Competiton Films of 36. Ankara Film Festival

This year, eight films will compete in the National Feature Film Competition, chaired by director, screenwriter, and producer Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun. The jury also includes production designer Aslı Dadak, producer Diloy Gülün, actress Hasibe Eren, and editor Osman Bayraktaroğlu.

The festival's Film-Direction Jury, comprised of Cengiz Özkarabekir, Handan Öztürk, and Leyla Yılmaz, will determine the Best Director Award. The Turkish Cinema Critics Association (SİYAD) jury includes Ekrem Buğra Büte, Selin Gürel, and Senem Erdine. This jury will select the winner of the SİYAD Best Film Award.

The National Documentary Film Competition, in which seven documentaries will compete, will include writer, director, and producer Andreas Treske; director and writer Tuluhan Tekelioğlu; and artist and academic Zeyno Pekünlü.

Competiton Films of 36. Ankara Film Festival

Emine Emel Balcı "Buradayım, İyiyim / Here I Am, I Am Good" 

Hasan Tolga Pulat  "Parçalı Yıllar / Partial Years," 

Mustafa Emin Büyükcoşkun and Semih Gülen "Atlet / Athlete" 

Özkan Çelik  "Perde" 

Seyfettin Tokmak  "Tavşan İmparatorluğu / Rabbit Empire",

Şeyhmus Altun  "Aldığımız Bir Nefes / As We Breath" 

Tunç Davut  "Kesilmiş Bir Ağaç Gibi / Like a Cut Tree" 

Ziya Demirel "En Güzel Cenaze Şarkıları / The Most Beautiful Funeral Songs"

Emine Emel Balcı "Buradayım, İyiyim / Here I Am, I Am Good," 

TÜRKİYE, GERMANY / 2025 / DCP / Colour / 100’ / Turkish; English s.t.

Director: Emine Emel Balcı; Screenplay: Emine Emel Balcı; Director of Photography: Murat Tuncel; Editing: Eytan İpeker, Melike Kasaplar; Music: Andreas Lucas; Art Director: Meral Efe Yurtseven; Cast: Bige Önal, Elit İşcan, Görkem Mertsöz, Mustafa Sönmez, Elçin Atamgüç, Ayhan Kavas, Ayşe Lebriz Berkem, Uygar Bodur; Producer: Dilek Aydın, Emine Emel Balcı; Co-Producer: Jens Meurer, Derya Türkmen; Production Co.: Heimatlos Films, Prolog Film ;World Sales: Heimatlos Films & Prolog Film

Filiz, a young, working mother, struggles with postpartum depression. Seeking moments of escape, she sets out to buy ‘a car of her own.’ Along the way, Filiz meets Şule, and her search for a car turns into an unexpected bond, offering both women a chance at solidarity.

Bige Önal received the Best Actress award at the 32nd Adana Golden Boll Film Festival for her performance in the film.

Director Emine Emel Balcı and actress Elit İşcan participated in a conversation that explored the personal and psychological burdens of motherhood, focusing on societal pressures and women's solidarity.

Emine Emel Balcı explained that the story stemmed from her own motherhood, but expanded upon it after realizing that "the questions I ask about motherhood aren't unique to me." Balcı explained that she didn't separate the character of Filiz from herself when writing her own story, and that the film's goal was to "not confine motherhood to sacred space" and to portray a story that progresses toward betterment. Balcı explained that she believes Filiz must find a path through solidarity in resolving her problems, and that even the film's fictional death scene is a "symbol of solidarity."

Hasan Tolga Pulat  "Parçalı Yıllar / Partial Years" 

Hasan Tolga Pulat ‘s “Partial Years/ Parçalı Yıllar” depicts the clash of art, family, and honor during a time of economic crisis in 1975 when producers turn to soft porn films and cutting in scenes from porn flicks called ‘parça’ to regular films. The idealistic theater actor Aytekin, preparing for King Lear must become a low-budget adult movie star when his wife’s illness and his son’s political troubles force him in. His reluctant entry into cinema brings stardom, yet his efforts to protect his family end up tragically. 

