JURY MEMBERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE “FILM SCHOOL STUDENT FILM COMPETITION”

The jury members for the “Cinema Schools Student Film Competition,” part of Turkey's most established film festival, the Antalya International Golden Orange Film Festival, have been announced. The competition's jury consists of Leyla Özalp, Osman Özcan, and Sezen Kayhan.

The jury members for the Student Film Competition of the Cinema Schools, part of the 62nd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, have been announced. The festival will be held between October 24 and November 2, 2025. The Preliminary Selection Committee for the Film School Student Film Competition, which received 34 project submissions from 75 different film schools across Turkey, included director and screenwriter Aydın Sayman and director Onur Güler.

Masters of Cinema Together for Students

Leyla Özalp, a jury member at the “Film School Student Film Competition,” worked as an assistant director, executive producer, and producer on 28 feature films, 2 documentaries, and 2 television series between 1979 and 2004. An active member of the Turkish film and television industry, Özalp directed the 1993 documentary “Mozaik,” which depicts the multiculturalism of the historic neighbourhoods along the Golden Horn and the peaceful coexistence of many religions from the Byzantine era to the present day. In 2003, Özalp, whose book “Seni Seviyorum Sinema”, detailing the behind-the-scenes work on 30 significant Turkish films she was involved in, was published by Remzi Kitabevi, received the “Bilge Olgaç Achievement Award” at the Flying Broom Film Festival in 2003. This award was given for the first time to six Turkish women working behind the scenes in Turkish cinema.

Between 2007 and 2010, Özalp taught Film Production courses at various universities, workshops, and festivals. In 2008, her book titled “Bir Film Yapmak”, which details the film production process in Turkey, was published by Hil Yayınları. In 2008, Özalp received the “Best Film Book Special Award” at the 10th Anadolu University Eskişehir International Film Festival for her book.

Özalp served as production consultant for Türkan Şoray's TV program “Sinema Benim Aşkım” on NTV in 2010-2011. In 2012, she also served as a consultant for Türkan Şoray's book “Türkan Şoray- Sinema ve Ben”, published by NTV Yayınları. Türkiye İş Bankası Cultural Publications later published the book.

In 2025, at the 22nd Eskişehir International Film Festival, Özalp worked with Atıf Yılmaz, Yavuz Kuruçenli, Ali Özgentürk, Cüneyt Arkın, Türkan Şoray, Erden Kıral, Zeki Ökten, Başar Sabuncu, Reha Erdem, Ferzan Özpetek, Sinan Çetin, Semih Kaplanoğlu, and Yavuz Turgul.

Osman Özcan, a jury member at the “Film School Student Film Competition,” studied architectural drawing at the Istanbul Vocational High School of Construction. Between 1987 and 2006, Özcan worked in various workshops and projects in the fields of sculpture, painting, interior architecture, stage design, and industrial design. Osman Özcan also worked in theatre from 1986 to 1998, focusing on acting, lighting, and effects design. Since 2006, Özcan has continued to work in the cinema and television industry, specifically in the field of art design. He has worked as a set decorator, art director, and production designer on numerous national and international feature films, short films, and TV series. Özcan currently serves as a member of the national FST (Film and Stage Designers Association) and the international PCD (The Production Designers Collective).

Writer, director, and academic Sezen Kayhan, a jury member at the “Film School Student Film Competition,” completed her bachelor's degree in Archaeology and Art History at Bilkent University, followed by a master's degree in Cinema-TV at Bahçeşehir University and a joint doctoral program in Film Studies and Visual Culture at Antwerp and Koç Universities.

Kayhan's short films, including Erik Zamanı (2012), Elene (2016), and İmparatorlukta Zor Bir Gün (2019), have been screened at prestigious festivals such as Tribeca, BFI London, Palm Springs, and Montreal World, and have won awards. Her video works and paintings have been exhibited at various museums, including Istanbul Modern.

Kayhan, who has worked on numerous films, series, and documentaries in Turkey, Italy, the United States, and Germany, and has also published works on cinema and culture, continues to work as a faculty member and researcher at Johannes Gutenberg University. Kayhan is also working on his first feature-length documentary, Mor Menekşeli Kadınlar.

The student film selected as “Best Film” in the Film School Student Film Competition will be announced on Saturday, November 1, 2025. The winning film will be awarded the Golden Orange statuette.