AWARDS 2024
Best Short Film:
Returning To Earth (USA) - directed by Tim Hunter
A father, Rob, in recovery, travels from New York to see his estranged daughter, Zo, who's living in a remote cabin in Montana. With him is an urn containing the ashes of his son, Zo's brother who killed himself. Their mission is to scatter the ashes at his favorite spot on the Yellowstone River. What begins as an uneasy reunion soon becomes a cathartic journey toward personal redemption and reconciliation.
RED (France) - directed by Balthazar Reichert
Judith, a painter, and Amber, her model who is seven months pregnant, celebrate the end of their collaboration over dinner. During this convivial diner, strange phenomena appear, and a dark force seems to gradually invest Judith's house...
The Apple (Türkiye) - directed by Mehmet Acaruk
Zerya is a refugee woman in her 50s living in Paris. When she was only 22 years old, she had to leave her country because of the chemical gas thrown into the city of Halabja by Saddam Hussein on March 16, 1988. She has lived in France for 30 years. Visiting a painting exhibition in Paris, Zerya said, "This is not an apple," from Magritte's Betrayal of Images series. This painting reveals Zerya's past traumas. Zerya establishes both a historical and aesthetic relationship between the "apple with cloves", which expresses love in Kurdish mythology, the smell of apples in the gas used in the massacre, and Magritte's painting. She expresses the relationship of the painting with its own tragedy in a different performance.
Forbidden (Czech Republic) - directed by Charlotte Vacková
A coming-of-age short surrealist drama about a girl stuck between order and passion. In a pure, ideal world full of rules, one schoolgirl is tempted to get a forbidden kiss and then faces the consequences of her behaviour.
Pit (Russia) - directed by Roman Boyko, Dmitry Pasichnyuk
Propaganda became an integral part of the Second World War. Discord and enmity were sown among representatives of different nationalities. Anti-Semitism occupied a special place in Nazi propaganda. The Germans agitated the Red Army soldiers to join them, promising a happy and well-fed life if the defectors brought with them not only commanders and commissars, but also Jews. There were calls to organize Jewish pogroms in the occupied territories.
La Croix (The Cross) (France) - directed by Joris Fleurot
A young, uninspired graphic designer encounters strange phenomena following a ritual with her best friend.
Experience (Slovenia) - directed by Matic Eržen
Following the music, which is the inspiration of the film-it is composed of just 4 basic acords and it later intertwines into a very complex and grand symphony. Just the way life happens. It starts of very simple, curious, creative, but later in life it becomes complicated and tough due to many experiences, trauma, relationships etc. Through the short film we follow the experience of life of our protagonist, through it's many ups and downs and all that life is.
Best Short Documentary Film:
Save Generation Ua (Ukraine) - directed by Roman Blazhan
This documentary is about the charity project "Childhood without War" of the Ruslan Shostak Foundation, which carried out the largest evacuation of orphans since the Second World War. More than 2,700 Ukrainian orphans and accompanying persons were rescued during the year. The organizers of the project talk about the difficult beginnings and the successes that have been achieved. The film’s main characters are the children themselves, who tell how their lives changed after they got into the project.
Colours of Provence (France) - directed by Renaud Conti
A short documentary showing the working approach of Inès CICCONE, a young ceramist based in Provence (South of France). Her work is inspired by the natural colours and landscapes of this beautiful land.
Mission microbiome (France) - by Giulia Grossmann
"Mission Microbiome" takes us on a scientific voyage in the company of an international team of researchers dedicated to the study of plankton. Off the coast of Senegal, the research intertwines with the reality of the fishermen's pirogues that have come to exchange supplies with the scientific vessel, creating a context where science and everyday life coexist. Oscillating between the immensity of maritime views and the fascinating microscopic world, at the delicate frontier between the visible and the invisible.
THE WOODLAND THRESHOLD (France) - by Giulia Grossmann
"The woodland threshold" is an introspective journey, bringing us to the depths of a mystical and endemic forest. We follow Dao, as if in a dream, as she wanders through the woods, letting her thoughts wander to the rhythm of her footsteps, travelling to the depths of her memory. Between the parks of Rennes in France, where she lives, and the jungles of the Golden Triangle in Laos, we wander with her on an interior journey where the frontiers between past and present become blurred.
