‘Mukadderat’, ‘Shambhala’ share podium at 12th Bosphorus Film Festival

By Aise Humeyra Akgun and Ozlem Limon

ISTANBUL (AA) - The 12th Bosphorus Film Festival Awards, organized by the Bosphorus Foundation for Culture and Arts with Anadolu as its Global Communication Partner, were presented at the closing program Friday at the Atlas 1948 Cinema in Istanbul.

Birol Guven, director general of cinema of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, pointed out to Anadolu that the festival is growing every year.

“This festival is one of the festivals we are very hopeful about. Hopefully, it will become a very important worldwide brand in the very near future,” he said.

Guven said two things are needed to make a movie. “One of them is knowledge and one is trouble. The one who has no problem has no movie. Festivals are actually places where filmmakers talk about their troubles, even though they look festive. We need to commiserate. That's why festivals are very important.”

- ‘Our audience has doubled compared to last year’

Ogun Sanlier, chairman of the board of Directors of the Bosphorus Foundation for Culture and Arts and festival president said, “Our events lasted for a week. Fifty-nine movies were screened in 79 sessions. It was a full week. The number of our audience doubled compared to last year. This is a happy development for all of us. I am a person who thinks that watching movies in the cinema is much more comfortable, enjoyable and necessary than watching them at home. Therefore, I welcome this increase in the audience in the halls with gratitude.”

- ‘Mukadderat' wins National Feature Film competition

Director Nadim Guc won the National Feature Film award for “Mukadderat.”

“I would like to thank all my cast and crew, especially Nur Surer, who made me focus only on the story while shooting my first movie. I am glad I have you. I draw my strength from my mother, my daughter, my wife and my wife's late mother, Mrs. Bedriye. I thank them and all women for adding value to life despite everything,” Guc said after receiving the award.

Erkan Tahhusoglu won best director for “Dongu” in the same category; Belkis Bayrak won best screenplay for “Gulizar” and Hatice Aslan won the actress award for her performance in Derun. Ali Seckiner Alici received best actor for his role in “Kopekle Kurt Arasinda,” Vedat Oyan received best cinematography for “Kayitsiz” and Mastaneh Mohajer won for editing “Savrulan Zaman.”

Alici said he was surprised to receive the award. “It is pleasing. It is a serious thing to continue a festival in this country for 12 years. Polar bears, global warming, Palestine, Narin and the attack the other day, a lot can be said,” he said. “I think science and art will beautify our lives in a world where there is so much evil.”

Aslan thanked the team on “Derun.” “Everything is developing and changing in the world. I wish you to look at the world with love without losing hope,” she said.

Bayrak, the screenplay award winner, pointed out that “Gulizar” was her first feature film. “At the beginning of this journey, I didn't have huge funds, huge support or any previous films that could be a reference for this work. I had only one thing, and that was the script. Writing the script is a laborious job. It's a process where you fight with yourself and live alone, but what preserves the beauty of the script in a movie is the team. My producers got involved in my project after reading my script. That's how we met our actors, so the whole team joined the project with the script. So, I thank my whole team for making this beauty visible.”

- ‘Shambhala wins international feature

The best international film was given to “Shambhala” by Nepali director Min Bahadur Bham. The movie had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin Film Festival. The film was also honored with the best director award.

The best actor in the category went to Italian Fabrizio Gifuni for his role in “The Time It Takes” and the actress award was received by Thinley Lhamo for her performance in “Shambhala.”

The “Special Jury Prize” was awarded to Alberth Merma for “Through Rocks And Clouds”.

- National documentary, short fiction film awards​​​​​​​

The national documentary winner was presented to Murat Ocak's “Baska Bir Roman” and the “Special Jury Award” went to Evrim İnci and Nurullah Dincer on behalf of the documentary “Gidebildigim Kadar Uzaga.”

Oben Yilmaz's film “Gunaydin Anne” received the “Best National Short Fiction Film” award in the “National Short Film Competition.”

The “Istanbul Media Academy Young Talent Award” was presented to Sema Guler's “Kabuk” in the same category.

The “Ahmet Ulucay Grand Prize” went to Oliver McGoldrick's “Three Keenings.” The “Best International Short Film” went to Jason Adam Maselle's “Punter.”.​​​​​​

The “FIYAB Best Producer Award” was also presented to the film “Gulizar.”

And the festival's “Honor Award” was given on behalf of cinematographer İlker Berke, who died last year.

*Writing by Efe Ozkan