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A free children's film festival opened in Gaziantep this week, bringing screenings and workshops to kids who rarely get the chance to visit a cinema. The event is part of a nationwide tour.
The 22nd TURSAK Children's Film Festival runs through Oct. 7 at two Gaziantep cinemas, Forum Gaziantep and Paribu Cineverse Gaziantep.
The Turkish Cinema and Audiovisual Culture Foundation (TURSAK) organizes the event with support from the Culture and Tourism Ministry's cinema directorate. It is held as part of the Türkiye Culture Road Festival.
Gaziantep is the festival's third stop this year, after Canakkale and Ankara.
The festival will visit seven cities in all, with four more to follow before the end of the year.
"Every city we go to, we host 2,500 children," foundation board chairman Cemal Okan said. "We show them current films, hold panels and bring them together with some of our actor friends so they can talk."
Okan said the festival is free because many families in Anatolia cannot afford tickets.
"In many provinces of Anatolia, people can't go to the cinema. Economic conditions don't allow it," he said. "Because we offer these events free of charge, I believe they are very useful."
Organizers say they send shuttle buses to bring children from villages to the theaters, and that some of them have never seen a film on the big screen. "They are seeing cinema for the first time," Okan said. "That excites us a great deal."
Alongside the screenings, children can join workshops in directing, acting, mindful breathing, film reading, digital media and social media content. Directors, actors and screenwriters are invited to lead the sessions, which Okan called the festival's most important part.
The program includes recent children's and animated films such as "Cesur Kirpi" and "Kardes Takimi 3." Okan said the foundation tries to obtain every children's and family film released during the year.
Okan said Türkiye's film industry has been in serious trouble since the pandemic. Last month, the foundation worked with the ministry and the telecommunications company Turkcell on a nationwide cinema event on Sept. 26-27 that sold tickets at a single flat price.
"We have, unfortunately, drawn people away from cinema," Okan said. "To bring them back, the content has to be much higher in quality."
He described TURSAK as a bridge between the film industry and the ministry and said it is the only foundation in Türkiye dedicated to cinema. "That's why these events will continue," he said.
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