06-11-2017

Production: New Turkish Film Productions at Malatya Film Festival

    BLOCKAGE
    ABLUKA
    SADE MA’BAR

    İran Iran, 2017, DCP, Color , 82’ International Feature Film CompetitionPersian with English-Turkish subtitles

    Director: Mohsen Gharaei
    Screenplay: Saeed Roostaie
    Cinematography: Saeed Roostaie
    Editing: Sepideh Abdolvahab
    Music: Reza Mortazavi
    Cast: Hamed Behdad, Baran Kosari, Mohsen Kiaie, Nader Fallah, Giti Ghasemi
    Producer: Bahman Kamyar
    Production Company: Iranian İndependents
    Distributor: Iranian İndependents 

    Ghasem is working at Tehran Municipality and his job is to prevent vendors to sell their stuffs at the sidewalks. He’s to be fired because of his secret deals with some of the vendors and he’s looking for another job as a truck driver. He’s counting on his wife, Akram’s patrimony to buy the truck, however, Akram believes they should buy a small house and leave Ghasem’s father’s home. One day, Ghasem’s fight with a vendor creates an opportunity to overcome the problems!                         

    Director: Mohsen Gharaei was born on 26 January 1984 in Behshahr. He began his career as an assistant director and programmer. He was the assistant director in Reza Mir Karimi's A Cube of Sugar. Don't Be Tired! is his first feature film.

    GRAIN
    BUĞDAY

    B&W , 127’, International Feature Film Competition, , English with Turkish subtitles

    Director: Semih Kaplanoğlu
    Cinematography: Giles Nuttgens BSC
    Editing: Semih Kaplanoğlu, Osman Bayraktaroğlu, Ayhan Ergürsel
    Music: Mustafa Biber
    Cast: Jean-Marc Barr, Ermin Bravo, Grigoriy Dobrygin, Cristina Flutur
    Producer: Semih Kaplanoğlu, Nadir Operli
    Production Company: Kaplan Film Production
    Distributor: Match Factory

    In an indefinite near future, life on Earth has been driven to brink of extinction following an abrupt climate change. And in the new world with redrawn borders, immigrants are kept at the camps, waiting to be transferred to the cities protected with magnetic walls. Meanwhile, chaos erupts as the sustainability of genetically modified seeds remains uncertain.

    Two men’s paths cross in Dead Lands; secluded Cemil and Professor Erol Erin, a seed genetics specialist. Their journey in quest of the seeds to be grown will change Erol’s whole acquired knowledge...

    Director: Born in Izmir in 1963. He studied film at Dokuz Eylül University. His feature debut “Away from Home” (2001) received wide recognition. “Angel’s Fall” won several awards following its premiere at Forum, Berlinale 2005. He directed The Yusuf Trilogy: ”Egg”, “Milk” and “Honey.” In 2010, Honey won the Golden Bear in Berlin.

    CARGO
    YÜK

    Belgium, The Netherlands, France, 2017, DCP, Color, 91’, International Feature Film Competition, Dutch-French with English-Turkish subtitles

    Director:  Gilles Coulier
    Screenplay: Gilles Coulier, Tom Dupont
    Cinematography: David Williamson
    Editing: Tom Denoyette
    Music: Liesa Van der Aa
    Cast: Sam Louwyck, Wim Willaert, Sebastien Dewaele, Chiel Van de Vyvere, Roland Van Campenhout, Josse De Pauw
    Producer: Gilles Coulier, Gilles De Schryver, Wouter Sap
    Production Company: De Wereldvrede
    Distributor: Wide Management

    Cargo is a story about how desperation can bring a family to the edge of destruction.

    In the cold waters of the North Sea, Leon Broucke falls overboard his fishing boat right before the eyes of his eldest son, Jean. The old man slips into a deep coma, leaving his son behind with a huge debt and the responsibility of the family business. The absence of his father sets off an aftershock of conflicts between him and his two
brothers. Francis is torn between his family and leaving with his secret lover. William returns home to escape his life of crime, and redeem himself. Desperate to build a future for his 8-year-old son, Jean turns to his brother's criminal past.

    Director: Gilles Coulier is a Belgian director, producer, scriptwriter and co-founder of De Wereldvrede. His short films were selected for numerous film festivals around the world.  In 2014 Coulier completed the fiction series 'Bevergem' for CANVAS and in 2017 finished his first feature Film, 'Cargo'. Both projects were produced by De Wereldvrede. He's currently in post-production of a second series "De Dag" for VIER.

