The eighth Meetings on the Bridge, part of the Istanbul Film Festival, has handed out cash prizes to a raft of new projects.

Five films were selected from the Work in Progress section, open to features and documentaries that have completed 50% of the shooting or are in post-production.

Ramin Matin’s The Impeccables (Kusursuzlar) received the inaugural Efes Award, worth $10,000. The award was presented to producers Emine Yıldırım, Oğuz Kaynak and Bertrand Glosset.

Kaan Müjdeci’s Sivas picked up the 1000 VOLT Post Production Award, which consists of the online editing and sound processing of the film.

The three other selected projects were:

  • Mustafa Kara’s Cold of Kalandar (Kalandar Soğuğu);
  • Faruk Hacıhafızoğlu’s Snow Pirates (Kar Korsanları);
  • Koray Ezgin’s Watch My Soundtrack (Sesimi İzle).

International jury member Paolo Bertolin, of the Venice International Film Festival, said: “The five Work in Progress films mirror and project a variety of currents and trends among the directors at their first and second feature, which hails a bright and very diverse for future New Turkish Cinema.”

Film Development Workshop awards

A total of 12 projects, selected from 159 applications, were considered for Film Development Workshop awards [click here for the full list of projects].

Mehmet Can Mertoglu’s The Cliff Shore (Albüm) won the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Tourism and Culture Support Awards, worth $10,000, as well as Melodika’s Sound Post-Production Support prize.

İnan Temelkuran’s Everyman For Himself (Ben Tek Siz Hepiniz) won the Support Award, worth €10,000 ($13,000), presented by French National Cinema Center (CNC).

Nefin Dinç’s Memoirs of Antoine Köpe (Antoine Köpe’nin Günlükleri) was awarded the Binger Lab Script Consultancy scholarship of €2,500 ($3,300).

Turkish-German Co-Production Fund

Also announced were the projects to be supported by the Turkey-Germany Co-Production Development Fund.

The six projects include:

  • Memories of the Wind (Rüzgarın Hatıraları)
    Dir: Özcan Alper (€22,000)
    Co-pro: Nar Film Yapım (TR), Bredok Film Production (DE)

  • Brothers (Kardeşler)
    Dir: Ömür Atay (€15,000)
    Pro: Anka Film (TR), Beleza Film (DE)

  • Silence (Sessizlik)
    Dir: Seren Yüce (€20,000)
    Pro: Motiva Film (TR), Wüste Film OST (DE)

  • The Tales of Caravanserai (Orada)
    Dir: Ezel Akay (€20,000)
    Pro: 90 Film Prodüksiyon (TR), Bredok Film Production (DE)

  • Until I Lose My Breath (Nefesim Kesilene Kadar)
    Dir: Emine Emel Balcı (€20,000)
    Pro: Prolog Film (TR) / Una Film (DE)

  • Distance (Mesafe)
    Dir: Rezan Yesilbas (€10,000)
    Pro: Yeni Sinemacilik (TR), mîtosfilm(DE)

All the awards were presented at a ceremony at Istabul’s Palais de France, hosted by Laurent Bili, French ambassador to Turkey.

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