The gala of the MÜSİAD Golden Gear International Short Film Festival (MAFF), organized for the first time this year by the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD), was held at the Atatürk Cultural Centre.
Many guests from the worlds of politics, cinema and art attended the gala of the festival, which aims to bring a new breath to the sector by addressing the art of cinema on the axis of cultural diplomacy and the intellectual production economy.
In his speech at the ceremony, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı stated that culture and art are the elements that best reflect a nation's identity, values and spirit, and said, "Because culture and art, as in every area of life, build a bridge between the past and the future, keep our social memory alive and pass on the values that make us who we are from generation to generation. Therefore, these should not be seen merely as a means of entertainment or of passing time."
"Beyond being a means of entertainment, cinema has a strategic role"
Expressing that cinema holds a privileged position among the branches of art in terms of its power to reach the masses and its impact, Asmalı continued as follows:
"Cinema, with its combination of visual and auditory elements, is the branch of art that makes emotions felt most deeply and tells human stories most effectively. Beyond being merely a means of entertainment, cinema also has a strategic role in introducing our cultural values to the world and in strengthening our country's image in the international arena. At the same time, we can see that cinema's power to become an industry and to produce economic value is also extremely important. Particularly over the 20 years we have left behind, the Turkish cinema sector has shown significant development."
Underlining that the Turkish cinema and television series sector has risen to a position where it meets millions of viewers worldwide and contributes to the economy, Asmalı made the following assessment: "As of 2024, the Turkish television series sector has achieved great success by exporting more than 300 productions to over 150 countries. Turkish series have increased interest in our country by introducing our cultural values and our way of life in the international arena. This interest has also been reflected positively in the tourism sector, and the locations where the series are shot have become frequent stops for foreign tourists. From an economic point of view, the revenues obtained from series and film exports also make a serious contribution to reducing our country's current account deficit."
"We want our values to come to the fore through cinema"
Pointing out that MÜSİAD has achieved a first by launching the Golden Gear International Short Film Festival, Mahmut Asmalı noted the following:
"Cinema is the most effective language of expression of our age. The short film is the most concentrated form of this language. Every film is a spark. Sometimes with a single glance, sometimes with a single sentence, it is powerful enough to rouse a society. With this event, aware of this potential, we stand beside our young directors. We tell them, 'tell your story'. These lands have many stories. Make this country's voice heard by the whole world. 'Golden Gear' turns so that this voice may be heard, and each time it turns it opens the door to a new story, to a new hope. We want the issues of these lands to be addressed, our own stories to be told, and our culture, our identity and our values to come to the fore through cinema."
Drawing attention to art being a field where different voices can meet and debate, Asmalı shared the following view: "At this festival, no name and no work was ever evaluated on the basis of its political opinion. Here the most objective criterion is the quality of the works produced. Our jury adopted a respectful and pluralist approach that places production at the centre, and within this framework examined all works in the field of culture and art with common sense. I wholeheartedly thank and congratulate everyone who showed interest in our festival and sent in works, and more than 600 works from 44 countries took part, as well as those who ultimately succeeded and were deemed worthy of an award. God willing, our valued friends who have emerged with their talent will continue to produce successful works in the future. We too will continue to support young talents as much as we can. In this respect, our greatest wish is that this festival, whose first edition we have organized, continues throughout the coming years."
"Those who have no cause have no cinema either"
Birol Güven, Director General of Cinema at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, who was a guest at the ceremony, said, "It is truly very important that a deep-rooted institution such as MÜSİAD has decided to contribute to the art of cinema and to the cinema industry. It is very valuable; we were very pleased. As cinema lovers, we will not let MÜSİAD out of our sight."
Stating that festivals are the feast of filmmakers, Güven said, "Filmmakers are people with a cause; those who have no cause have no cinema either. In this sense, festivals are also a place where filmmakers share their troubles."
Drawing attention to the importance of an award also being given in the artificial intelligence category at MAFF, Güven said, "Because artificial intelligence has become the leading role of the 21st century. Whatever we do, we have to learn artificial intelligence."
Emphasizing that artificial intelligence will serve to increase capacity in cinema as in other professions, Birol Güven said that the awards are given not to artificial intelligence but to the person who uses it.
Güven made the following assessment: "There is no strong country in the world whose cinema is not strong. God willing, the Turkish cinema of the 21st century will also be very strong. I thank very much everyone who has contributed."
"We know very well that true development is possible through culture and art"
Sadettin Budak, Chairman of the MÜSİAD Printing, Publishing and Media Sector Board and of the Festival, said that as MÜSİAD they have for years experienced the justified pride of contributing to the country in the fields of production, exports and development, adding, "However, we know very well that true development is possible not only through economic figures but through culture, through art and through values. It is with precisely this understanding that we launched the MÜSİAD Golden Gear International Short Film Festival."