Best Documentary Feature Film:
Blue Carbon: Unleashing Nature's Superpower (UK) - directed by Nicolas Brown
Told through the eyes of Grammy-nominated music producer, DJ and environmental toxicologist, Jayda Guy, accompanied by a score from the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and featuring Seu Jorge, Blue Carbon is an environmental documentary that brings together music and science to uncover what could be one of our greatest weapons in the fight against climate change. Filmed in the USA, Senegal, Vietnam, France, Colombia and Brazil, the documentary explores the latest science around the relatively newly-discovered potential of coastal ecosystems to help remove carbon from our atmosphere.
Brother (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - directed by Ajdin Kamber, Vanja Stokic
Dozens of migrants from Asia and Africa drown every year in the rivers between Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Only a few of them get identified. An even smaller number get returned to their families in their countries of origin.
Most of them were buried in local cemeteries, without taking a sample for DNA analysis. This actually means that their families will never know what happened to them or where their graves are. If one day they appear in the Balkans looking for their relatives, due to the lack of records, the institutions will not know which grave to exhume. These are neglected graves, in remote parts of local cemeteries. They are often overgrown with grass and littered with garbage. Even the dead are not treated with respect here.
Köşe Başı Beklerim (Türkiye) - directed by Neslihan Kültür
The story is about the life story of the 55-year-old Hatice, who is the only woman working as a toilet attendant in a male tradesman-dominated bus station. His father killed his mother at a young age, his mother went to the grave and his father went to prison. While we are witnessing the story of our character who grew up in the orphanage in Adana, we will also witness the different lives at the bus station through Hatice's eyes.
Best Director:
The Apple (Türkiye) - directed by Mehmet Acaruk
Zerya is a refugee woman in her 50s living in Paris. When she was only 22 years old, she had to leave her country because of the chemical gas thrown into the city of Halabja by Saddam Hussein on March 16, 1988. She has lived in France for 30 years. Visiting a painting exhibition in Paris, Zerya said, "This is not an apple," from Magritte's Betrayal of Images series. This painting reveals Zerya's past traumas. Zerya establishes both a historical and aesthetic relationship between the "apple with cloves", which expresses love in Kurdish mythology, the smell of apples in the gas used in the massacre, and Magritte's painting. She expresses the relationship of the painting with its own tragedy in a different performance.
Son Akşam Yemeği (Türkiye) - directed by Levent Onan
Date, 28th of October 1923. Location, Çankaya Presidential Mansion’s kitchen...
Our story begins in the early hours of the morning with the preparation of the dinner to be served in the evening. This is the last supper before the declaration of the republic.As the feverish preparations continue, a visitor from the village arrives at the kitchen for the elderly kitchen hand Ahir. His six-year-old granddaughter Elif, whom he has never seen before that day, is now entrusted to him.In the stories told by his mother, her grandfather is a grand and skilled chef who cooked for sultans and pashas in palaces. However, in front of him stands a man with slumped shoulders, faded eyes, and a sooty apron, with one arm missing. Actually, everything she’s been told is true. However, there are some other realities that Elif doesn’t know. During the Gallipoli Campaign, Ahir had left his work at a townhouse and joined the front lines. Then he became a prisoner of war and returned, having lost one of his two hands, his only capital for life. Unable to work as a chef anymore, he got a job as a burner at Mustafa Kemal Pasha’s mansion by the recommendation of a friend. However, aside from the aide who hired him, no one else knows this truth.
