The 2nd International Yalova Film Festival, held in Yalova between 15 and 18 October 2025, brought together art lovers, students and cinema professionals. The four-day event was packed with various panels, workshops, concerts and film screenings.
The festival commenced with an exciting parade and opening ceremony
Organised under the leadership of the Yalova Governor's Office, the festival was held in collaboration with Yalova University, Yalova Municipality and the Yalova Tourism Association.
Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the festival commenced on Wednesday, 15 October, with the participation of Yalova Governor Dr Hülya Kaya and provincial officials.
The parade began in front of the Yalova City Museum, accompanied by classic cars, and attracted great interest from the public.
The nostalgic atmosphere and enthusiastic crowd added a special touch to the first day of the festival.
Following the parade, as part of the ‘Tribute to the Masters’ segment, director Osman Sınav's film ‘Uzun Hikâye’ (The Long Story) was screened simultaneously at Star AVM Cinemapink Termal and Aronya Hall.
Hakkı Metin Günay, a television series director who had the opportunity to work with Osman Sınav, also gave a short speech.
Art and culture together at the festival opening ceremony at the Barış Manço Open-Air Theatre
The official opening of the festival continued at the Barış Manço Open-Air Theatre with speeches by officials.
In his speech, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Bahçekapılı, Rector of Yalova University, emphasised the importance of art in social life, stating, ‘We always support art and artists.’
The evening event, which saw strong participation from students, featured a live performance by the ‘MAVİGRİ’ music group, creating enjoyable moments.
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The film world came together with famous names and international participation.
The festival took place in a cinematic atmosphere with the participation of director Mustafa Yılmaz, along with nationally and internationally renowned directors, producers, screenwriters, and artists such as Arzu Yanardağ, Feride Çetin, and Ahmet Yenilmez.
Enriched with special film screenings and discussions. Additionally, an award was presented to Yusuf Ömer Sınav, the son of the master director Osman Sınav, who passed away last March, in his memory.
Yalova University put in a great deal of effort and energy into the festival.
The management team, staff, faculty, and students of Yalova University worked with great effort and dedication in organising the festival.
Especially the New Media and Communication Associate and Bachelor's Degree Programs, departments of the Faculty of Art and Design, and the International Relations Department provided active participation and support before and during the festival.
The festival's general director was Dr. Yasin Yılmaz, Vice Chair and faculty member of the Department of Graphic Design at the Faculty of Arts and Design.
The Directorate of International and National Relations was led by Associate Professor Dr. Sibel Akova Havalı, a faculty member in the Department of New Media and Communication at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Yalova University.
Faculty members from Yalova University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of New Media and Communication, including Prof. Dr. Serkan Öztürk, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yavuz Küçükalkan, Dr. Tahsin Eren Sayar, and Dr. Demet Yalçın, played an active role in organising the festival and serving on the preliminary jury committees, as well as in the organisation of panels and workshops.
Large-scale events and panels
During the festival, free film screenings and discussions were held in cinemas. On the 3rd day of the festival, the panel discussions on "Cinema with Artificial Intelligence" and "Country Cinemas" were held at the RDKM in three sessions, moderated by Prof. Dr. Serkan Öztürk, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yavuz Küçükalkan, and Melike Tomris Önder.
The panel guests were: Banu Bozdemir (Film Critic), Didem Tütüncü (Producer-Director), Feride Çetin (Cinema and Theatre Actress), M. Alparslan Özkardeş (Academic), Semra Tüplek (Academic), Çağatay Çalikbaş (Director), Karim Azimi (Director), Amil Mamiye (Producer-Director), Parya Chaderi (Producer-Director), and Leila Norouzi (Producer-Director).
Workshops and interactive events
The fourth day continued with hands-on and interactive workshops that drew significant interest from students and participants.
Workshops: Editing Workshop (Alper Sevinç - Acun Medya Video Editor), Colour Workshop (Okan Heptaş - Flod Company Manager-Color Director), Film Poster Design Workshop (Dr. İsrafil Yücel - Academician), and Camera Workshop (Bünyamin Koç - Cameraman).
Film Festival awards found their recipients.
The award ceremony, one of the most important moments of the festival, was held on Saturday evening, October 18, 2025, at the RDKM.
The ceremony began with a dance performance by the Yalova Caucasian Folk Dance group.
In her opening speech at the award ceremony, Governor Dr. Hülya Kaya stated, "We need our own stories and perspectives in cultural and artistic production. "Thanks to this festival, we are encouraging our youth to tell their own stories," he said.
For the film competition at the festival, the finalists from a total of 1153 films submitted from 101 countries through FilmFreeway were initially selected by 30 preliminary jury members.
The awards for the films that made it to the finals in those categories were presented at this award ceremony.
The award for best film in the long documentary category went to Esin Özalp Öztürk's film "Harvest of Light," while in the short documentary category, Mehmet Ali Poyraz's film "Tree Man" was deemed worthy of the award. In the national category, Yakup Tekintangaç's film "Morî" was selected as the best film in the short fiction category.
In the short student films category, Ezgi Temel's film "Sakın Söyleme" (Don't Tell) was awarded the prize for the most successful young producers.
In the international categories, Mehdi Ghanavati won the award for his film "The Lost Season" in the long documentary category, and Felipe Rosa won for his film "Entre La Sal Y El Cielo" (Between Salt and Sky) in the short documentary category.
Additionally, Pablo Delgado won the award in the international short fiction category for his film "The Cascade," Gizem Tataroğlu won in the short experimental category for her film "Cargo," and Alexandre Athané won in the short animation category for "Jus d'orange."
During the night, the best actress award went to Hazal Türesan, and the best actor award went to Alican Yücesoy. The awards for best screenplay and best director were presented to Erkan Tahhuşoğlu for the film "Loop."
During the presentation of the awards to the recipients, Yalova Mayor Mehmet Gürel brought smiles to the guests' faces with his charming demeanour and witty speech.
The ceremony concluded with a group photo of a large number of people who supported and contributed to the festival.
Yalova experienced days immersed in art.
Yalova experienced four days immersed in art, with panels, workshops, concerts, and film screenings held throughout the festival.
The festival, with its appreciation for cinema and artists, continues to hold a significant place in the region's cultural life.
This festival, which is hoped to continue in the coming years, is important for Yalova to become a centre of dialogue and art internationally and cross-culturally.
News: Yalova Journalists' Association - Melda SARITAŞ ESEN
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