    CENTAUR
    AT HIRSIZI

    Kyrgyzstan France Germany Netherlands, 2017, DCP Color , 89’ International Feature Film Competition, Kyrgyz with Turkish subtitles

    Director:  Aktan Arym Kubat
    Cinematography: Khassan Kydyraliev
    Editing: Petar Markovic
    Music: Andre Matthias
    Cast: Aktan Arym Kubat, Nuraly Tursunkojoev, Zarema Asanalieva, Taalaikan Abazova, Ilim Kalmuratov, Bolot Tentimyshov, Maksat Mamyrkanov
    Altynai Koichumanova, Cedomir Kolar, Thanassis Karathanos, Marc Baschet, Denis Vaslin
    Production Company: A.S.A.P. Films, Pallas Film, Volya Films
    Distributor: The Match Factory GmbH

    In the slums of the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek lives fifty-year-old Centaur; a simple man, who lives with his wife and son. In a former life he was a horse thief, but nowadays he leads a peaceful life. Then one day a certain Satyr shows up at Centaur’s house. He challenges him to steal the famous horse of a very famous man making Centaur once again the center of attention in the slum. In the mosque, people say that Centaur, who has never been very religious, prepares for the Hajj.

    Director: Born in Kyrgyzstan in 1957, he is also known as Aktan Abdykalykov. After graduating from the Art Academy in Bishkek he first worked as a production designer and directed several short films before making his feature debut in 1998 with Beshkempir (The Adopted Son). The film won several prizes including the Silver Leopard at Locarno. Maimyl (The Chimp) and Svet-Ake (The Light Thief) screened at international festivals including Cannes and won numerous awards. Centauris his sixth feature-length film.

    MORE
    DAHA

    Turkey, 2017, DCP Colour, 115’ National Feature Film Competition, Turkish, Arabic with English subtitles

    Director: Onur Saylak
    Screenplay: Hakan Günday, Onur Saylak, Doğu Yaşar/ Adapted from the novel of the same name by Hakan Günday)
    Cinematography: Feza Çaldıran
    Editing: Ali Aga
    Music: Uygur Yiğit
    Cast: Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan, Hayat Van Eck, Turgut Tunçalp, Tankut Yıldız, Tuba Büyüküstün, Kaan Uluca, Ahmet Melih Yılmaz, Uğur Aslan, Lara Aysal, Pervin Bağdat
    Producer: Kerem Çatay, Ziya Cemre Kutluay
    Production Company: Ay Yapım, BİT Yapım
    Distributor: Heretic

    Adapted from the award-winning novel of the same name by Hakan

    Günday, which has been translated into more than 7 languages worldwide, “Daha” is the gripping story of a boy that gets to grow up in a world where there’s no room for innocence. Gaza is a 14-year-old boy who lives on the Aegean coast of Turkey. Together with his domineering father, he helps smuggle refugees to Europe, giving them temporary shelter and scant food until they attempt their crossing. Gaza dreams of escaping this life of crime, but can’t help being drawn into a dark world of immorality, exploitation and human suffering. Can you avoid becoming a monster when you’ve been raised by one?

    Director: Onur Saylak, born in 1977, in Ankara, is an actor and director. He started his cinema career as an actor by playing the character of Yusuf in AUTUMN, which won Best Picture in the 15th Golden Boll Film Festival. After the national and international achievements of AUTUMN, Onur Saylak continued acting in cinema and took up directing for the first time with the short film THE JUNGLE. The award-winning film is currently being screened in festivals and has met with critical acclaim in national and international circles. His feature film MORE have premiered in Karlovy Vary IFF.

    DEDE
    DEDE

    Georgia / Qatar / Ireland / Netherlands / Croatia, 2017, DCP Color , 97’, International Feature Film Competitio; Georgian with Turkish and English subtitles

    Director: Mariam Khatchvani
    Screenplay: Mariam Khatchvani, Vladimer Katcharava, Irakli Solomanashvili
    Cinematography: Konstantin Mindia Esadze
    Editing: Levan Kukhashvili
    Music: Tako Jordania, Mate Chamgeliani  
    Cast: George Babluani, Natia Vibliani, Girshel Chelidze, Nukri Khatchvani, Spartak Parjiani, Sofia Charkviani, Mose Khatchvani
    Producer: Vladimer Katcharava
    Production Company: 20 Steps Productions
    Distributor: WIDE

    It's 1992. Young Dina lives in a remote mountain village where life is strictly governed by centuries of tradition. Dina's grandfather has promised her to David, who is returning from the war. But with him comes a comrade-in-arms, the handsome Gegi, and Dina falls in love. Is it possible to defy the firmly established order? 