Mustafa Emin Büyükcoşkun and Semih Gülen "Atlet / Athlete" 

Özkan Çelik  "Perde" 

2024 / 84’ / Color / Türkiye
Director: Özkan Çelik; Screenplay: Özkan Çelik, Cem Zeynel Kılıç; Music : Başak Günak; Cinematography: Serdar Özdemir; Art director : Levent Uçma
Editing : Nilay Atılgan , Özkan Çelik; Cast : Tülin Özen, Cem Zeynel Kılıç, Faruk Barman, İpek Türkan, Duygu Karaca, Bedir Bedir, Özlem Durmaz, Kürşat Demir
Producer : Özcan Çelik; Production: Çelik Film

Samet invites his friends over to celebrate his promotion to general manager. While feeding the cats before entering the house, he sees the woman on the ground floor undressing and runs away when she notices him, which leads to the doorman being blamed. His wife Zeynep, who has always defended the doorman while discussing this issue with her friends, will she defend what she believes is right when she learns that Samet is the real culprit? Or will she protect her interests?

Seyfettin Tokmak  "Tavşan İmparatorluğu / Rabbit Empire"

Seyfettin Tokmak's “Empire of the Rabbits / Tavşan İmparatorluğu” won the Best Film Award in the National Feature Film Competition at the 62nd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival. The film previously won Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography awards at Tallinn Black Nights Festival and was also selected for IFFR – Rotterdam.

Seyfettin Tokmak’s Türkiye, Mexico, Croatia co-production takes place in rural Turkey, where 12-year-old Musa who recently lost his mother, and his father Beko forces him to join other local boys in pretending to be disabled in a money-making scheme run by Beko’s criminal boss Muzaffer who also runs an illegal greyhound race. As the suppression of adult world increases, Musa rescues a young girl into his dream of a rabbit empire in an old mine.

The interview, featuring director Seyfettin Tokmak, actors Sermet Yeşil and Alpay Kaya, and production team members Can Aygör and Barış Duruçalı, focused on the film's challenging production process in Elazığ/Urfa, casting, and the film's theme of hope.

Director Tokmak stated that most of the film was shot in Elazığ, his hometown, and that the shoot lasted nearly 40 days. Actor Sermet Yeşil described two weeks of snowfall prior to filming, and the harsh conditions they faced in the housing complex at the base of the Keban Dam, including power outages, rats, and other inhospitable conditions. "It's a completely different experience to breathe the air of that region and work there," he said.

Tokmak explained that he chose young actor Alpay Kaya from among thousands of children because he possessed the qualities of "the ability to build a world within." The director explained that Alpay had such a moment with the camera on the third day that he realized he had "discovered the secret key to acting," and that from that moment on, working with him became much easier.

According to comments from the audience, Tokmak stated that the film's final hope is woven throughout, conveying the message that "despite all oppression, everyone can demonstrate resistance in their own way."

Şeyhmus Altun "Aldığımız Bir Nefes / As We Breath" 

Turkiye, Denmark | 2025 | 95m | Turkish

Şeyhmus Altun's debut feature, "Aldığımızı Nefes" (The Breath We Take), had its world premiere in Toronto 2025 and its European premiere at the San Sebastián Film Festival.

The film, premiered in the Discovery section of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, will premiere in Europe at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. 

These two prestigious festivals are known for discovering new talent and fostering powerful stories. "Aldığımızı Nefes" brings the story of hope and resilience of a child forced to grow up at an early age to the international stage.

When a chemical fire spreads smoke across her village, young Esma must help her father manage new and old troubles in this brutal and powerful look at a rural Anatolian family.

In an Anatolian village, young Esma’s family is shaken after a horrific fire in the chemical plant where her father Mehmet (Hakan Karsak) works. Amidst the dense fog of smoke writhing its way across the area, families are being evacuated, with children falling ill, and economic hardship from the plant’s sudden closure will plague all. As Esma (Defne Zeynep Enci) observes her father's struggle to keep his family safe despite his continuing refusal to evacuate their family home, her perspective shifts as to the real cause of the strife.

A jarring take on a coming-of-age tale, emanating from a child’s wide-eyed perspective of adult complications, As We Breathe steadily builds thick tension, bookended with brutal moments of unexpected violence. Anchored by powerful work from Karsak, matched with a prodigious performance from new face Enci, the father/daughter dynamic hypnotically shifts between charming and harrowing. Expertly assisted by director of photography Cevahir Şahin (About Dry Grasses, TIFF ’23), director Șeyhmus Altun deftly conveys the seeming senselessness of the world when seen through a child’s eyes.

