The Altın Baklava Film Academy 7th International Film Festival, organised by the Hasan Kalyoncu University Faculty of Communication, took place on 10–12 May 2022 with record participation. The festival, whose jury members included many renowned names, ended with a magnificent gala night at which the awards found their owners.
At the festival held on the Hasan Kalyoncu University campus, 1368 student films from 98 countries applied in the fiction and documentary categories. The directors of the future had the opportunity to develop themselves throughout the festival through workshops, film screenings, talks and cultural trips.
While Burak Sergen, a successful actor of the theatre, cinema and television world, served as chair of the festival jury, the jury members included director Mesude Erarslan Tekin, journalist and television programme maker Gülay Afşar, documentary film director and academic Prof. Dr. Alev Fatoş Parsa, and HKU Vice Rector and Dean of the Faculty of Communication Prof. Dr. Gül Rengin Küçükerdoğan. During the three-day festival, students held talks both with the jury members and with beloved names of the cinema world. The surprise guest of the festival was Uğur Yücel, who holds an important place in our cinema as an actor and director.
“I congratulate everyone who dreamed of this organisation”
Attending the festival’s gala night and addressing young artists, the Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye Mehmet Nuri Ersoy expressed his thoughts with the words: “The fact that the festival, which started 7 years ago with the participation of 15 students, received 1368 applications this year in the fiction and documentary categories shows how right a path has been followed and that high-quality work has been done. Therefore, first of all, I congratulate everyone who dreamed of this organisation and worked to bring it to today. I also extend my thanks to the university management, especially the Hasan Kalyoncu University Board of Trustees, who did not withhold their support in this process.”
International festival success in 7 years
Addressing the guests at the festival’s gala night, HKU Chair of the Board of Trustees Cemal Kalyoncu shared the story, full of determination and resolve, of how Hasan Kalyoncu University became one of Türkiye’s most successful foundation universities in the short span of 14 years, and continued his words as follows: “As the captain of this ship, whose foundations were laid on this land 78 years ago and which has now set sail across the oceans as a global brand, I am proud to be with you on this land and at the gala of a global festival. As an institution that loves its country and acts with a sense of loyalty, we have put our hand under the stone in every matter, and we continue to do so. We look after our stray animals, our forests and our cultural heritage; under the Kalyon Culture umbrella we organise exhibitions, workshops and talks. I sincerely congratulate all applicants who showed the courage to take part in this festival and put forth their efforts, and the award winners.”
We value culture and the arts
In his speech encouraging young filmmakers, Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli pointed out that Hasan Kalyoncu University, in addition to its education and teaching activities and scientific work, attaches great importance to cultural and artistic events and always strives to do the best at the international level, noted that the “Altın Baklava Film Academy and International Student Film Festival” is one of the greatest indicators of this, and thanked those who contributed to the realisation of the festival and the participants.
The most meaningful award
The “Hasan Kalyoncu Special Award”, given every year in memory of the late Hasan Kalyoncu, who laid the foundations of Hasan Kalyoncu University in 2008 and left an important legacy not only to Gaziantep but to all of Türkiye, was given this year to the film Arayış/Odyssey, directed by Ömer Güler. Presenting the award, Deputy Chair of the Board of Trustees Haluk Kalyoncu once again emphasised the moral meaning of the award with the words, “The Hasan Kalyoncu Special Award is perhaps the most meaningful award of the Altın Baklava Film Academy International Student Film Festival. This award is given in memory of the late Hasan Kalyoncu, who made unique contributions to our region and our country with his determination, perseverance and broad vision. In addition to carrying out successful projects in various sectors, Hasan Kalyoncu attached special importance to education, and we have no doubt that he watches our university’s rapid and steady rise with happiness and pride.”
The awards have found their owners
At the Altın Baklava Film Festival, 13 films were deemed worthy of awards in the “Fiction” and “Documentary” categories. At the 7th Altın Baklava Film Festival, in the Fiction category the film “Stamp”, directed by Lovro Mrdjen, took first place, while the Fiction Jury Special Award was given to the film “Junkyard”, directed by Sacha Bitar.
In the Documentary category, director Ahmed Abuzenada received the first prize with the film “Trucage”, while the winners of the Documentary Jury Special Award were director Benjamin Grinand and director Lucien Lepoutre with the film “Days of Fishing”.
The “Audience Special Award”, determined by audience votes for the first time this year, went to the film Contentment, directed by Ernesto Redondo Vergara, while the Zeugma Culture – Art Special Award was given to Mert Sata and Berk Sata with the film “Çerçeve/The Frame”.
(Full list of award-winning films)
Fiction First Prize: “Stamp”, Lovro Mrdjen – Croatia
Fiction Second Prize: “Imaginarium”, Cristian Beteta – Spain
Fiction Third Prize: “Babamın Öldüğü Gün/The Day My Father Died”, Emre Sefer – Türkiye
Fiction Special Award: “Junkyard”, Sacha Bitar – Lebanon
Fiction Honourable Mention: “Preparation”, Ilia Asitashvili – Georgia
Documentary First Prize: “Trucage”, Ahmed Abuzenada – Egypt
Documentary Second Prize: “Tobacco Shops”, Dora Slakoper – Croatia
Documentary Third Prize: “Sürgünde Bir Yıl/A Year in Exile”, Malaz Usta – Türkiye
Documentary Jury Special Award: “Days of Fishing”, Benjamin Grinand and Lucien Lepoutre – Belgium
Documentary Honourable Mention: “Smirna’nın Çukuru/Çukurhattan”, Begüm Aksoy – Türkiye
Hasan Kalyoncu Special Award: “Arayış/Odyssey”, Ömer Güler – Türkiye
Zeugma Culture – Art Special Award: “Çerçeve/The Frame”, Mert Sata – Berk Sata – Türkiye
Audience Special Award: “Contentment”, Ernesto Redondo Vergara – Estonia
