Hasan Kalyoncu University Faculty of Communication’s Altın Baklava Film Academy 9th International Student Film Festival took place on 10-12 December 2024 with record participation. The festival, whose jury members included many well-known names, ended with a magnificent gala night at which the awards found their owners.
1,555 FILM APPLICATIONS FROM 103 COUNTRIES
The film festival, held on the Hasan Kalyoncu University campus, received a total of 1,555 applications from 103 countries in the fiction, documentary, animation and artificial intelligence categories. The directors of the future had the opportunity to develop themselves through the workshops, film screenings, talks and cultural trips they took part in throughout the festival.
AN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL WITH A LARGE JURY
While Prof. Dr. Nezih Orhon served as the festival’s jury president, the jury members included actor Oktay Kaynarca, film critic Mehmet Açar, actress Didem Uğurlu and actress Eylül Tumbar. During the three-day festival, students held talks both with the jury members and with well-loved names from the world of cinema. The festival’s surprise guest was the young actor Gökhan Mumcu.
THE “MEETING POINT” OF YOUNG FILMMAKERS
Addressing the guests at the festival’s gala night, HKU Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees Haluk Kalyoncu said: “We are extremely happy to bring together our students from various countries and different universities with art lovers under the roof of our university. The most fundamental feature of this festival is that only students can take part, and that works that begin with an amateur spirit are discovered in order to support and encourage their move into the professional sector. Alongside its research, education and undergraduate programmes, Hasan Kalyoncu University also attaches importance to social, cultural and artistic activities. The Altın Baklava Film Academy is a student film academy that supports students in discovering their potential talents and using the abilities that emerge in this field, through workshops, and in which their creative works are rewarded after jury review. As long as you produce high-quality works, Hasan Kalyoncu University will continue to support you and to bring you together with film producers and artists. On behalf of the university administration and our students, I offer my gratitude to all the artists, jury members, actors and directors who came here to accompany your work on the path to professionalisation.”
WE AIM TO PREPARE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE CINEMA INDUSTRY
Addressing the young filmmakers in particular, Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli said: “As Hasan Kalyoncu University, besides offering our young people the best education, we aim to prepare them for the highly competitive cinema industry. I believe that the Altın Baklava International Student Film Festival, which has the character of a film academy, will become even better known on the international platform with the various workshops, talks and film screenings that will contribute to the dynamic future of the film industry.”
AWARDS FOR 19 FILMS IN 4 CATEGORIES
At the Altın Baklava Film Festival, 19 films were deemed worthy of awards in the “Fiction”, “Documentary”, “Animation” and “Artificial Intelligence” categories. At the 9th Altın Baklava Film Festival, the film “Strange Bird”, directed by Achille Balthazar, won first place in the “Fiction” category, while director Berkay Ellek won the first prize in the “Artificial Intelligence” category with the film “White Dove”. Director Hayat Labban won first prize in the Documentary category with the film “Shattered Memory”, and in the Animation category director Cerine Raouraoua won first prize with the film “My Father’s Car”.
SPECIAL AWARDS MARKED THE NIGHT
In the “Special Awards” category, the “Jury Special Award” was given to the films “Squashed”, directed by Hazal Beril Çam, and “The Contact”, directed by Mert Erez.
The “Hasan Kalyoncu Special Award”, presented every year in memory of the late Hasan Kalyoncu, who laid the foundations of Hasan Kalyoncu University in 2008 and left a valuable legacy to the country, the region and the city, went to the film “Yavuz”, directed by Dilara Kuyanç and Emirhan Özcan. The award was presented by Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli.
(FULL LIST OF AWARD-WINNING FILMS)
Fiction First Prize: “Strange Bird”, Achille Balthazar – Belgium
Fiction Second Prize: “Farheen”, Mirna Bou Abboud
Fiction Third Prize: “Beautiful Smile”, Sophia Albrecht – Germany
Fiction Honourable Mention: “Little Too Much Foam”, Filip Poştovei – Romania
Documentary First Prize: “Shattered Memory”, Hayat Labban – Palestine
Documentary Second Prize: “Bir Sinefilin Dramı”, Özgür Nuri Çiçek – Türkiye
Documentary Third Prize: “Burning Heroes”, Mateusz Misiarz – Germany
Documentary Honourable Mention: “Remembering The Future”, Havvanur Korkut – United Kingdom
Animation First Prize: “My Father’s Car”, Cerine Raouraoua – France
Animation Second Prize: “REC”, Fedor Maric – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Animation Third Prize: “Sema ve Kara”, Lal Okyar – Türkiye
Animation Honourable Mention: “Surfeit”, Sabahattin Kunter Çalışkan, Berke Tolungüç – Türkiye
Artificial Intelligence First Prize: “White Dove”, Berkay Ellek – Türkiye
Artificial Intelligence Second Prize: “At The Mountains of Madness”, Buğra Mert Alkayalar – Türkiye
Artificial Intelligence Third Prize: “Divine Love”, Mert Can Altun – Türkiye
Artificial Intelligence Honourable Mention: “In Pursuit of Blue”, Nihat Vuran – Türkiye
Hasan Kalyoncu Special Award: “Yavuz”, Dilara Kuyanç, Emirhan Özcan – Türkiye
Jury Special Award: “Squashed”, Hazal Beril Cam – Türkiye
“The Contact”, Mert Erez – Türkiye