Enci’s instinctual and deliberate performance adds authenticity to this story, which originates in Altun’s own childhood. With moments of sweetness to balance the bitter, the film is punctuated with a pulsing score that steadies the laughter of Esma’s little brothers and highlights her dual roles as caretaker and child herself. Though perhaps wise beyond her years, Esma is not impervious to the leaden plume of smoke descending on her home, one that eventually takes a toll on her mind as much as it might on her body.

In a conversation with producer Fevziye Hazal Yazan, the personal background of director Şeyhmus Altun's debut feature film and the challenges of bringing an independent production to life were discussed.

Producer Yazan explained that the story was inspired by an experience the director had with his sister, and that the boy given the bag represents the director's childhood. Yazan explained that the fire in the film is both metaphorical and crucial to the narrative, explaining that "we all have a fire approaching or carrying within us in our lives," explaining the film's multifaceted theme.

Producer Yazan explained that the story was inspired by an experience the director had with his sister, and that the boy given the bag represents the director's childhood. Yazan explained that the fire in the film is both metaphorical and crucial to the narrative, explaining that "we all have a fire approaching or carrying within us in our lives," explaining the film's multifaceted theme.

Yazan emphasized the difficulty of working independently, stating that it was very difficult to dare without the support of the Ministry of Culture. He explained that after years of working in advertising and television, they began filming at a point where they realized, "We either shoot now or we never do." Yazan appealed to young film students, saying that being a producer has become a "must" in Turkey due to the responsibility of gathering talented talent and shouldering financial challenges, and that he wanted to encourage young people to pursue this field.

Seyhmus Altun was born in Diyarbakır, Turkey and currently lives in Copenhagen. He graduated from Istanbul Bilgi University’s Cinema and Television Department. He has directed the short film All the Light We Cannot See (19) and the television series Esik (21). As We Breath (25) is his feature debut.

Tunç Davut "Kesilmiş Bir Ağaç Gibi / Like a Cut Tree" 

Supported by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Cinema, a co-production of TRT with the contribution of the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Cinema Office was shot in Tarsus.

Directed by Tunç Davut and co-written with Sinem Altındağ, his second feature film, "Like a Cut Tree," centers on the loss of a mother, the father left behind, and his two children. It explores the internal struggles of a family while also exploring the current state of the country.

After his wife's death, retired engineer Refik takes in Nesrin, an undocumented Syrian immigrant with two children, as a live-in caregiver. His son İhsan lives in the same city, while his daughter Nalan, who lives in Istanbul, visits her father for the holiday. She will bring him his belongings, place them in his home, and then travel to Germany to live and work.

Ziya Demirel "En Güzel Cenaze Şarkıları / The Most Beautiful Funeral Songs."

1h 51m Directed by: Ziya Demirel; Written by Ziya Demirel and Yusuf Tan Demirel; Produced by Anna Maria Aslanoğlu (istos Film) and co-produced by Emre Oskay (Sky Films); Director of photography: Doron Tempert; Edited by: Henrique Cartaxo; Production design: Osman Özcan; Sound designer: Cenker Kökten; Cast: Esra Dermancıoğlu, Halil Babür, Çağdaş Ekin Şişman, Yıldız Kültür, Nalan Kuruçim, Ayça Damgacı, Hidayet Tılı, Özer Keçeci, Büşra Albayrak, Doğa Nalbantoğlu, Gözde Mutluer.

The Most Beautiful Funeral Songs revolves around the story of Saadet, who goes after the 20,000 Euros promised by Dr. Erol Ergüven, who entered his life through an online relationship. A mosaic of stories: a grieving widow, soon-to-be newlyweds, an artist's intimate revelation, and a birthday gathering for someone who passed away. Each tale weaves into the next, creating an intricate narrative tapestry. 

Ziya Demirel's second feature-length fiction film, "The Most Beautiful Funeral Songs," will meet the audience in the official selection of the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival on October 27th as part of the festival's "Future of Asia" section.

Known for his award-winning short films Evicko (2012) and Salı (2015), which was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, director Ziya Demirel returned with awards from the Istanbul, Adana, Ayvalık and Ankara film festivals with his first feature, Ela and Hilmi and Ali.