Underlining that cinema is not merely a branch of art but the memory, the spirit and the mirror of a society, Budak related the following:
"Thousands of words can be told with a single short film. With a glance, with silence, deep emotions find expression. This festival will be instrumental in enabling talented people to make their voices heard and to reflect their dreams on the screen. We draw inspiration from their courage and from their productivity. Each film was like a letter written to the future of this country, and as we read these letters we were filled with hope and with pride. With this festival we will not only support art. At the same time, we aim to contribute to the development of cultural exports, to encourage the production of young talents and to lend our shoulder to the strengthening of the local narrative. Within a short time the festival will turn into a permanent and sustainable structure in the field of culture and art that can create funds and provide production support. Because we believe that exporting our culture is not only our national pride but at the same time our economic growth strategy."
The awards found their owners
The MÜSİAD Golden Gear International Short Film Festival, which aims to bring a new opening to Türkiye's cultural export vision, met cinema lovers for the first time this year with an approach placing the social, aesthetic and intellectual aspect of the art of the short film at its centre.
Within the scope of the festival, launched by MÜSİAD and continuing for 4 days in İstanbul with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, awards in 12 categories found their owners, and a total of TRY 500,000 in prizes was presented to the winners.
At the festival, where director Ali Rıza Bayazıt's short film "Teamül" received the "Best Screenplay" and "Short Film Audience Special" awards, the "Best Cinematography" award went to "İyi Ölüm", directed by Hasan Ete, the "Best Director" award to Ercan Başaran Şahin's "Kafamdaki Polis", the "Best Student Film" award to Enes Küçük's "Nan" and the "Best Artificial Intelligence Film" award to Berkay Ellek's film "Beyaz Güvercin".
Honorary awards were presented to Mesut Uçakan and Hülya Koçyiğit
While director Abdullah Harun İlhan's work "Özgür Sözler: Gazzeli Bir Şair" was chosen for the "Best Documentary Jury Special Award", Semih Sağman's "Gulab Gul" won "Best Documentary Film" and Merve Kuş Mataracı's film "Emma" won the "Documentary Audience Special Award".
While Vlad Bolgarin's film "Place Under the Sun" received the "Best International Film Award", Muhammet Emin Altunkaynak's short film "Çekiliş" won the "Production Support and Jury Special Award" and Mert Erez's work "Rehber" won the "Best National Film Award".
At the gala night, the "MÜSİAD Honorary Awards" were also presented to Mesut Uçakan and Hülya Koçyiğit.
Many guests from the worlds of politics, cinema and art attended the gala of the festival, which aims to bring a new breath to the sector by addressing the art of cinema on the axis of cultural diplomacy and the intellectual production economy.
In his speech at the ceremony, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı stated that culture and art are the elements that best reflect a nation's identity, values and spirit, and said, "Because culture and art, as in every area of life, build a bridge between the past and the future, keep our social memory alive and pass on the values that make us who we are from generation to generation. Therefore, these should not be seen merely as a means of entertainment or of passing time."
"Beyond being a means of entertainment, cinema has a strategic role"
Expressing that cinema holds a privileged position among the branches of art in terms of its power to reach the masses and its impact, Asmalı continued as follows:
"Cinema, with its combination of visual and auditory elements, is the branch of art that makes emotions felt most deeply and tells human stories most effectively. Beyond being merely a means of entertainment, cinema also has a strategic role in introducing our cultural values to the world and in strengthening our country's image in the international arena. At the same time, we can see that cinema's power to become an industry and to produce economic value is also extremely important. Particularly over the 20 years we have left behind, the Turkish cinema sector has shown significant development."
Underlining that the Turkish cinema and television series sector has risen to a position where it meets millions of viewers worldwide and contributes to the economy, Asmalı made the following assessment: "As of 2024, the Turkish television series sector has achieved great success by exporting more than 300 productions to over 150 countries. Turkish series have increased interest in our country by introducing our cultural values and our way of life in the international arena. This interest has also been reflected positively in the tourism sector, and the locations where the series are shot have become frequent stops for foreign tourists. From an economic point of view, the revenues obtained from series and film exports also make a serious contribution to reducing our country's current account deficit."
"We want our values to come to the fore through cinema"
Pointing out that MÜSİAD has achieved a first by launching the Golden Gear International Short Film Festival, Mahmut Asmalı noted the following:
"Cinema is the most effective language of expression of our age. The short film is the most concentrated form of this language. Every film is a spark. Sometimes with a single glance, sometimes with a single sentence, it is powerful enough to rouse a society. With this event, aware of this potential, we stand beside our young directors. We tell them, 'tell your story'. These lands have many stories. Make this country's voice heard by the whole world. 'Golden Gear' turns so that this voice may be heard, and each time it turns it opens the door to a new story, to a new hope. We want the issues of these lands to be addressed, our own stories to be told, and our culture, our identity and our values to come to the fore through cinema."
