‘Mukadderat’ and ‘Shambhala’ Triumph at 12th Bosphorus Film Festival

ISTANBUL: The 12th Bosphorus Film Festival concluded with a celebratory awards ceremony at the Atlas 1948 Cinema, where ‘Mukadderat’ and ‘Shambhala’ emerged as significant winners. The event, organized by the Bosphorus Foundation for Culture and Arts with Anadolu as its Global Communication Partner, showcased 59 films over 79 sessions. The festival, which has seen a substantial increase in audience numbers compared to last year, is becoming a prominent fixture in the cinematic world.

According to Anadolu Agency, Birol Guven, director general of cinema at the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, expressed optimism about the festival’s potential to become an important global brand. Highlighting the dual needs of knowledge and adversity in filmmaking, Guven emphasized the importance of festivals as platforms for filmmakers to share their challenges. Ogun Sanlier, the festival president, praised the audience growth and reaffirmed the significance of cinema as a superior medium for experiencing films.

‘Mukad
derat,’ directed by Nadim Guc, won the National Feature Film award. Guc extended gratitude to his cast, crew, and family, acknowledging their support as the foundation of his creative process. Additional accolades in the National Feature Film category included Erkan Tahhusoglu as best director for ‘Dongu,’ Belkis Bayrak for best screenplay with ‘Gulizar,’ and Hatice Aslan and Ali Seckiner Alici for best actress and actor, respectively.

In the international segment, ‘Shambhala,’ directed by Min Bahadur Bham, claimed the best international film and best director awards, following its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. Italian actor Fabrizio Gifuni and actress Thinley Lhamo were recognized for their performances in ‘The Time It Takes’ and ‘Shambhala,’ respectively. Alberth Merma received the Special Jury Prize for ‘Through Rocks And Clouds.’

National documentary accolades went to ‘Baska Bir Roman’ by Murat Ocak, while ‘Gidebildigim Kadar Uzaga’ received a Special Jury Award. In the National Short Film Compe
tition, ‘Gunaydin Anne’ by Oben Yilmaz was named Best National Short Fiction Film, and Sema Guler’s ‘Kabuk’ earned the Istanbul Media Academy Young Talent Award.

Other notable awards included the Ahmet Ulucay Grand Prize to Oliver McGoldrick’s ‘Three Keenings,’ Best International Short Film to Jason Adam Maselle’s ‘Punter,’ and the FIYAB Best Producer Award to ‘Gulizar.’ The festival’s Honor Award commemorated the late cinematographer Ilker Berke.