The 21st Akbank Short Film Festival will be held this year between 17-27 March under the directorship of Selim Evci. This year’s guest of honor at the festival is Zeki Demirkubuz.
The director, who recently directed the movie Hayat, which was selected as Turkey’s “Best International Film” candidate at the Oscars, will meet young filmmakers and movie lovers within the scope of the “Experiences” section of the 21st Akbank Short Film Festival. Demirkubuz’s latest film “Life” will be screened at the meeting, and the director will share his personal experiences on his creative process, his works, and his perspective on cinema.
Festival Program
The Documentary Cinema section will host Sahra Mani, one of the most powerful voices in documentary filmmaking, known for her bold works addressing social realities in Afghanistan. Her internationally acclaimed film A Thousand Girls Like Me will be screened at the festival with the director in attendance.
In the From Short to Feature section, this year’s guest will be director Vuslat Saraçoğlu. She will share insights from her cinematic journey through screenings of her debut feature film Borç, which won the Best Film award at the 37th International Istanbul Film Festival, and her short documentary Müslüm Baba’nın Evlatları.
This year, the World Shorts International Competition will be judged by a distinguished panel of prominent figures from the film industry, including director Min Bhadur Bham, actress Yasemin Kay Allen, director Charles Williams, documentary filmmaker Sahra Mani, film curator and academic Giulia Iannello, and Akbank Sanat Director Derya Bigalı.
The 21st Akbank Short Film Festival will take place from March 17 to 27 at Akbank Sanat and Kadıköy Cinema. The festival will also be accessible online, and all screenings will be free of charge for audiences.
