documentaries in Muğla and its districts.