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Boston Turkish Festival's 19th Annual Documentary & Short Film Competition Co-presented with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Film Program OPENING TEARS OF CEM KARACA Cem Karaca’nın Gözyaşları Directed by Yüksel Aksu 123 min. / 2024 / with English subtitles Cast: İsmail Hacıoğlu, Fikret Kuşkan, Yasemin Yalçın, Melisa Aslı Pamuk, Meral Çetinkaya INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2024 | 2:00 pm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKET READ MORE...   CROSSING THE BRIDGE: THE SOUND OF ISTANBUL İstanbul Hatırası: Köprüyü Geçmek Directed by Fatih Akın 91 min. / 2005 Remastered / with English subtitles Featuring Sezen Aksu, Baba Zula, Ceza, Aynur Doğan, Duman, Erkin Koray, Brenna MacCrimmon, Orient Expressions, Replikas, Müzeyyen Senar, Selim Sesler SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2024 | 2:30 pm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKET READ MORE...

COMPETITION FINALISTS Streaming Online November 25 - December 6, 2024 CLICK HERE TO WATCH ONLINE

DOCUMENTARIES

A JOURNEY TO THE BLACK SEA Horona Duranlar Directed by Bahriye Kabadayı Dal Doc. | 49 min. | 2024 with English subtitles The film invites audiences on a journey through the world of 'kemençe' and 'horon,' musical traditions that hold magical power for the Black Sea people living in Türkiye, Greece, and other countries. READ MORE... A WARP IN TIME Zaman Bükülmesi Directed by Sabri Kuşkonmaz Doc. | 75 min. | 2023 with English subtitles The Nomadic Yörük-Türkmens live in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions. Today, most Yörük-Türkmens have adopted a settled lifestyle. This ancient journey intersects with contemporary life, dividing it and warping time. READ MORE... BETWEEN DELICATE AND VIOLENT Zarafet ve Şiddet Arasında Directed by Şirin Bahar Demirel Doc. | 15 min. | 2023 with English subtitles Can we see the violence of the painter's hands in the brush strokes of his paintings? Could cross-stitch be an alphabet? 'Between Delicate and Violent' imagines unearthing traumatic memories that have not been included in family albums. READ MORE... FIVE CITIES: ANKARA Beş Şehir: Ankara Directed by Alper Kaya & Gökçin Dokumacı Doc. | 46 min. | 2023 with English subtitles An Ankara narrative under the light of Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, gazing at the plains of Ankara from the castle in the light as sharp as glass while delicately sketching the past, the present and the future of a newly born city and a new country unfolding through a unique perspective... READ MORE... GAME CHANGERS Spielerinnen Directed by Aysun Bademsoy Doc. | 86 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Aysun Bademsoy's long-term observation of Turkish female soccer players in Berlin-Kreuzberg focuses on the next generation 30 years after their first encounter. Born and raised in Germany, they still ask themselves the question: Do we really feel accepted here? READ MORE... HARVEST OF LIGHT Işığın Hasadı Directed by Esin Özalp Öztürk Doc. | 52 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Turkish capital Ankara’s Evren district is home to a community of seasonal workers. The workers, who come to Evren with their families to harvest onions, are trying to cope with various difficulties while holding on to life. READ MORE... HOPES FROM THE TREE Ağaçtan Umutlar Directed by Haydar Demirtaş Doc. | 76 min. | 2023 with English subtitles Hosyar Ali Hasan was born and raised in Halabja in Northern Iraq. During the Iraq-Iran War, which lasted between 1980-88, millions of mines were laid on the Iranian border. Hosyar Ali loses both legs while clearing mines, but he continues to collect mines every day. READ MORE... JAZZ MY HOME Directed by Beraat Gökkuş Doc. | 87 min. | 2023 with English subtitles A documentary about jazz, Paris, African-American artists, immigration, racism, and home. READ MORE... SAFE SPACE Güvenli Alan Directed by Nurcan Çoban Doc. | 13 min. | 2024 with English subtitles This documentary explores how Istanbul's streets and nightlife serve as a safe space for LGBTIQA+ individuals. READ MORE... THE GOOD DEATH İyi Ölüm Directed by Hasan Ete Doc. | 20 min. | 2024 with English subtitles In the medical literature, a good death is one that respects the individual's privacy and sensitivity, addresses their emotional, spiritual, and religious needs and wishes, and allows