    Writer / Director Mariam Khatchvani was born in Ushguli, Svanati and she studied film directing at the Shota Rustaveli State Film University. She has directed numerous documentaries, including ‘Verdzoba’ (2006), ‘Beyond the Window’ (2007) and ‘Lichanishi and Kvirikoba’ (2009).

    LIFE AND NOTHING MORE
    HAYAT İŞTE!

    USA, 2017, DCP, Color , 113’, International Feature Film Competition, English with Turkish subtitles

    Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza
    Screenplay: Antonio Méndez Esparza
    Cinematography: Barbu Balasiou
    Editing: Santiago Oviedo
    Music: N/A
    Cast: Andrew Bleechington, Regina Williams, Robert Williams, Ry'nesia Chambers
    Producer: Pedro Hernández Santos
    Production Company: Aquí Y Allí Films
    Distributor: Film Constellation

    Standing on the edge of adulthood, Andrew yearns to  find his purpose as a young African-American in today’s America. With his mother longing to  find more to her life then parenting, Andrew is forced to take on the mounting pressure of family responsibility. His search for connection with an absent father, leads him to a dangerous crossroads.

    Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza was born in Madrid, and studied Law at the university. However, he developed his entire professional career in the USA. He spent a total of 12 years studying and working in the USA before returning to Spain in 2011. In 2009 Esparza  finished his latest short  film, Una Y Otra Vez, which won numerous awards, and received an Academy Award nomination. His first feature film, Aquí y Allá (2012), premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2012 where it won the Critic’s Week Grand Prize Award. Since 2013 he has been teaching  film at Florida State University. Life and Nothing More will be his second feature and first English language film.

    BLUE SILENCE
    MAVİ SESSİZLİK

    Turkey - Belgium, 2017, DCP, Color , 93’, International Feature Film Competition, Turkish with English subtitles

    Director: Bülent Öztürk
    Screenplay: Bülent Öztürk
    Cinematography: A. Emre Tanyıldız

    Editing: David Verdurme

    Music: Michelino Bisceglia
    Cast: Teoman Kumbaracıbaşı, Roda Canıoğlu, Korkmaz Arslan
    Producer: Tomas Leyers
    Production Company: Minds Meet, Bantof Film
    Distributor: Minds Meet

    Hakan, a 42 year old soldier, is recovering in a severe military psychiatric hospital. With the gentle help of nurse Ayla, he fights his nightmares. Rewarded with a medal of honor and some money, Hakan is discharged. Arriving at his deserted apartment, memories of an absent family flood his heart. The quest for his daughter, Melis, confronts him with his troubling past. Lost and lonely, he wanders the streets of Istanbul. An unexpected visit of Ayla sparks off his journey to Sinan, his ex-companion with whom he served before. Will this encounter help Hakan to get a grip on his troubled past? 

    Director: Bülent Öztürk is born in 1975 in Bağlarbaşı, a small Kurdish village in Southeast Turkey, in a family of thirteen children. He flees to Antwerp (Belgium) as a political refugee. In 2011 he receives his Master’s degree Film Directing audiovisual arts at the RITS in Brussels.

    MOTHERING
    ANNELİK
    MADARI

    Iran, 2017, DCP, Color , 84’, International Feature Film Competition, , Persian with English-Turkish subtitles

    Director: Roqiye Tavakoli
    Screenplay: Roqiye Tavakoli
    Cinematography: Morteza Gheidi
    Editing: Hayedeh Safiyari
    Music: Sattar Oraki
    Cast: Nazanin Bayati, Houman Seyedi, Hanieh Tavassoli, Melisa Zakeri
    Producer: Siyavash Haghighi
    Production Company: Aseman Honar Development Co.
    Distributor: Farabi Cinema Foundation

    Two sisters who live in Yazd, a city located in the deserts of Iran. One of the sisters has abandoned her love and the other has been abandoned by hers…

    Director: Born in 1985 in Yazd, Roqiye Tavakoli holds a BA in Cinema and a MA in Dramatic Literature from Sooreh University in Tehran. She is an instructor and head of department at Yazd Art and Culture University. Tavakoli is a member of the Iranian Short Film Association in Khaneh Cinema. She has made over 30 short and documentary films presented and acclaimed in over 50 local and international film festivals - awarded at festivals such as Armenia International Women's Film Festival Kin, Dubai Ibda Awards, Royesh Film Festival, Parvin Etesami Film Festival, etc.

