16th Akbank Short Film Festival

Blog A short film route from Italy to Turkey with Giulia Iannello

In our conversation with Giulia Iannello, we explore the journey of Magma International Short Film Festival, the details of its collaboration with Akbank Short Film Festival, and much more.

Blog From behind the camera to the frontline of resistance: Sahra Mani

As one of the jury members of the World Shorts section at the 21st Akbank Short Film Festival, let’s take a closer look at Sahra Mani's life journey and her extraordinary resistance in documenting the fight for women’s rights, equality, and justice in Afghanistan.

Blog Vuslat Saraçoğlu ile üretim yolculuğunun paradoksu

With her distinctive cinematic style and festival successes, Vuslat Saraçoğlu has emerged as one of the most talked-about directors and screenwriters of recent years. Before the 21st Akbank Short Film Festival we spoke with Vuslat Saraçoğlu about her cinematic journey, creative process, and this year’s festival.

Blog Stories beyond borders: A closer look at the “World Shorts” program

The films competing in this year’s “World Shorts” section of the festival predominantly invite audiences into the world of children with characters who neither rely on excuses nor shy away from expressing their emotions with raw honesty.

Blog The idea comes first: Erdi Işık

As a jury member for the Forum section - Screenplay Competition at the 21st Akbank Short Film Festival, we spoke with Erdi Işık about the intellectual processes behind his artistic practices, the sources that fuel his creativity, and how he balances the diverse production dynamics within the cultural industry.

Blog Through the lens of unforgettable characters: The cinema of Zeki Demirkubuz

With films that masterfully explore the complex and shadowy depths of human nature, Zeki Demirkubuz stands as one of the most influential figures shaping cinema in Turkey, inspiring countless directors who followed in his footsteps.

Blog 20th Anniversary of the Akbank Short Film Festival

The Akbank Short Film Festival, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, aims to introduce filmmakers to the world of short films, which is often the first step and excitement for many filmmakers.

Blog Highlights from the career of Erkan Kolçak Köstendil

Actor, writer, director, musician, and footballer Erkan Kolçak Köstendil is one of the jury members for the “Festival Shorts” section of the 20th Akbank Short Film Festival. Let’s take a look at his clearly successful journey, where he has seized the right opportunities at the right time and place, as well as his upcoming projects on the horizon.

Blog Special Stops of Gökçe Bahadır’s Acting Journey

20th Akbank Short Film Festival will feature Gökçe Bahadır as a guest for the traditional “On Acting” talks of the festival. She will share her industry experiences, perspectives on short films, and thoughts on acting with the participants. On this occasion, we have outlined a route of special milestones in Gökçe Bahadır’s acting journey.

Blog The Shared Emotions of Iran: The Cinema of Ali Asgari

Ali Asgari, who started his cinematic journey with short films and continued with feature films, will take part in the discussion program of the 20th Akbank Short Film Festival to share his cinematic experiences. Let’s take a look at the cinema of Ali Asgari, the mind behind many shorts that have traveled to festivals worldwide.

Blog Evaluating the Existence with All its Possibilities: Sarah Francis

Sarah Francis, one of the new generation filmmakers striving to expand the boundaries of her art and take its narrative to a global scale, will engage in a discussion following the screening of her award-winning documentary Birds of September. Before her talk, let’s get to know her a bit better.

Blog Nuri Bilge Ceylan’ın metamorfozu: Koza

Cocoon. The place where metamorphosis occurs, is the stage of transformation. Nuri Bilge Ceylan emerges from his cocoon, rolling up his sleeves to start working on his first film marks back in 1993, corresponding to the years when he abandoned his cinema education.