sufficient time for farewells. READ MORE... THINGS I LEARNED AT 30 30 Yaşında Öğrendiğim Şeyler Directed by Sezer Ağgez Doc. | 21 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Everyone has a moment of explosive coincidence in their life when they need to pause and reflect. Each coincidence brings with it a new set of questions and new beginnings. The path of graffiti artist Hasan Alveroğlu, aka Chek, is shaped by similar coincidences. READ MORE... TÜRKAN: THE STORY OF A FEMALE SCIENTIST Türkan: Bir Bilim Kadınının Öyküsü Directed by Gülay Ayyıldız Yiğitcan Doc. | 31 min. | 2024 with English subtitles The documentary, 'Türkan: The Story of a Female Scientist,' chronicles the inspiring life of Professor Dr. Türkan Saylan, a champion of the modern Republic of Türkiye and an idealistic scientist who received the International Gandhi Award for Leprosy in 1986 and a pioneer of modern education. READ MORE... UFKU AND ÜLVİYE Ufku ve Ülviye Directed by Erkan Tahhuşoğlu Doc. | 25 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Ufku and Ülviye represent two generations: the mother, rooted in tradition and nature, and the son, struggling to find purpose and fulfillment in his profession. READ MORE... WHO ARE THEY? WHO ARE WE? Kim Bunlar? Biz Kimiz? Directed by Neşe Kayardı & Can Paçacıoğlu Doc. | 27 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Through the lens of personal stories and interviews, this documentary delves into the complex relationship between the Turkish people, renowned for their hospitality and warmth, towards Slavic refugees displaced by war. READ MORE... WINE DARK SEA Şarap Rengi Deniz Directed by Nefin Dinç Doc. | 43 min. | 2024 with English This film chronicles the profound changes wrought by global warming in the Mediterranean, the sea Homer famously described as the 'Wine-Dark Sea,' and its surroundings. READ MORE... YAREN Directed by Mehmet Ali Poyraz Doc. | 7 min. | 2024 with English subtitles This documentary follows Fisherman Adem Yılmaz's extraordinary friendship with a stork named Yaren. READ MORE... SHORT FILMS A FAMILY Bir Aile Directed by Murat Çetinkaya Short | 20 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Cast: Pınar Güntürkün, Bülent Çolak, Mina Örkü, Lara Aldoğan Bahar (45) and Tamer (45) are newlyweds, each with a young daughter from a previous marriage. As they unpack their new home in a desolate coastal town, they receive tragic news: their daughters have sailed off on a boat, and one has drowned. READ MORE... A TAXI IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT Gecenin Ortasında Bir Taksi Directed by İlkay Demir Short | 20 min. | 2023 with English subtitles Cast: Cansu Fırıncı, Seyhan Arman Ahmet, a taxi driver, picks up a transgender woman one night. The woman immediately recognizes her old friend, Ahmet, but Ahmet is unable to identify her. They engage in a guessing game to see if Ahmet can figure out who she is. READ MORE... BREATH Nefes Directed by Cem Terbiyeli Short | 16 min. | 2023 with English subtitles Cast: Emrullah Çakay, Erdem Şenocak, Hilal Nur Vardar Arif must care for his bedridden father, who suffers from diabetes. His lover's changing outlook on life forces Arif to choose between his father, who abandoned him, and his own pursuit of freedom. READ MORE... CHEERS TO THE END Aç Karnına Çıkmayalım Directed by Yiğit Hepsev Short | 15 min. | 2023 with English subtitles Cast: Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan, İncinur Daşdemir, Arda Yeşillikçi The end of the world is approaching, and people are being evacuated. Seher returns to hometown after a long time to save her father Tahir and her brother Serdar. But she encounters a situation she didn't expect. READ MORE... CHICKEN BROTH SOUP Tavuk Suyuna Çorba Directed by Deniz Büyükkırlı Short | 18 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Cast: Erol Babaoğlu, Name Önal, Tarhan Karagöz While examining the corpse of a man who was said to have died of a heart attack during an autopsy, the doctor encounters an unusual symptom. READ MORE... ESCAPISM Kaçanlar Directed by Deniz Cengiz Short | 15 min. | 2023 with English subtitles Cast: Ceren Taşçı, Deniz Cengiz, Sinan Arslan Two childhood friends, who have drifted towards opposite worldviews, reunite after a long time. One has become a mother, while the other has advanced in her career. READ MORE... MORÎ Directed by Yakup Tekintangaç Short | 19 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Cast: