Turkey's Migration Film Festival announces lineup

By Salih Seref

ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkey’s International Migration Film Festival on Monday announced the entries that will compete in the feature films category.

In a statement, the organizers said eight films will be vying in the category during the festival, which will be held online from June 14-21.

This year’s festival jury president is celebrated Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan, who has won several awards, including best film and best director at the Cannes Film Festival.

The festival's closing ceremony and awards ceremony will be held on June 21.

Among the films that will be vying for an award are For Sama, a 2019 movie by Emmy award-winning filmmakers Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts.

The film, which won for best documentary at several events including BAFTA, Cannes and the British Independent Film Awards, tells the story of a young mother during the Syrian civil war.

Afghan director Hassan Fazili's Midnight Traveler chronicles his own journey when he was forced to flee his home country for Europe with his wife and two daughters after the Taliban put a bounty on his head. The movie received awards at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals.

Omar And Us is a drama film directed by Maryna Er Gorbach and Mehmet Bahadir Er.

The movie, which premiered at the Warsaw Film Festival, focuses on a retired Turkish soldier facing his own prejudices after becoming neighbors with two refugees close to the Turkish-Greek border.

The film casts Turkish actors Menderes Samancilar and Cem Bender as well as Syrian migrant actors living in Turkey.

Scent Of My Daughter by Turkish director Olgun Ozdemir tells the story of three people with different backgrounds: Beatrice, who lost all of her family in a terrorist attack in Nice in 2016, Syrian Hevi, and Ibrahim, who came to his home country for a holiday.

Oskar & Lily is a film by an Iranian filmmaker who had to flee to Austria with his family during the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Arash T. Riahi's film tells the story of two Chechen refugee children -- Oskar (8) and Lilli (13) -- who were living in Austria for six years and were about to be deported.

Italian director Costanza Quatriglio's drama Just Like My Son focuses on the story of two brothers who escaped from Afghanistan and are now living in Europe.

Dutch filmmaker Ben Sombogaart’s Rafael tells the story of Tunisian Nazir, who is married to a Dutch hairdresser. He is forced to flee his country due to the Arab Spring and escape to Europe.

Another movie -- The Merger/Extra Time by Australian director Mark Grentell -- tells the story of a former professional football player who returns to his town to coach a local team.

The festival, of which Anadolu Agency is the global communications partner, is supported by Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry and is organized by the Ministry of Interior under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency.

More than 50 films will be screened online during the festival, according to the organizers.