Türkiye pitched its robust production infrastructure and unique historical locations, stretching from Istanbul to Cappadocia, to the global cinema industry at the 79th Cannes Film Festival’s “Türkiye Invites You” reception.
The reception was held with the cooperation of the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s General Directorate of Cinema and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA).
The event attracted strong interest from international producers, directors, festival executives, sales agents and industry professionals, as well as Turkish actors including Caner Cindoruk, Dilan Çiçek Deniz, Engin Akyürek, Engin Altan Düzyatan, Görkem Sevindik, Ozan Akbaba, Özge Gürel and Sinem Ünsal.
Speaking at the reception, Cinema General Director Birol Güven said the event was intended as an “open invitation” for foreign filmmakers to come to Türkiye.
“The Turkish film and TV industry is no longer merely a field producing content. It has become a major industry exporting production power to the world,” Güven said.
“Our call at the Cannes Film Festival — ‘Shoot your films in Türkiye’ — is a very important indication of this. Türkiye is now a powerful hub for international productions not only because of its natural settings, but also thanks to its technical infrastructure, skilled crews, strong production capacity and dynamic industry structure capable of delivering fast solutions,” he added.
Güven recalled that foreign production companies previously arrived in Türkiye with large equipment convoys, but now came with far smaller teams because the country already offered the necessary technology, studio infrastructure, post-production facilities and professional workforce.
“This clearly shows that our sector has reached international standards,” he said.
Highlighting the growing momentum in international co-productions, Güven said Turkish producers, directors and production teams were increasingly drawing attention through their involvement in global projects.
“Türkiye is becoming a natural meeting point for world cinema with its stories, geography and production strength,” he said, adding that he believed the Cannes initiative would produce valuable cultural and economic results in the coming years.
“Türkiye is a safe harbor — come and shoot your films in Türkiye,” he said.
Güven also noted that while Istanbul was already well known among filmmakers worldwide, many other regions across the country also offered rich cinematic opportunities.
He said Türkiye had become “the first and only country” producing micro dramas to promote filming locations, adding that short clips from the project could be watched on the “Go Türkiye” YouTube channel.
Referring to the global popularity of Turkish TV series, Güven joked with guests: “If you haven’t started watching them yet, I wouldn’t recommend starting, because once you do, you can’t stop.”
Actor Engin Altan Düzyatan said Türkiye had the world’s second-largest TV drama industry after the United States.
He noted that the country offered strong technical infrastructure and production facilities, while its geography allowed filming in all four seasons.
“Türkiye’s historical and natural locations, as well as its rich culture, provide major advantages for the industry,” Düzyatan said.
He also pointed to growing interest from foreign productions in recent years, adding: “I hope we will see major international co-productions worldwide in the coming years.”
Actress Özge Gürel said such events strengthened cultural exchange and described Türkiye as “a natural film set.”
“Every city in Türkiye offers different stories. We have many options in terms of natural beauty and weather conditions and every city has its own spirit,” she said.
Asked about her favorite filming locations, Gürel said she especially liked the Black Sea region and Kars during winter because of their cinematic atmosphere.
Actress Dilan Çiçek Deniz also invited foreign producers to Türkiye, saying: “Every corner of Türkiye has its own beauty.”
Guests at the event were also served a special menu featuring selected examples of Turkish gastronomy.
Meanwhile, Türkiye also took part in the Cannes Film Market (Marché du Film) with a national stand coordinated by the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s General Directorate of Cinema.
The stand hosted Turkish sales agencies and industry representatives holding meetings aimed at increasing the international circulation of Turkish films and promoting Türkiye’s co-production opportunities, incentive system, filming processes and technical infrastructure.
Industry professionals were also presented with promotional materials, including the ministry’s “Incentives Guide,” information on films in development and completed productions, production and post-production companies, sales agencies and film festivals held across Türkiye.
