Editor

Meetings on the Bridge (MoB) is the international co-production, training and networking platform organised within the scope of the İstanbul Film Festival, which will take place on 13-17 April with the support of Anadolu Efes.

MoB brings filmmakers from Turkey and its neighbouring countries together with the film professionals from Europe with the aim to initiate the first steps for future artistic and financial co-production at the Film Development, Neighbours and Work in Progress Workshops.

On the 15th edition of MoB we are introducing a new award with the contribution of Turkish Radio and Television Corperation (TRT).  Film Development Workshop presents TRT Special Award amounting 50.000 TL.

This year 10 fiction and 1 documentary feature film projects are selected from among 112 applications to Meetings on the Bridge Film Development Workshop. International presentations of the projects at one to meetings taking place at Cezayir on 15-16 April.

This year’s selection presents Ali Vatansever’s new feature project Agony, who premiered at Toronto Film Festival Discovery Section with his previous film Saf. Salih Demir, director of Cano will be attending MoB with his new project The Treasure. Yamaç Okur, a prominent producer is joining the edition with a project directed by Sinan Öztürk in their adaptation of a bestseller Turkish fiction Blood and Rose by the author Alper Canıgüz. Melisa Önel who made the premiere of her first feature film Seaburners at Berlinale Forum is joining MoB with her new project Suddenly. Emre Akay, who developed his second feature The Hunt in Film Development Workshop is coming back with his new project Eternal Flame. New generation directors Ziya Demirel, Ozan Yoleri, Emre Sert and Gözde Yetişkin who premiered their shorts at international festivals are joining us for the first at Film Development Workshop.  Meetings on the Bridge presents documentaries too. This year’s documentary project is Ali Özkul’s One of Those Creatures produced by Ceylan Özgün Özçelik, the director of Inflame and Witch Triology.

Projects selected for Film Development Workshop:

·       Agony (dir. Ali Vatansever, prod. Selin Vatansever, Oya Özden - Terminal Film)

·       Blood and Rose (dir. Sinan Öztürk, prod. Yamaç Okur – Ay Yapım)

·       Eternal Flame (dir. Emre Akay, prod. Ali özgür Baltacı – Emre Akay Films)

·       Grace (dir. Emre Sert, Gözde Yetişkin prod. Suzan Güverte, Şebnem Kitiş – Ptot Film, Güverte Film, Emre & Gözde Film)

·       One of Those Creatures (dir. Ali Özkul, prod. Ceylan özgün Özçelik – EHY Film Production)

·       Pastoral (dir. Michael Önder, prod. Joseph Erçelik Amado – Bluff Films)

·       Peekaboo (dir. Aysim Türkmen, prod. Nesra Gürbüz – Monomit Films)

·       Suddenly (dir. Melisa Önel, prod. Alara Hamamcıoğlu – Vigo Film)

·       This Beautiful Night (dir. Ozan Yoleri, prod. Arda Çiltepe, Ilgın Coşar – Vigo Film)

·       Treasure (dir. Salih Demir, prod. Çekdar Erkıran – Layen Film)

·       Two Eyeds (dir. Ziya Demirel, prod. Anna Maria Aslanoğlu – İstos Film)

The directors and the producers of the selected projects will be attending scriptwriting, production, pitching, marketing and social media trainings with internationally experienced industry professionals in March.

The award winners will be selected by the international jury after the presentations.

Awards to be presented to selected projects at the end of the workshops:

• TRT Award – 50.000 TL
• Meetings on the Bridge Award - 30.000 TL
• CNC Award - 8000 EURO
• Melodika Sound Award
• Mediterranean Film Institute (MFI) Script Workshop Award
• GeniusPark VFX Award
• Transilvania Pitch Stop Award
• SE-YAP Award