Turkic World Cinema Summit in Istanbul Targets Co-Productions
Officials discuss co-productions and AI at the 6th Korkut Ata festival in Istanbul.
The Turkic World Cinema Summit has opened a conversation in Istanbul about joint film production across the Turkic world. Filmmakers and industry representatives met as part of the 6th Korkut Ata Turkic World Film Festival. Organisers focused on co-productions, closer industry ties and the effect of artificial intelligence on cinema.
Birol Güven, Türkiye’s director general of cinema, spoke to Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of the summit. He said the region has huge cinematic potential that joint projects have not yet fully used.
Turkic world cinema summit: the co-production goal
Güven described cinema across the Turkic world as “a volcano on the verge of eruption.” In his view, shared heritage, history and social concerns give filmmakers plenty to work with. He said the region has no shortage of stories worth telling.
He named co-productions as the key to progress. According to Güven, Türkiye and Kyrgyzstan have already taken concrete steps towards closer cooperation. The stated aim is to set up joint production platforms involving six countries by 2027.
Officials also want to look beyond the region. Güven said they hope major American producers will shoot films in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Türkiye. He added that efforts are underway, but he gave no details of any deal.
A cautious position on artificial intelligence
AI was one of the summit’s main themes. Güven said the technology brings both opportunities and challenges, so the industry must understand it and follow its development closely.
He noted that the festival’s opening film was made using AI. However, he said this does not mean unconditional support or outright opposition. “We are cautious about AI, but we will not turn our backs on it,” he said.
What the festival offers audiences
The festival is organised by the International Cinema Association under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. TÜRKSOY (the International Organization of Turkic Culture), the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) support it. More than 150 international guests, 300 industry professionals from Türkiye and academics are taking part.
In total, 56 films will be screened. Thirty of them compete in three categories: Feature Fiction, Documentary and Short Film, with ten films in each. Juries of directors, actors and cinema professionals from across the Turkic world will judge them.
Outside the competition, the programme includes documentaries, animated films and screenings on contemporary social issues, historical events, personal stories and collective memory.
Why it matters for viewers of Turkish drama
Many readers know Turkic-world history through television drama, such as Alparslan: Büyük Selçuklu. The summit’s focus on shared history and joint production shows how official cultural policy is also looking at the big screen. Any such collaboration is still at the planning stage, and the report names no specific co-productions.
All screenings are free at Atlas 1948 Cinema, AKM Yeşilçam Cinema, Emek Cinema, the Cinema Hall of Istanbul University’s Faculty of Communication and Istanbul Ticaret University’s Sadabat Hall. The schedule is available through the festival’s social media accounts.
Source: Daily Sabah (with Anadolu Agency)
Featured image: CeeGee / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
