The 24th Randevu Istanbul International Film Festival, organized with the contributions of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Cinema General Directorate, took place from December 18 to 22, hosted by the Turkey Cinema and Audiovisual Culture Foundation (TÜRSAK). As part of the festival, on December 20th, Wednesday, a panel titled “Turkey and Spain: Opportunities for Collaboration” was organized.

Producer Meeting and Mutual Exchange of Views

Before the festival, a Producer Meeting was held, where participants introduced themselves and engaged in mutual discussions about the film and television industries in Spain and Turkey. This event laid the groundwork for potential collaborations between the cinema industries of Turkey and Spain.

Productive Discussions with the Participation of Spanish and Turkish Artists in the Panel

Moderated by Sibel Levendoğlu, the panel brought together Spanish producer Amparo Miralles, director Pablo Maqueda, lawyer, producer, and Festival Director Burhan Gün, producer-director Murat Şeker, and producer Oğuz Öztürk. The panel delved into the needs and solutions required to increase collaborative productions between Turkey and Spain.

Challenges of Collaborative Productions from the Perspective of a Spanish Producer

The first speaker in the panel, Spanish producer Amparo Miralles, drew attention to the challenges of collaborative productions. Miralles stated, “The most important thing for a collaborative production is that if the story encompasses many different cultures for the countries involved, it should flow naturally.” She emphasized that the story should be convincing for the audience and should be set in the country where it was filmed.

Director Pablo Maqueda’s Experiences and Intercultural Communication

Director Pablo Maqueda highlighted the importance of intercultural collaboration in his speech during the panel. Saying, “Accumulating experiences and reflecting them in films provides a different perspective,” Maqueda pointed out that content produced in Spain has gained interest worldwide, emphasizing the importance of considering cultures.

Call for Spain-Turkey Collaboration from the Festival Director

Festival Director Burhan Gün expressed that Turkey is weak in international co-production, stating, “Unfortunately, Turkey is weak in international co-production. Only supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Cinema General Directorate.” Gün emphasized the importance of establishing a state-level co-production agreement between Spain and Turkey in the coming years.

Call to European Producers from Director and Producer Murat Şeker

Director and producer Murat Şeker called on European producers to give more importance to collaborative productions. Saying, “As Europeans, we should produce more collaborative works. The majority of the market is controlled by Americans. This is not a good thing. We broke this in our country,” Şeker emphasized the importance of local stories gaining attention in international markets.

Insight into the Challenges of Collaborative Productions from Producer Oğuz Öztürk

At the end of the panel, producer Oğuz Öztürk addressed the challenges of collaborative productions. Öztürk stated, “Everyone is trying to be more cautious. Because when people who do not speak their native language sit down at the table and enter a creative process, they start to be more careful. Therefore, in these processes, co-production between countries becomes the biggest intellectual barrier,” highlighting the difficulties of collaboration.

Screenings Continue at the 24th Randevu Istanbul International Film Festival

As part of the festival’s December 20 program, various film screenings continue. The films shown at the AKM Yeşilçam Cinema include productions from Spain and prominent works from Turkish cinema.

TÜRSAK: A Pioneer Contributing to Cinema for 30 Years

Established in 1991, the Turkey Cinema and Audiovisual Culture Foundation (TÜRSAK) has been operating as an autonomous foundation for 30 years with the participation of 215 members from the cinema, television, fine arts, press, business, and political worlds. TÜRSAK has provided training opportunities for dozens of directors, hundreds of cinema students, and industry professionals, organizing international festivals, film weeks, competitions, panels, and workshops, contributing significantly to the cinema sector.

Managed by the new board of directors under the presidency of Cemal Okan since March 2021, TÜRSAK continues to contribute to cinema and train qualified professionals in the industry.