London Turkish Film Festival opens with ‘Butterfly’s Dream’

LONDON - Anatolia News Agency

Leading actor of ‘The Butterfly’s Dream’ Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ attends to the gala nigth of the movie. AA photo

The London Turkish Film Festival’s (LTFF) gala night has been held in London, with the opening movie “Kelebeğin Rüyası” (The Butterfly’s Dream) being screened at Leicester Square’s Odeon West End cinema. 

The opening hosted Turkish stars such as Kadir İnanır, director of the movie Yılmaz Erdoğan and the actors Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, Belçim Bilgin, Mert Fırat and Zeynep Farah Abdullah. It was also attended by Turkish Ambassador in London Ünal Çeviköz.

Kadir İnanır received the festival’s lifetime achievement award while Reis Çelik, the director of “Lal Gece” (Red Night) movie received the Golden Wings Digitürk Digital Distribution award. With the award, Çelik won 30,000 pounds award to support the distribution of the film in the U.K. and Ireland. 

After receiving his own award, İnanır said he was very honored and happy, and also addressed the Turkish community in London. 

“You are living here, but I know you long for your own country. I have brought you greetings from Turkey,” he said.

Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ said he was very happy to be in London and Mert Fırat stressed that a great deal of labor had gone into the making of the movie. 

Over the years, the LTFF has screened nearly 300 feature and 350 short and documentary films. The festival has also invited nearly 250 guests, including directors, producers, actors, and short film-makers.