Elif, who had dreamed of meeting Mustafa Kemal Pasha on the way, finds herself in a single-room outbuilding. She must not be seen by anyone until the dinner service is over that night. Ahir will have to come up with a solution for what comes next. However things do not turn out as planned. As the country approaches the hours that would change its destiny, the head chef Mahmut’ coach topples over on the way to bazaar. His assistant Yakup, knowing everything in theory, cannot handle the practical aspect of the job. That’s when Ahir was assigned the task of cooking dinner by the aide’s order. However, this order was like a punishment for him. Once upon a time, they had fought side by side with the Pasha in Gallipoli. In fact, Ahir had sacrificed his arm in exchange for taking the life of an English commander for the Pasha’s cause. However, times had changed, and everyone had begun to talk about the Pasha’s intentions of abolishing the sultanate. In Ahir’s view, they were no longer on the same side. Before he could voice his thoughts, he found himself obliged to accept the task as a form of debt repayment. He would cook one last dinner that evening and leave the mansion the next day. He turned this obligation into a challenge by changing the evening’s European menu to an Ottoman menu. He had the new tableware brought in, and of course, he would serve the palace dishes on plates adorned with the imperial seal. As he departs, he would show them what they had lost. For Elif, that evening is the moment when her dreams come true. Her grandfather, dressed in palace uniforms, prepares a splendid table with the skill of his one remaining hand and the help of the kitchen staff for the guests.
However, despite all the guests enjoying their meals, Mustafa Kemal Pasha doesn’t even take a single spoonful of the soup. He simply returns his plate untouched. This attitude seemed like a silent retaliation against Ahir’s challenge. All night long, courses are served up and down, from appetizers to the main course to dessert, but Mustafa Kemal Pasha doesn’t touch any of them.
Although the kitchen staff was delighted to have produced a perfect menu at the end of a day that started with mishaps, Ahir’s mind is consumed by the uneaten dishes. Head chef Mahmut arrives at the very end of the night. Upon discovering that Mustafa Kemal Pasha had gone hungry all night and seeing Ahir’s granddaughter hiding in the kitchen, Mahmut immediately fires the old man without giving him a chance to quit. It was decided that the republic shall be announced the next day and the tableware with imperial seals are destroyed during the commotion caused by the head chef. While Arif waits the morning to leave the mansion, Elif falls asleep at the table. At that moment, footsteps are heard on the stairs. Mustafa Kemal Pasha, whom Elif had been eagerly waiting to see all day, is finally in the kitchen. He is hungry because he hadn’t eaten anything all evening and came downstairs to snack on something. However, Elif was not even aware of this agnificent moment.
Ahir acts to prepare a meal for the Pasha whom he was secretly disappointed of however Mustafa Kemal Pasha opts to eat the village cheese and bread that Elif had brought instead. Ahir, struggling to bid farewell to the Ottoman Empire, and Mustafa Kemal Pasha, envisioning a new future, sit at opposite ends of the table. One represents the past, while the other symbolizes the future. Yet, it’s the new generation, the Elifs of the world, who will decide what comes next. Mustafa Kemal Pasha picks up Elif from where she had fallen asleep and carries her to her bed; but before he leaves he orders a dish for the next day. He asks Ahir to
make the helva that he couldn’t eat the previous evening. This, in fact, is the greatest sign that the Ottoman Empire and the Republic cannot truly be separated from each other. While administrations and ideas may change, unity, goals, and purposes remain the same. The future is Elif, the past is owned by Ahir, and it’s Mustafa Kemal who brings them together. As they quietly leave the mansion the next day, Ahir has left a plate of helva behind for the Pasha. Elif, on the other hand, mistook the blurry figure she saw at night for a dream and is content with that much.
While Atatürk declares the Republic in the Parliament, the grandfather and granddaughter board a train from Ankara Station. Just like Turkiye, a new future awaits them.
Best Student Short Film:
Monday Mourning (USA) - directed by Dustin Kahia
"Monday Mourning" delves into the enigmatic journey of Daniel, a man returning home after a long absence under mysterious circumstances. The story begins with a sense of intrigue, as Daniel prepares for a significant day, the nature of which is unknown. This deliberate ambiguity creates a compelling tapestry of unspoken emotions and complex family dynamics. Throughout the film, the narrative invites exploration into the puzzle of Daniel's life. His interactions with his sister are laden with tension, nostalgia, and unspoken truths. The film captures the essence of a family reuniting, leaving viewers to ponder the reasons behind Daniel's prolonged absence and the nature of the gathering that has brought them together.
