Awards Presented at the 2nd International Students Short Film Festival

The festival, held for the second time this year, aims to support the cultural production and artistic expression of international students studying in Türkiye.

Organized in collaboration with the Directorate General of Cinema and hosted by students from the Cinema Club affiliated with the YTB Istanbul Office, the festival brought together young talents at the historic Atlas Cinema. The jury was chaired by Birol Güven, Director General of Cinema at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and included Mustafa Uğur Yağcıoğlu, Belkıs Bayrak, Emre Kavuk, and Tuba Deniz Özden.

In the festival; the first prize for the best film - Romantic Date, the second prize for the best film - Mirror, the third prize for the best film - Trul - La, the best director award - Rupture (Aizada Alymbek Kyzy), the best screenplay award - Strange Bird and the special jury award - Three Nights in Haifa.

Speaking at the ceremony, YTB President Abdullah Eren emphasized the global crisis of meaning and the importance of cultural unity formed by students from diverse nations.“Since the second half of the 21st century, we are witnessing an unprecedented coexistence of different nations and cultures. Yet, due to a lack of altruism, we fail to truly hear one another,” he stated.

Underlining that short film is a powerful means of expression that can create great effects in a short time, Eren stated that the festival is of great importance in this respect.

He also noted that YTB leads numerous cultural, academic, and artistic activities, and that this festival is a product of the YTB Cinema Academy, realized entirely by international students themselves.

He sincerely congratulated all participants and award winners and thanked all contributing partners.

Istanbul Governor Davut Gül also took the stage, describing Istanbul as a city of culture, art, and festivals: “Istanbul becomes even more beautiful with you, our esteemed international students. The short films you produce as a third eye add vibrant colors to the city’s cultural life.”He added that the experiences of international students in Türkiye will bring peace and benefit to both their home countries and Türkiye.

Birol Güven, who chaired the festival jury and also serves as the Director General of Cinema, emphasized that cinema is the most powerful means of communication in our time. “A country without a strong cinema cannot be a strong country. We will either be a nation that produces or one that merely watches,” he said, inspiring young filmmakers with his words.

Güven described filmmaking as something that stems from a sense of “inner struggle or concern”, and addressed the international students by saying: “May God never leave you without something to care about — keep making films.”

The festival concluded with the award ceremony and a group family photo.