Red carpet rolls out in Afyonkarahisar as short film festival begins
ISTANBUL
This file photo shows a short film screening from the previous years of the festival. (AA Photo)
Cinematic storytelling takes center stage in the western province of Afyonkarahisar on Oct. 12 with the grand opening of the fifth Büyük Taarruz Short Film Festival.
Organized by the Anatolian Culture and Arts Council Association under the auspices of the Culture and Tourism Ministry and hosted by the Afyonkarahisar Governor’s Office, the festival will run through Oct.16.
Following the opening ceremony at the Gedik Ahmet Pasha Provincial Public Library Conference Hall on Oct. 12, the festival will screen director Ensar Altay’s film “Kanto.”
The festival’s award ceremony will take place at the same venue on Oct. 16.
Over five days, festival selections and special screenings will be held at the Gedik Ahmet Pasha Provincial Public Library Conference Hall, Afyon Kocatepe University and Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University. Talks will also take place alongside the screenings.
The festival will also host a directing workshop led by Sönmez and a talk titled “Before We Say Action,” featuring producer Cemil Yavuz and producer and screenwriter Elif Hamamcı. The session will explore the preparatory stages of making a film or television series.
As part of this year’s program, the TRT Cinema Truck will travel through Afyonkarahisar’s city center and districts, offering screenings throughout the day. Screenings are scheduled for Sandıklı on Oct. 12, Dinar on Oct. 13, Dazkırı on Oct. 14, Bolvadin on Oct. 15 and in front of the Gedik Ahmet Pasha Provincial Public Library in the city center on Oct. 16.
A total of 380 short films applied to this year’s festival, which continues as a national competition. Following the preliminary evaluation, eight films were selected for the final round.
The festival is directed by culture and arts journalist Sevda Dursun, with Baran Mayda serving as adviser and Kübra Kuruali as coordinator. In addition to first, second and third prizes, the festival will present the Great Offensive Special Award for students from Afyon Kocatepe University’s cinema department.
The competition will feature fiction, animation and experimental films from across Türkiye, covering a range of themes. Talks and panels, as well as workshops on screenwriting, directing, acting and cinematography, will give industry professionals the opportunity to share their experience.