Festival Data:

• Established: 1980
• Genre: General
• Accreditations: FIPRESCI

• Competitive
• Has Panels
• Has Seminars
• Workshops

Festival Website:

Festival Description:

The Ankara International Film Festival was founded by Mahmut Tali Öngören and twelve film lovers and professionals in 1988 which was then called the Ankara Film Fair. In a short period, short film, documentary and animation screening sections were introduced and national feature films competition and international film screenings were added to the programme of activities. Awards in various branches of the art of cinema was introduced. The festival developed to be a comprehensive arts activity by integrating the film screenings with activities in other branches of art such as cartoon competitions, panels and exhibitions about cinema.

The Ankara Fair gained an institutional identity with the foundation of the World Mass Media Research Foundation in 1991. In 1992, the festival gained international status as foreign films were included in the programme and became the second most important film festival in Turkey. In 1993, International Animation Films Competition was introduced into the program and took its place among the very few festivals organising a competition in this field. The Ankara International Film Festival has been hosting many film directors, actors, critics, producers and professionals of cinema from all over the world. Every year, the festival gathers foreign and Turkish filmmakers in Ankara and it strives to create an intense cinema atmosphere by organising debates and panel discussions in addition to the film screenings.

The Aims of The Ankara International Film Festival:

To contribute and support to the development of the art of cinema and the production of high quality films in Turkey.

To support the young and promising producers, directors, script writers, actors, actresses, technical infrastructure institutions and other workers of the Turkish cinema.

To contribute in promoting the high quality Turkish Films nationally and internationally.

To introduce the Turkish Cinema to international film markets and increase its activities in the international arena.

To support the films promoting Turkey's history, its artistic and natural resources by enabling the screenings of these films on national and international TV's and theatres.

To screen new films as well as the classical works of the world cinema and enable the film audience of the capital city Ankara to watch quality films that they cannot watch in the commercial theatres.

To support and include other branches of art related to cinema such as photography, graphic design, cartoon etc within the framework of the Festival.

To introduce to the film audience short, documentary and animation films that do not have the chance of commercial screening, to support the production and the directors of these films and contribute to the development of the Turkish Cinema.

To support those people and institutions that contribute to the development of the Turkish Cinema and strive to make the art of cinema more widespread with their works.