Support continues for all kinds of film

Şenay Aydemir - ISTANBUL / Radikal

Culture Minister Günay said, there is a misunderstanding in the new support mecanism. The support continues.

Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay has responded to a petition organized by famous producers and directors concerned about changes to official funding methods for films, promising to continue supporting all genres. Statements by the Culture Ministry’s general director of cinema, Mesut Cem Erkul, have been misunderstood, said Günay.

“The incentives will continue as they were. We are trying to create new ways to support more films.” A total of 82 well-known producers and directors, including Semih Kaplanoğlu, Yeşim Ustaoğlu, Zeki Demirkubuz, Derviş Zaim, Tuncel Kurtiz, Kutluğ Ataman, İnan Temelkuran, Ümit Ünal, Pelin Esmer, Özcan Alper, Hüseyin Karabey and Taylan Biraderler began the campaign after the Culture and Tourism Ministry announced that it was preparing to devote a major proportion of its funding support to home-grown “box office and family” films.

“There are many very bright names who signed the petition. If they had called me, I would have explained the truth. There has been a misunderstanding,” said Günay. He said Erkul was speaking about a new mechanism, but that the old system, which supported “art” movies, would continue.
The support mechanism was determined with the help of those involved in the sector, and it is important that all films – both artistic offerings and one geared for the box office – are supported for the future of cinema, said Günay.

“2012 will be the beginning of a new and different process for Turkish cinema,” Erkul was quoted as previously saying by Anatolia news agency.

The new mechanism is slated to be put into operation this year. Turkish cinema had increased its efforts on the issue since Law No. 5224 “Evaluating Cinema Films and Classifying and Supporting Turkish Cinema” was enacted in 2004. “In 2011, however, activities on these issues slowed down,” Erkul said.