GOLDEN ORANGE INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM JURY BRINGS TOGETHER MASTERFUL NAMES

The International Feature Film Jury for the 62nd Antalya Golden Orange International Film Festival has been announced. The jury consists of Charles J.D. Schlissel, Elif Dağdeviren, Mehmet Kurtuluş, Najwa Najjar, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, and George Ovashvili.

The members of the International Feature Film Jury for the 62nd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, to be held between October 24 and November 2, 2025, have been announced.

This year, the International Jury includes award-winning producer Charles J.D. Schlissel, publisher and producer Elif Dağdeviren, actor Mehmet Kurtuluş, director Najwa Najjar, writer-screenwriter-director Rebecca Lenkiewicz, and director-writer-producer George Ovashvili.

Charles J.D. Schlissel is known for the films “The Prestige” (2006), “Body of Lies” (2008), ‘Insomnia’ (2002), and “Red Planet” (2000). Schlissel, who achieved a breakthrough in his career with Ridley Scott's “Robin Hood” (2010), continues to work as a producer and executive producer.

Elif Dağdeviren, who took on many roles in her press career, including reporting, column writing, and general publishing management, later added television broadcasting to her repertoire as a presenter and producer. In 1998, she established netbul.com, one of Turkey's first digital media and internet portals, demonstrating her pioneering spirit.

Dağdeviren, who founded Hermes Films in 2005, has produced many award-winning films, including Turkey's Oscar nominee “Dondurmam Gaymak.” Dağdeviren, who is also a founding partner and former president of the Istanbul Arena concert venue, established EDGE CCF in 2009, bringing together all her experience.

Dağdeviren, who also directed a short film titled “Rus Ruleti,” currently serves as a consultant for various national and international cultural events and sits on juries. Dağdeviren's corporate memberships include chairmanship of the Anatolia Sustainable Culture and Tourism Foundation, founding membership of the Metaverse Association, the TOBB Creative Industries Platform, the Habitat Association, Oy ve Ötesi, the European Film Academy (EFA), and European Women in Audiovisual (EWA). Dağdeviren is also the former director of the International Antalya Film Festival and former president of the Turkish Cinema and Audiovisual Foundation (TÜRSAK).

Actor Mehmet Kurtuluş, who made a name for himself in the film world in 1998 with Fatih Akın's “Short and Painless,” continued his career, which began in Turkish and German cinema, with success in international productions.

In Turkey, he appeared in the films “Pars: Kiraz Operation,” “Abdülhamit Düşerken,” and “Tereddüt,” as well as the TV series “Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem” and “Hakan: Muhafız.” In Germany, he played the lead detective role in six episodes of the cult crime series “Tatort.” Kurtuluş, who shared the lead roles with Samuel L. Jackson and Ray Stevenson in the 2014 Finnish-British action thriller “Big Game,” was part of the cast of the Netflix production “Mary,” starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, last year. The actor recently completed filming for a French science fiction film in September.

Palestinian director Najwa Najjar wrote, directed, and produced the screenplays for numerous award-winning films that premiered in Cairo, Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, and Sundance.

In 2020, he was invited to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) and the European Film Academy (EFA). His critically acclaimed debut film, “Nar and Myrrh” (2009), premiered at Sundance and was screened at over 70 festivals worldwide. “Hırsızın Gözleri” (2014) was nominated for an Oscar for Palestine and was selected for the Sundance Writers Lab. “Cennet ve Dünya Arasında” (2019) won the Naguib Mahfouz Best Screenplay Award at the Cairo International Film Festival and was nominated for EFA, Golden Globe, and Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The director, who is currently preparing his new historical musical film “Yabancının Öpücüğü,” also mentors new writers and directors and contributes to publications on Palestinian cinema.

The plays of writer, screenwriter, and director Rebecca Lenkiewicz have been staged at the National Theatre in London and internationally. Ralph Fiennes played the lead role in her latest play, “Small Hotel.” Co-written with Pawel Pawlikowski, “Ida” won an Oscar, a BAFTA, and five EFA awards. Co-written with Sebastian Lelio, ‘Disobedience’; co-written with Wash Westmoreland, “Colette”; “Servants,” which he co-wrote with Ivan Ostrochovsky and Marek Lescak, as well as “She Said,” “The Salt Path,” and “Hot Milk,” which won the Writers Guild of America Award.

Georgian film director, writer, and producer George Ovashvili completed his education at the Film Department of the Georgian State University of Cinema and Theatre, followed by the Film Production Program at the New York Film Academy located at Hollywood Universal Studios.

Ovashvili, who began his directing career with short films, won over 50 international awards for his first feature film, “The Other Bank,” which had its world premiere in the Generation section of the Berlin Film Festival and was nominated in the European Discovery category at the EFA.İkinci uzun metrajlı filmi “Corn Island” (2014), Karlovy Vary Uluslararası He won the Crystal Globe award at the Film Festival. He was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category in 2015. The director completed his trilogy exploring Georgia's recent history with “Khibula” in 2017, and the film premiered in the main competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Ovashvili, whose fourth feature film “Beautiful Helen” (2023) premiered at the Trieste Film Festival, has recently completed “The Moon is a Father of Mine” (2025), which will be screened for the first time in the main competition of the 2025 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

Ten films will compete for the Golden Orange Award in the categories of Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Actor at the International Feature Film Competition of the Antalya International Golden Orange Film Festival. Films from the United States, Germany, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, France, Iran, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Colombia, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, and Turkey will be screened for audiences in Turkey for the first time as part of the festival.

The awards for the 62nd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival will be presented at a ceremony on Saturday, November 1, 2025.

62ND INTERNATIONAL ANTALYA GOLDEN ORANGE FILM FESTIVAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION FILMS

Mad Bills to Pay (Director: Joel Alfonso Vargas) Urchin (Director: Harris Dickinson) Adam’s Sake (Director: Laura Wandel ) A Poet (Director: Simón Mesa Soto) If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, (Director: Mary Bronstein ) Confidante (Director: Çağla Zencirci & Guillaume Giovanetti) Mother’s Baby (Director: Johanna Moder ) The Currents (Director: Milagros Mumenthaler) Divine Comedy (Director: Ali Asgari ) Otec (Director: Tereza Nvotová)