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The International Mythology Film Festival will return for its third edition on Sept. 20-25, 2025, with a program built around the theme “Mythology and Women,” bringing screenings, panels, talks, competitions and special award ceremonies to audiences free of charge in Izmir, Aydin, Manisa, Istanbul and Canakkale.
Running under the slogan “Humanity’s Common Story,” the festival will set out in Izmir, move on to Aydin (Efeler, Tralles Ancient City) and Manisa, continue in Istanbul at Beyoglu Cinema and Rami Library, and wrap up in Canakkale at the Troy ancient city of Troy, with film screenings in Tevfikiye Village.
All events are open to the public without admission fees, reflecting the festival’s aim to bring mythology into conversation with contemporary arts through an interdisciplinary approach.
The short film competition will focus on “Mythology and Women,” highlighting stories linked to women heroes, goddesses and mythic figures.
Fiction shorts made in 2022 or later and running no longer than 20 minutes will be eligible. Under the jury presidency of Professor Dr. Alev Parsa, the 10 winning films will be screened during the festival.
In partnership with LUGAL Games, a new digital game competition will invite developers to carry Anatolia’s deep mythic heritage onto mobile and PC platforms.
The selected project will receive a cash prize alongside professional mentoring and international investment support.
Two distinctions will underscore the festival’s intellectual frame. The Ulgen Award will go to a figure whose ethical and aesthetic approach enriches cinema, while the Mergen Award will recognize an individual whose academic work adds narrative depth and wisdom.
Both awards take their names from Turkish mythology, signaling the event’s cultural reference point.
An edited volume prepared by editor Yanki Enki will explore mythology from a multidisciplinary angle. Contributors include Professor Akin Ersoy, Professor Metin Ekici, archaeologist Ozlem Ertan, Professor Yasemin Polat, Associate Professor Meltem Dogan-Alparslan, and Professor Pinar Fedakar, with topics ranging from Hittite and Sumerian mythologies and Dede Korkut narratives to female archetypes, the Aphrodite cult, and mythological representations in cinema.
International partners—the French Cultural Center, Goethe Institute, Swedish Consulate, and Italian Cultural Institute—will support special screenings. The lineup will include Undine, Gunnar Hedes Saga, Dag, Balina'nin Bilgisi (Special Screening), and HisTory.
All screenings, panels, and talks are free and open to the public.
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