Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival

The Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival ( _tr. Antalya Altın Portakal Film Festivali) , held annually since 1963 in Antalya, is the most important national film festival in Turkey. The event, jointly organized by the Foundation of Culture and Arts in Antalya (Antalya Kültür Sanat Vakfı, AKSAV) takes place in the autumn months at the Antalya Cultural Center (Antalya Kültür Merkezi, AKM). Since 2005, the festival is accompanied by the International Eurasia Film Festival.

History

The cultural activities like concerts and theater plays, which started to take place in the 1950s at the historical Aspendos Amphitheatre, laid the ground stone for the Antalya Golde Orange Film Festival today. These events held in the summer months under the honorary patronage of Dr. Avni Tolunay, found ever increasing interest of people and became traditional until the beginning of 1960s. In 1963, the festivities turned into a film festival with the initiation Dr. Avni Tolunay, who became the mayor of Antalya that year. As the logo of the film festival was chosen orange, the most important symbol of the region, along with sea, historical elements and the Venus statute. The orange becomes nt only a figure within the logo but gives also the festival its name.

The 1st Golden Orange Film Festival was held in 1964. Its mission was formulated by Avni Tolunay as to promote the Turkish cinema, to motivate Turkish film producers for high quality works and to help Turkish cinema penetrate the international film platform. The Golden Orange Feature Film Award was called soon the Turkish Oscar following the enthusiasm created in the cinema world with its high performance within a short time. In 1978, the festival went international by incorporating plastic arts for the first time.

Until 1985, the Golden Orange Festival was organized by the patronage of the Municipality of Antalya. That year, the organization was taken over by the newly established Foundation for Culture, Arts and Tourism in Antalya (Antalya Kültür Sanat Turizm Vakfı, AKSAV). From 1985 until 1988, the incorporation of an international music festival called “Akdeniz Akdeniz” (“Mediterranean Mediterranean”) added another dimension to the festival. In the years 1989 to 1994, the municipality, tourism companies and the chamber of commerce in Antalya performed the organization of the Golden Orange Film Festival jointly. Finally, the festival became institutional with the establishment of the Foundation of Golden Orange Culture and Arts Foundation. The institution serves under the name Antalya Culture and Arts Foundation (Antalya Kültür Sanat Vakfı) since September 2002.

In 2004, the foundation determined the new goal of the festival as going international and set its range to all Eurasian countries to make the Golden Orange Film Festival a platform of the cinema of those. A film fair called “Antalya Eurasia Film Market” is created to contribute financially to the film festival.

Jury

The international jury of the festival is formed by nine personalities from the world of cinema and culture, who may not be directly associated with the production or exploitation of a film in competition. A jury of seven professional cinema experts in each f the three film categories advise the main jury. [ [http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=124292&tarih=07/08/2004 Newspaper "Radikal" August 7, 2004] tr icon]

Golden Orange statuette

The traditional statuette of the festival, a woman holding a golden orange in her left hand, was replaced in 2005 by a new design created by the renowned Turkish jewellery house [http://www.urart.com.tr Urart] . The design of the award statuette is inspired by the natural and monumental beauties of Antalya and the rich cultural history of Anatolia.

The statuette is situated on a theatre stage. The columns used in ancient buildings all around Anatolia and particularly Antalya gave the idea fort to the one erected in the middle. In the lower part of the column, images from the primary natural beauties and the historical monuments of Antalya (Aspendos, Alanya Castle, Düden Waterfall, Myra, Perge, The Ribbed Minaret of Antalya) are obvious in film frames as relieves. The emblem of Antalya Film Festival constitutes the platform on the column. On the platform erect small sculptures of muses, the originals of which may be found in Istanbul Archaeology Museum. Each muse represents a branch of art. On the edge of the column, there is an ornament known as "den-dan" in the Roman architecture. The statuette ends up with the golden sphere, 750-carat fine gold, standing for the golden orange.

The statuettes are divided into three classes. The first class is made up of 750-carat fine gold and overlaid with gold, the second one is gold-silver, and finally the material of the third is gold-bronze. In all the statuettes the golden orange festival emblem is 750-carat fine gold.

Awards

The Golden Orange awards are given in three film categories. [ [http://altinportakal.tursak.org.tr/index.php?sayfa=14 Golden Orange awards] tr icon]

National feature film competition

Money prizes are given in major categories and a Golden Orange statuette is awarded in addition in all of the following categories:

* Best Picture: 300,000 TRY (approx. US$230,800)
* Best Director: 30,000 TRY (US$23,000)
* Best Screenplay 20.000 TRY (US$15,400)
* Best Music 20.000 TRY (US$15,400)
* Best Actress
* Best Actor
* Best Camera Direction (in addition 100 rolls of film worth $30,000 granted by Kodak)
* Best Art Direction
* Best Supporting Actress
* Best Supporting Actor
* Best Cinematography
* Best Film Editing
* Best Makeup and Hairdress (since 2005)
* Best Visual Effects (since 2005)
* Best Costume Design
* Best Sound Design and Sound Mix (since 2005)

Jury special awards

* The Dr. Avni Tolunay Jury Special Award
* The Behlül Dal Digitürk Jüry Special Award for Young Talent $25,000

National documentary film competition

* Best Picture: 7,000 TRY (approx. US$5,400) and the Golden Orange statuee

National short subject competition

* Best Picture: 7,500 TRY (approx. US$5,750)

Eurasia Film Critics Prize

The jury consisting of five to seven expert film critics from European and Asian countries awards a prize of $15,000 to the producer of the best film.

Venues

The festival starts with a parade in the city of Antalya in the evening of the first day. The opening ceremony takes place at the Konyaaltı Amphitheatre or in Antalya Cultural Center in presence of national and international film celebrities invited. At this ceremony, honorary awards are presented to cinema people for their contribution. [ [http://www.yorumcuyuz.net/forum/yerli_sinema/43_antalya_alt%FDn_portakal_film_festivali_ba%FElad%FD-t3214.0.html;msg70890 Yorumcuyuz Biz] tr icon]

The award ceremony takes place in the closing night at the historical Aspendos Amphitheatre, which holds around 7,000 people. In case of bad weather conditions, the award ceremony is transferred to the Glass Pyramid Sabancı Congress and Exhibition Center, which provides seating for an audience of 2,500 only. [ [http://www.kanalvip.com.tr/haberler.asp?ID=26 VTV September 25, 2006] tr icon]

References

External links

* [http://www.altinportakal.org.tr/ Altın Portakal Official Web Site]
* [http://www.urart.com.tr Urart]