The 59th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival wrapped up on the 8th and with every festival ending comes the awards. There were some big winners in this year’s Golden Orange awards.
Black Night from writer/director Özcan Alper, co-written with Murat Uyurkulak won Best Film (producers Özcan Alper, Soner Alper, and Necati Akpınar) as well as best screenplay. The film is a resonate drama about guilt. The film is set with the background of a lynching and the protagonist, Ishak, who had been a wandering musician since he participated in the murder seven years agon. In order to say goodbye to his dying mother, he has to return, and face the other perpetrators, and a town that pretends it doesn’t have blood on its hands.
Another big winner was Burning Days from writer/director Emin Alper, which walked away with 9 awards. Emin Alper and the film were notably honoured by both the Turkish Film Critics’ Association with Best Film, and the Turkish Film Directors’ Association with Best Director. Additionally, the film received Golden Oranges for Best Director, Best Actor (shared with RSVP (Please Respond), Best Cinematography, Best Music, Best Editing, Best Supporting Actor, and the Cahide Sonku Award. The film is about young prosecutor who gets appointed to a small town and the drama that unfold while he investigates a murder. The film also has a gay character which means the theatrical experience might be the only chance for people in Turkey to the film as streamers might not want to risk it, given the governmental pressures they’ve faced before. But perhaps winning all these awards will help.
Snow and the Bear won 2 (Best Actress and the Behlül Dal Best First Film Award), as did Mirror, Mirror (Best Supporting Actress and the Dr. Avni Tolunay Special Jury Award). With Iguana Tokyo finishing off the National Feature Film Awards with its win for Best Art Director.
Over in National Documentary Films two films received awards. Berna Gençalp’s Who is Mihri won Best Documentary, while Duet from filmmakers Ekin İlbağ and İdil Akkuş won the Special Jury Award.
The National Short Competion winners were: Hell is Empty, All the Devils Are Here from filmmaker Özgürcan Uzunyaşa which received the Special Jury Award, and You All & I Alone from filmmakers Barış Kefeli and Nükhet Taner which received the Best Short Film.
Finally, the awards in the International Feature Film Competition were really spread out, with no feature receiving more than one award. Best International Film went to The Visitor (Martín Boulocq), Best Director to Damian Kocur for Bread and Salt, Best Actress to Marina Foïs for The Beasts, Best Actor to Pejman Jamshidi for Dustland, and lastly Valeria is Getting Married was given the Special Jury Award.
That’s a wrap on this year’s Golden Orange winners, but if want to get a sense of the future of Turkish Cinema, look at the films awarded at the festival’s Antalya Film Forum.