After changing its name from Golden Orange to Antalya International Film Festival, the 52nd sets off this Sunday at the Turkish coastal city. Until the 6th of December it will run its annual International and National competitions, as well as side programs like the Documentary and the Short Film Selection, and Special Screenings, to mention some.

The theme of this year’s festival is “Film and Social Interaction” and the festival program explores sub-themes such as “film and socio-political interaction”, “the interaction between film and national image” and “film and economic interaction” with thematic film screenings, panels, exhibitions, discussions and workshops. 

Ten films from a wide range of countries, from India to Sweden and from Palestine to Denmark, will vie for Golden Orange awards in this year΄s International Competition. The section΄s Jury is chaired by filmmaker Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Catherine Hardwicke and Dominique Deruddere, screenwriter Carl Gottlieb and actress Anamaria Marinca. The section includes four Balkan titles:

Memories Of The Wind by Özcan Alper (Turkey/France/Germany/Georgia, 2015)

Enclave by Goran Radovanovic (Serbia, 2014)

Cold Of Kalandar by Mustafa Kara (Turkey/Hungary, 2015)

Sworn Virgin by Laura Bispuri (Italy/Germany/Switzerland/Albania/Kosovo*, 2015)

The Turkish Film Competition is presenting 12 new features from already established, and other, less know Turkish directors, while the section΄s Jury consists of director/producer/scriptwriter Ömer Vargı (President), actresses Şerif Sezer and Şebnem Bozoklu, film critic Elvis Mitchell, cinematographer Mirsad Herović, art director Naz Erayda and scriptwriter Tarık Tufan.

The Search Engine by Atalay Taşdiken (Turkey, 2015)

Through My Lens by Nefin Dinç (Turkey, 2015)

The Apprentice by Emre Konuk (Turkey, 2015)

Cold Of Kalandar by Mustafa Kara (Turkey/Hungary, 2015)

The Coop by Ufuk Bayraktar (Turkey, 2014)

The Visitor by Mehmet Eryılmaz (Turkey/Germany, 2015)

Muna by Serdar Gözelekli (Turkey, 2015)

Pia by Erdal Rahmi Hanay (Turkey, 2015)

Memories Of The Wind by Özcan Alper (Turkey/France/Germany/Georgia, 2015)

Hidden by Selim Evci (Turkey, 2015)

Ivy by Tolga Karaçelik (Turkey/Germany, 2015)

The Team - For The Love Of Neighborhood by Emre Şahin (Turkey, 2015)

Antalya΄s opening film will be Türkan Şoray΄s Not So Far Away (Turkey, 2015), with Mama by Julio Medem (Spain/France, 2015) screened as the last film event closing the festival.

The Turkish Out Of Competition program features 91.1 by Mustafa Haktanır (Turkey, 2015), Faruk Hacıhafızoğlu΄s Snow Pirates (Turkey, 2015), Murat Saraçoğlu΄s Homeland (Turkey, 2015) and Point Of Conscience by Olgun Özdemir (Turkey, 2015), while, there may not be this year a Documentary Competition, but the Documentary Selection will present a bunch of anticipated local feature and short docs:

Ah Yalan Dünyada by Atalay Taşdiken & Hacı Mehmet Duranoğlu (Turkey, 2015)

Anatolian Tales by Emin Fırat Övür (Turkey, 2015)

Story by Muhammet Beyazdağ (Turkey, 2014, 23΄)

Godesbana by Nursena Şimşek (Turkey, 2015, 10΄)

School Of Natural Life by Yahya Ercan ( Turkey, 2015, 21΄)

Missing Times by Faysal Soysal (Turkey, 2015, 55΄)

Motel Hasankeyf by Valeria Mazzucchi (Turkey/Switzerland, 2015, 27΄)

Extraordinary People by Orhan Tekeoğlu (Turkey/Russia, 2015, 47΄)

Wetland by Alkim Ün (Turkey, 2015)

A City Where The Streets Are Paved With Coins by Orçin Uzun (Turkey, 2015, 15΄)

About Timur by Özgü Özbudak (Turkey, 2015, 15΄)

Zerk by İnan Erbil (Turkey, 2015, 15΄)

10 Turkish short films are inluded in the Short Film Selection this year: Azad by Yakup Tekintangaç (Turkey, 2015, 16΄), Fish Pond by Ezgi Kaplan (Turkey, 2015, 16΄), Unmade Bed by Eytan Ipeker (Turkey, 2015, 11΄), Hurşit by Selcen Yılmazoğlu (Turkey, 2015, 8΄), Nursing Home by Ahmet Toklu (Turkey, 2015, 11΄), The Jungle by Onur Saylak & Doğu Akal (Turkey, 2015, 13΄), Tick Tock by Zeynep Koçak (Turkey/USA, 2015, 9΄), Kite by Serdal Altun (Turkey, 2015, 12΄), A Long Day by Cenk Ertürk (Turkey, 2015, 12΄) and Zilan by Mehmet Mahsum Akyel (Turkey, 2015, 6΄).

Other Balkan co-productions screened in Antalya International Film Festival 2015 are The Lobster by Yorgos Lanthimos (Greece/UK/Ireland/Netherlands/France, 2015) at the Panorama section, Baskin by Can Evrenol (Turkey/USA, 2013) at the Midnight Screenings sections and the classic Yilmaz Guney film Hope ((Turkey, 1970) as a Special Screening.

This year΄s honorary prizes include some internationally acclaimed professionals and Turkish legends. The Lifetime Achievement Award is being handed to Jeremy Irons and Catherine Deneuve, while, filmmaker/scriptwriter Erden Kıral, actress Ayşen Gruda and actor Kayhan Yıldızoğlu will all receive Lifetime Honors. All the awards will be given during the festival΄s opening gala. 

Closing, Antalya΄s industry section, Antalya Film Forum will run from 2 to 5 December, offering among others pitching and Work in Progress platforms, masterclasses, presentations and industry meetings.