"Monday Mourning" is an exploration of emotional landscapes that define human relationships. It challenges viewers to reflect on themes of homecoming, reconciliation, and the unsaid words that linger in family relationships. The film is a poignant reminder of the complexities of coming to terms with one's past and the power of presence in the face of undefined loss. Engaging and thought-provoking, "Monday Mourning" is a cinematic experience, highlighting the delicate balance between what is said and what is left to the imagination.
Best Feature Film:
Son Akşam Yemeği (Türkiye) - directed by Levent Onan
Date, 28th of October 1923. Location, Çankaya Presidential Mansion’s kitchen...
Our story begins in the early hours of the morning with the preparation of the dinner to be served in the evening. This is the last supper before the declaration of the republic.As the feverish preparations continue, a visitor from the village arrives at the kitchen for the elderly kitchen hand Ahir. His six-year-old granddaughter Elif, whom he has never seen before that day, is now entrusted to him.In the stories told by his mother, her grandfather is a grand and skilled chef who cooked for sultans and pashas in palaces. However, in front of him stands a man with slumped shoulders, faded eyes, and a sooty apron, with one arm missing...
Best Student Director:
Vuruyor Gol Oluyor (Türkiye) - directed by Berk Ali Çekmez
A dark poem of growing up and everlasting passion of football. Bekir is a teenager who has isolated himself from his surroundings and peers. A writer who crosses his path in an unfortunate moment will be the beginning of a chain of mysterious events. Of course, we all take steps into adulthood at some point. But is it possible to fully grow up while having this passion for football inside us?
Best Short Animation Film:
Numbers (Türkiye) - directed by Deniz Türker
The poignant story of migrants who are forced to leave their countries due to wars, conflicts, occupation, or chronic poverty, embarking on a journey towards unfamiliar lands in pursuit of a safer and more beautiful life. The animated film "Numbers" reminds us that humans are not mere statistics, but living beings.
Best Cinematography:
Son Akşam Yemeği (Türkiye) - directed by Levent Onan
Date, 28th of October 1923. Location, Çankaya Presidential Mansion’s kitchen...
Our story begins in the early hours of the morning with the preparation of the dinner to be served in the evening. This is the last supper before the declaration of the republic.As the feverish preparations continue, a visitor from the village arrives at the kitchen for the elderly kitchen hand Ahir. His six-year-old granddaughter Elif, whom he has never seen before that day, is now entrusted to him.In the stories told by his mother, her grandfather is a grand and skilled chef who cooked for sultans and pashas in palaces. However, in front of him stands a man with slumped shoulders, faded eyes, and a sooty apron, with one arm missing...
Forbidden (Czech Republic) - directed by Charlotte Vacková
A coming-of-age short surrealist drama about a girl stuck between order and passion. In a pure, ideal world full of rules, one schoolgirl is tempted to get a forbidden kiss and then faces the consequences of her behaviour.
Best Actress:
Forbidden (Czech Republic) - Zuzana Valešová
A coming-of-age short surrealist drama about a girl stuck between order and passion. In a pure, ideal world full of rules, one schoolgirl is tempted to get a forbidden kiss and then faces the consequences of her behaviour.
Son Akşam Yemeği (Türkiye) - PELİN AKİL and Azra Aksu
Date, 28th of October 1923. Location, Çankaya Presidential Mansion’s kitchen...
Our story begins in the early hours of the morning with the preparation of the dinner to be served in the evening. This is the last supper before the declaration of the republic.As the feverish preparations continue, a visitor from the village arrives at the kitchen for the elderly kitchen hand Ahir. His six-year-old granddaughter Elif, whom he has never seen before that day, is now entrusted to him.In the stories told by his mother, her grandfather is a grand and skilled chef who cooked for sultans and pashas in palaces. However, in front of him stands a man with slumped shoulders, faded eyes, and a sooty apron, with one arm missing...
Domino (Türkiye) - Begüm Arslan
Experiencing problems with life and the environment, İnci was moved to a house near the lake by her family. However, Inci, who has childhood traumas, is also experiencing interesting and mysterious problems in the house she has just moved to. İnci, who is trying to get help from her family, is looking for solutions to her problems.
