Yozgat Blues wins at Adana

Yozgat Blues, a comedy drama from director Mahmut Fazil Koscum, took the top prize at the 20^th Golden Boll Film Festival in Adana, Turkey.

The film, about a music teacher and occassional performer in Istanbul who heads to the provinces for a gig, also won best actor for Ercan Kesal and best supporting actor for Tansu Bicer.

The jury, headed by Berlin’s EFM director Beki Probst, handed four awards to Deniz Aksay Katiksiz’ family drama Nobody’s Home, including a special jury prize; best actress award, shared by Ahu Tukpence and Lale Bser; best supporting actress (Melis Ebeler); and most promising young actor Savas Alp Basar.

Reha Erdem was crowned best director for Jin, which won an additional distinction for Most Promising Young Actress, Deniz Hasguler.

Historical drama The Long Way Home (Eve Donus) went home with Best Music (Mihaly Ilic) and Best Art Direction (Tural Polat).

Eye Am, a surprisingly unconventional blend of comedy and drama in which one of the film’s two directors, Melik Saracoglu, re-enacts on screen his struggle to keep his eyesight, was the favorite of the Turkish Film Critics.

Saracoglu shared the award with Hakki Kurtulus who co-directed the film. The picture also collected the Best Editing prize for Ali Aga.