Drawing attention to art being a field where different voices can meet and debate, Asmalı shared the following view: "At this festival, no name and no work was ever evaluated on the basis of its political opinion. Here the most objective criterion is the quality of the works produced. Our jury adopted a respectful and pluralist approach that places production at the centre, and within this framework examined all works in the field of culture and art with common sense. I wholeheartedly thank and congratulate everyone who showed interest in our festival and sent in works, and more than 600 works from 44 countries took part, as well as those who ultimately succeeded and were deemed worthy of an award. God willing, our valued friends who have emerged with their talent will continue to produce successful works in the future. We too will continue to support young talents as much as we can. In this respect, our greatest wish is that this festival, whose first edition we have organized, continues throughout the coming years."
"Those who have no cause have no cinema either"
Birol Güven, Director General of Cinema at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, who was a guest at the ceremony, said, "It is truly very important that a deep-rooted institution such as MÜSİAD has decided to contribute to the art of cinema and to the cinema industry. It is very valuable; we were very pleased. As cinema lovers, we will not let MÜSİAD out of our sight."
Stating that festivals are the feast of filmmakers, Güven said, "Filmmakers are people with a cause; those who have no cause have no cinema either. In this sense, festivals are also a place where filmmakers share their troubles."
Drawing attention to the importance of an award also being given in the artificial intelligence category at MAFF, Güven said, "Because artificial intelligence has become the leading role of the 21st century. Whatever we do, we have to learn artificial intelligence."
Emphasizing that artificial intelligence will serve to increase capacity in cinema as in other professions, Birol Güven said that the awards are given not to artificial intelligence but to the person who uses it.
Güven made the following assessment: "There is no strong country in the world whose cinema is not strong. God willing, the Turkish cinema of the 21st century will also be very strong. I thank very much everyone who has contributed."
"We know very well that true development is possible through culture and art"
Sadettin Budak, Chairman of the MÜSİAD Printing, Publishing and Media Sector Board and of the Festival, said that as MÜSİAD they have for years experienced the justified pride of contributing to the country in the fields of production, exports and development, adding, "However, we know very well that true development is possible not only through economic figures but through culture, through art and through values. It is with precisely this understanding that we launched the MÜSİAD Golden Gear International Short Film Festival."
Underlining that cinema is not merely a branch of art but the memory, the spirit and the mirror of a society, Budak related the following:
"Thousands of words can be told with a single short film. With a glance, with silence, deep emotions find expression. This festival will be instrumental in enabling talented people to make their voices heard and to reflect their dreams on the screen. We draw inspiration from their courage and from their productivity. Each film was like a letter written to the future of this country, and as we read these letters we were filled with hope and with pride. With this festival we will not only support art. At the same time, we aim to contribute to the development of cultural exports, to encourage the production of young talents and to lend our shoulder to the strengthening of the local narrative. Within a short time the festival will turn into a permanent and sustainable structure in the field of culture and art that can create funds and provide production support. Because we believe that exporting our culture is not only our national pride but at the same time our economic growth strategy."
The awards found their owners
The MÜSİAD Golden Gear International Short Film Festival, which aims to bring a new opening to Türkiye's cultural export vision, met cinema lovers for the first time this year with an approach placing the social, aesthetic and intellectual aspect of the art of the short film at its centre.
Within the scope of the festival, launched by MÜSİAD and continuing for 4 days in İstanbul with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, awards in 12 categories found their owners, and a total of TRY 500,000 in prizes was presented to the winners.
At the festival, where director Ali Rıza Bayazıt's short film "Teamül" received the "Best Screenplay" and "Short Film Audience Special" awards, the "Best Cinematography" award went to "İyi Ölüm", directed by Hasan Ete, the "Best Director" award to Ercan Başaran Şahin's "Kafamdaki Polis", the "Best Student Film" award to Enes Küçük's "Nan" and the "Best Artificial Intelligence Film" award to Berkay Ellek's film "Beyaz Güvercin".
Honorary awards were presented to Mesut Uçakan and Hülya Koçyiğit
While director Abdullah Harun İlhan's work "Özgür Sözler: Gazzeli Bir Şair" was chosen for the "Best Documentary Jury Special Award", Semih Sağman's "Gulab Gul" won "Best Documentary Film" and Merve Kuş Mataracı's film "Emma" won the "Documentary Audience Special Award".
While Vlad Bolgarin's film "Place Under the Sun" received the "Best International Film Award", Muhammet Emin Altunkaynak's short film "Çekiliş" won the "Production Support and Jury Special Award" and Mert Erez's work "Rehber" won the "Best National Film Award".
At the gala night, the "MÜSİAD Honorary Awards" were also presented to Mesut Uçakan and Hülya Koçyiğit.
