― 28 мая 2025 г.
The 2nd International Sivas Film Festival organised with the support of TURKSOY came to an end
The 2nd International Sivas Film Festival, organised with the support of TURKSOY in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of Sivas, the Municipality of Sivas and the Sivas Cumhuriyet University, was held in Sivas between May 26th- 28th, 2025 and came to an end with a spectacular award ceremony gathering famous figures of the cinema of the Turkic World.
The festival introducing the universal language of cinema on the cultural and historical background of Sivas received 700 applications for films from 67 different countries. The films which qualified for the finals in the categories of documentary and fiction were evaluated by a jury of experts in their fields.
Throughout the festival, workshops, interviews with directors and actors, film screenings, and concerts were held, creating a vibrant atmosphere of culture and art in Sivas for three days.
With the support of TURKSOY, the festival gained an international dimension, bringing together filmmakers from the Turkic World, their works, and local producers and directors. The festival which plays a significant role as a platform for the development of cinema in the Turkic World highlights Sivas as a prestigious venue for cinema and culture.
Award-Winning Productions
Best Fiction: The Contact – Mert Erez
Special Jury Award for Fiction Film: Twenty-One Weeks Later – Nasrin Mohammadpour
Best Documentary Film: An Intellectual in the Steppes – Osman Çakır & Ali Kaymak
Special Jury Award for Documentary Film: U – Anastasia Andreevna Vladimirova
Special Awards Presented
- Turkish Cinema Service Award: Nazif Tunç
- Best Series of the Year: Mehmed: Sultan of Conquests – Eyüp Gökhan Özekin (Producer)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Seyit Ali Gündoğdu
- Best New Actor: Burç Kümbetlioğlu
- Best Supporting Actor: Ömer Kurt
During the festival, open-air film screenings organised under the motto ‘Tribute to Yeşilçam’ brought together family-themed Yeşilçam classics with cinema lovers. The concert featuring ‘Songs of Orhan Gencebay in Yeşilçam’ took on the audience to a nostalgic and emotional journey to the past.
The Special Award of TURKSOY which was also presented at the festival this year was handed over by TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, and the Head of Department of Information Technologies and Special Representative of TURKSOY for Cinema Mr. Salim Ezer to the composer and actor Mr. Aydın Sarman.