Best Actor:
Son Akşam Yemeği (Türkiye) - Onur Tuna - Engin Şenkan
Date, 28th of October 1923. Location, Çankaya Presidential Mansion’s kitchen...
Our story begins in the early hours of the morning with the preparation of the dinner to be served in the evening. This is the last supper before the declaration of the republic.As the feverish preparations continue, a visitor from the village arrives at the kitchen for the elderly kitchen hand Ahir. His six-year-old granddaughter Elif, whom he has never seen before that day, is now entrusted to him.In the stories told by his mother, her grandfather is a grand and skilled chef who cooked for sultans and pashas in palaces. However, in front of him stands a man with slumped shoulders, faded eyes, and a sooty apron, with one arm missing...
Best Trailer/Teaser:
Anadolu Kadim Doğa (Türkiye) - directed by Burak Dogansoysal
The Anatolian Ancient Nature documentary is a project that aims to create a visual inventory of the Anatolian geography, which contains species that are extremely important for the natural history heritage of our world. Our primary goal is to document little-known, iconic, endemic and endangered species in high quality and pass them on to future generations.
Best Student Feature Film:
Andreas Moles (Türkiye) - dir. by Emre Cubukcu, Mert Emre Ergin, Atakan Aydın
"In the thrilling movie 'Andreas Moles,' embark on a journey with the unnamed protagonist, a man obsessed with a particular kidney and an unforgettable melody. As mysterious events unfold, this man, alongside a new partner, delves into a tangled tale of intrigue and excitement. This cinematic adventure is packed with mystery, unexpected twists, and unforgettable characters, promising to unravel secrets and engage viewers from start to finish."
Sabes Quién Soy - You Know Who I Am (Argentina) - directed by Roque Corcuera
A former member of a band feels rejected by its current members and tries by all means to rejoin the band and play again with the only group that made him feel fullfilled. The film is about Roque, the former bassist of the band Thor-tilla, whose goal is to return to the band and believes he was the [alma mater / soul] of the band.
After a few years, Roque returns to Fico’s place, the band’s front man and singer, in the hope of reclaiming his place in the band. Just days from the launch of the band’s debut album, he expects to play bass in at least one song.
Best Producer:
Son Akşam Yemeği (Türkiye) - Ahmet Selim Tuncer
Date, 28th of October 1923. Location, Çankaya Presidential Mansion’s kitchen...
Our story begins in the early hours of the morning with the preparation of the dinner to be served in the evening. This is the last supper before the declaration of the republic.As the feverish preparations continue, a visitor from the village arrives at the kitchen for the elderly kitchen hand Ahir. His six-year-old granddaughter Elif, whom he has never seen before that day, is now entrusted to him.In the stories told by his mother, her grandfather is a grand and skilled chef who cooked for sultans and pashas in palaces. However, in front of him stands a man with slumped shoulders, faded eyes, and a sooty apron, with one arm missing...
Festival Special Award:
Ceylin (Türkiye) - Tufan Şimşekcan
This is the true story of Ceylin who lives with her family in a tent city for seasonal agricultural workers. 14-year-old Ceylin dreams of going to school, yet she knows that this is impossible. Her father, Cabbar, is an agricultural worker in his 50s who is hoping to get away from life in the tent city. Her brother, Adem, is a mentally challenged man in his 30s. He is having a hard time adjusting to life after military service. Her mother, Meryem who got sick while giving birth to her younger sister Zeliş is in her deathbed. One day, a documentary filmmaker, Bilge, arrives at the tent city. She later meets Mehmet who is in charge of the workers. As Bilge holds a mirror to the tent city its problems become visible one after the other and an incident which affects Ceylin and the whole community discloses it all.
Clockmaker (Azerbaijan) - Huseynaga Aslanov
When the clockmaker fixed the clock in need of repair and placed it back, a strange sound came from the room. It was the internal voice of another clock. When clockmaker started talking to that clock, he found answer to many questions. So, was this voice really the internal voice of that clock?