    POMEGRANATE ORCHARD
    NAR BAĞI

    Azerbaijan, 2017, DCP / Color , 90’, International Feature Film Competition Azerbaijani with English and Turkish subtitles

    Director: Ilgar Najaf
    Screenplay: Asif Rustamov, Ilgar Najaf, Roelof Yan Minneboo inspired by The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
    Cinematography: Ayhan Salar
    Editing: Elmir Hasanov
    Music: Firuddin Allahverdi
    Cast: Ilahe Hasanova, Semimi Farhad, Gurban Ismayilov, Hesen Aghayev
    Producer: Mushfug Hatamov, Ilgar Najaf
    Production Company: Azerbaijanfilm
    Distributor: Buta Film

    Written by one of Azerbaijani cinema’s young and successful directors, Asif Rustamov, and directed by Ilgar Najaf, Pomegranate Orchard is a loose adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard. While the film focuses on the troubles and sorrow derived by the reunion of a shattered family, the pastoral beauty of the film location is reflected through Ayhan Salar’s camera. Gabil has started a new life in Russia, and his unexpected return after a 12-year absence unsettles the life of his aging father Shamil, his wife Sara and his son Celal who live off their pomegranate orchard. Reflecting the conflicts and contradictions between modernity and tradition, urban and rural life through an elegant style and humanistic approach, Pomegranate Orchard urges the audience to contemplate the family concept. 

    Director: Ilgar Najaf (b. 1975, Armenia, USSR), He studied film and TV direction at the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts. He began as a documentarist, turning out Shacks without Shades (Kölgəsiz komalar, 2000) and There Exists an Old Man (Bir qoca var..., 2002) His feature film debut Buta (2011) won awards at several festivals.

    PELA JANELA - A WINDOW TO ROSÁLIA
    ROSÁLIA İÇİN

    Brazil, Argentina, 2017, DCP / Color , 84’, , International Feature Film Competition Spanish, Portuguese with Turkish subtitles

    Director: Caroline Leone
    Screenplay: Caroline Leone
    Cinematography: Claudio Leone
    Editing: Anita Ramón, Caroline Leone
    Music: Martin Grignaschi
    Cast: Cacá Amaral, Magali Biff
    Producer: Sara Silveira / Dezenove Som e Imagens, Maria Ionescu / Dezenove Som e Imagens, Hernán Musaluppi / Rizoma Films, Natacha Cervi / Rizoma Films
    Production Company: Dezenove Som e Imagens, Rizoma Films
    Distributor: Dezenove Som e Imagens                                 

    Rosália’s sadness isn’t completely gone, and her future remains uncertain, but by the film’s end, audiences sense that she’ll recover her equilibrium and, who knows, open herself up a bit more to life’s enjoyments. Even the film’s titles have a restrained yet poetic ring: And by using “window” rather than “door,” the director acknowledges a more hesitant opening that Rosália passes through. Jay Weissberg, Variety, February 7, 2017

    Director: Caroline Leone was born in São Paulo, Brasil in 1981. She wrote and directed two worldwide recognized and awarded short films. Dalva, her first short film, was shot during her film school years in 16mm, was screened in over 15 international film festivals around the globe and won three awards. Her second short film, Joyce, shot in 35mm, also had a great response and was screened in official selections of  important  festivals. Joyce also won several awards, one of the most important ones being Best Film at the 2007 Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival and Best Director at the 2007 International Women’s Film Festival/FEMINA.

    SON OF SOFIA
    SOFIA’NIN OĞLU
    Синът на София

    Greece France Bulgaria, 2017, DCP, Color , 111’, nternational Feature Film Competition, ,Greek-Russian with English-Turkish subtitles

    Director: Elina Psikou
    Screenplay: Elina Psikou
    Cinematography: Dionysis Efthimiopoulos
    Editing: Nelly Ollivault
    Music: Nassos Sopilis
    Cast: Viktor Khomut, Valery Tcheplanowa, Thanasis Papageorgiou, Artemis Havalits, Christos Stergioglou, Iro Maltezou
    Producer: Giorgos Karnavas,  Konstantinos Kontovrakis
    Production Company:  Heretic
    Distributor: Heretic Outreach                 

    Athens, 2004 summer Olympic Games. 11-year-old Misha arrives from Russia to live with his mother, Sofia. What he doesn’t know is that there is a father waiting for him there. While Greece is living the Olympic dream, Misha will get violently catapulted into the adult world, riding on the dark side of his favorite fairy tales.

    Director: Born on 8 March 1977 in Athens, Greece. She studied direction at Lykourgos Stavrakos Film School and sociology at Panteion university, both in Athens. She then studied cultural history at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. In 2007, she participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus. I Aionia Epistrofi Tou Antoni Pareskeua is her feature debut.

    Son of Sofia is Elina Psykou’s second feature. Her debut, The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2013 and, later that same year, Psykou was named one of the 10 European directors to watch by “Variety.”

    Last modified on 06-11-2017