Hayrünisa Akbaş, Ozan Çelik, S. Emrah Özdemir The only keepsake Morî has from his father is an audio recording of the fairy tale her father used to tell him. Morî listens to this story from time to time. One day, a new teacher arrives at school. READ MORE... RED Directed by Elif Boyacıoğlu Animated Short | 2 min. | 2024     Sometimes it is the weird little things in life that trip you up... READ MORE... REMEMBERINGS Hatırladıkların Directed by Melisa Kenanoğlu Short | 19 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Cast: Dilara Yılmaz, Esra Ronabar, Yağmur Akçil, Koray Atak   A young girl's life takes an unexpected turn when she forms an unlikely bond. READ MORE... SUCH THINGS DON’T HAPPEN IN THIS WORLD Dünyada Öyle Şeyler Olmuyor Directed by Ali Emre Ceylan Short | 20 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Cast: Ercan Kesal, Ayşe Lebriz Berkem, Kıvanç Kürkçü Recep, once with a prosperous career and life in Ankara, is compelled to return to his rural hometown and his father's house due to severe mental distress. Displaying bizarre, erratic behavior in the village, Recep incites shame and deep anger from his father. READ MORE... THE APPLE Sêv Directed by Mehmet Acaruk Short | 15 min. | 2023 with English subtitles Cast: Nur Sürer, Dilan Düzgüner Zerya is a refugee woman in her 50s living in Paris. When she was only 22 years old, she had to leave her country because of the chemical gas thrown into the city of Halabja. She has lived in France for 30 years. Visiting a painting exhibition in Paris, Zerya said, "This is not an apple". READ MORE... THE SADDEST LINES En Hüzünlü Dizeler Directed by Buğra Özverel Short | 20 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Cast: Daniil Krasnov, Öyküsu Özyürek Eren is walking towards Serra's house to collect the belongings left after their relationship ended. While retrieving his things, he hopes to seize one last opportunity to talk to Serra and revive their exhausted relationship. READ MORE... THE SHELL Kabuk Directed by Sema Güler Short | 16 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Cast: Ece Bozkaya, Zuhal Gencer   Leyla (28) is a young painter who has been exposed to male violence and has locked herself in the house for a while. READ MORE... WHILE LOOKING AT MY FLOWERS Çiçeklerime Bakarken Directed by Sevgi Şanlı Short | 27 min. | 2024 with English subtitles Cast: Zeynep Sıla Ballı, Elif Asmen Arslangörür, Haydar Şahin Having grown up enduring a difficult childhood in the village, Zehra is brought to Istanbul by her cousin to pursue her education. As she begins sharing the apartment with her cousin's friend, Zehra becomes suspicious of the odd occurrences. READ MORE...     NON-COMPETITION SHORT & DOCUMENTARIES   ATATÜRK’S ÜLKÜ Atatürk’ün Ülkü’sü Directed by Gökşin Doğa Egesoy Doc. | 33 min. | 2024 with English subtitles The entire life story of Ülkü Adatepe, the spiritual daughter of Atatürk, from her birth to her death, is told by Betül Adatepe, the daughter of Ülkü's husband Öke Adatepe. READ MORE... THE PERSISTENT Vazgeçmeyenler Directed by Eren Aybars Arpacık Doc. | 9 min. | 2024 with English subtitles The documentary follows the lives of individuals in the region one year after the devastating February 6 earthquake that struck Turkey. READ MORE... ROOMS WITH NO WALLS: Hope Trickling from Solidarity Duvarsız Odalar: Dayanışmadan Süzülen Umut Directed by Sibel Tekin Doc. | 108 min. | 2023 with English subtitles The documentary chronicles the inspiring story of medical solidarity organized by the TTB, the dedicated doctors who volunteered in the region, and the resilient medical chambers that united in the aftermath of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes. READ MORE... THE WHITE STEED OF REVOLUTION Beyaz Motosiklet: Devrimin Beyaz Küheylanı Directed by Aslı Esma Karaca Doc. | 135 min. | 2022 with English subtitles   The documentary chronicles Tayfur Cinemre's journey, beginning at METU on his motorcycle. Cinemre's story starts in 1968, where he was a university student involved in student movements alongside student leaders of the period. READ MORE... SEWING MACHINE Dikiş Makinesi Directed by Hüseyin Urçuk Short | 8 min. | 2023 with English subtitles Seamstress Zeynep is laid off from her factory job. On her way home that day, she discovers a broken sewing machine discarded near a dumpster... and begins a new life. READ MORE...

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