We Aim for the Workshop to Be a Guiding Force

As one of the most important dynamics that defines and nurtures a country's cinema-going culture, film festivals serve as a collective meeting point not only for audiences but also for everyone who contributes to this art form. Through the Cinema Workshop that we will hold as part of the International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, which holds a significant role in Turkey in this regard, we aim to highlight the function of film festivals. We have centered our focus on some of the most pressing issues in Turkish cinema, ranging from working conditions in the industry to production challenges, copyright issues to film broadcasting, cultural heritage to academic-industry cooperation.

Film festivals are one of the most crucial platforms where all components of the cinematic art come together, where problems are discussed, and where steps are taken towards solutions. Aware of this responsibility, we are filled with excitement and hope to organize the Antalya Golden Orange Cinema Workshop with a unifying, inclusive, and solution-oriented perspective. Together with the esteemed Aydın Sayman, we will lead the workshop, where working groups consisting of academics, industry professionals, and representatives from associations, foundations, ministries, professional unions, and trade unions will come together, discuss various topics, generate ideas, and sign a final declaration. Following the workshop, we aim for this declaration, which will be submitted as a written report to all relevant institutions, to serve as a guide and a roadmap for solving the fundamental crises in Turkey's film industry.

Looking forward to gathering on October 10-12, 2024, with love and respect…

Perihan Taş Öz

We Will Address Current Issues for Solutions

Twenty-one years ago, in 2003, I participated with a presentation at the 4th Cinema Symposium held in Antalya, hosted by our festival. After a rather long break, now being the coordinator of the Cinema Workshop that we will once again organize under the festival’s auspices, together with the esteemed academic Perihan Taş Öz, naturally reminded me of those earlier times. I was also involved in similar meetings as a guest of the Bursa Film Festival during the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

It cannot be said that such meetings lead to immediate and decisive solutions, but when problems accumulate, the feeling that “we need to talk” dominates the industry. And after some time, positive steps are taken toward resolving these issues.

With the experience of past meetings, this time we have prioritized “current and pressing” issues in the content sections of the Workshop discussions. We will ensure that the final declaration reaches not only the media but also all relevant civil and official bodies, with particular attention to ensuring that it doesn’t remain just “talk.”

Aydın Sayman