2nd TAYF International Short Film Festival Announces Winners
The 2nd TAYF International Short Film Festival, organized by Istanbul Nişantaşı University with the contributions of the General Directorate of Cinema of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, has come to an end with a grand gala and award ceremony. The festival, held at Nişantaşı University between 24-27 April 2023, brought together film professionals, film students and cinema lovers.
For four days, the festival was held at the Neotech Campus of Nişantaşı University with screenings and interviews conducted by Dr. Nagihan Çakar. Journalist and presenter Deniz Ali Tatar took on the role of program coordinator.
The festival hosted a number of movie-filled interviews. On the first day of the festival, Director Süleyman Arda Eminçe and writer Doğu Yücel participated in the interview “From Novel to the White Screen: Mitat”, while art directors Meral Efe Yurtseven and Yunus Emre Yurtseven were interviewed on “Being an Artistic Director on Sets”. Actors Hande Kaptan and Melih Selçuk conversed on “Playing a Character”, while the critic Oya Doğan was the guest of the talk “Discussing the Films”.
The second day of the festival featured “Producer’s Fundraising Journey” with producer Anna Maria Aslanoğlu, an acting panel titled “Career Journey” with the guests Deniz Baysal Yurtcu, Sera Kutlubey and Zeynep Tuğçe Bayat, “First Film First Directing Experience” with director Barış Sarhan and “From Story to Scenario” with screenwriter Zafer Külünk.
On the third day, the cinematographers Ahmet Bayer and Emre Özel spoke on “The Relationship of Image and Cinema”, while the actress Merve Polat talked on “Action in the Cinema and the Screen”, the actress Aybike Turan shared her experiences on “The Journey of an Actor”, and the director Cansu Boguslu discussed “Abroad Success of a Short Film”. Actress Cansel Elçin was the guest of the director Murat Saraçoğlu on “A Director’s Journey”.
The gala night of the festival was held at Nişantaşı University on 27 April, where the winning films were announced and presented with awards. In addition, a music concert was held which received great applause. Plaques were also presented to the people and sponsors who contributed to the festival.
12 of the 40 short films competing in 4 categories within the scope of the festival were deemed worthy of awards by the members of the main jury. There were also well-known personalities from the industry, including actors Cansel Elçin, Deniz Baysal Yurtcu and Sera Kutlubey, with director Murat Saracoğlu serving as head of the main jury. The jury also included Acunmedya Academy CEO Gökhan Mutlay, Producer/Director İsmail Fidan, Producer/Lawyer Burhan Gün, Screenwriter Zafer Külünk, Tv8 General Manager Aslı Çini Yaşaroğlu and Cinematographer Gökhan Atmış.
The preliminary jury members that selected the finalists included Cinema Critic, Presenter and Culture & Art Correspondent Deniz Ali Tatar, Cinematographer Ahsen Melike Fıçıcı, Assistant Director & Cinematographer Arzu Arda Deger, Cinematographer Emre Özel, Director Enes Yıldız, Producer Farah Emine Erdem, Cinematographer & Presenter Gizem Ertürk, Cinematographer & Writer Haktan Kaan İçel, Director Hasan İnce, Actress İpek Hatunoğlu, Cinema Critic Özlem Çetinkaya and Director Şükrü Özçevik.
The winners of the festival were announced as follows:
Fiction category:
1. HELL IS EMPTY, ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE – Özgürcan Uzunyaşa
2. TOGETHER, ALONE – November Duck
3. SOLO UN ENSAYO – Hugo Sanz – SPAIN
Animation category:
1. MAXIMUM NUMBER OF BREATHS – Mehmet Nuri Kaya
2. A GUERRA FINITA – Simone Massi – ITALY
3. THE ENCOUNTER – Aleksandra Krivolutskaia – RUSSIA
Documentary category:
1. BULAK – Evolution Pearl
2. WATCHES – Eren Aybars Arpacik
3. ABELLA’S JOURNEY – Enis Manaz
Experimental category:
1. REMOTE MIRROR – Alican Durbaş
2. FRACTAL: THE MONEY MAN – Zahid Cetinkaya
3. COLD, DISTANT AND DIRTY (COLD, DISTANT AND DIRTY) – Halime Usta.
