After Adana Golden Boll Film Festival

We left behind the 29th International Golden Boll Film Festival, which took place between 12-18 September this year. I personally followed the festival on behalf of DashFUN. The festival leg, in which eight films compete in the national film competition, is the most followed part of the festival every year for us film writers. Because Adana would be the first festival where we watched new local films (not counting the sliding dates due to the pandemic). However, the films included in the selection this year are; criticized for both its scarcity and inadequacy. The front jury of the festival, which is said to have applied for 50 films, selected only 8 films to compete this year. When it was announced that the films selected for the festival were signed by four men and four women with the aim of defending gender equality, the question marks that arose in the minds were as follows; Has positive discrimination been made, is everyone in the place they deserve? etc. As a woman, I never want any of my work to be applauded or appreciated just because I am a woman. I’m sure most women would agree with me. As we always say, we need equality, not privilege.

Let’s get to the awards.. While “Ela ile Hilmi and Ali” and “Çilingir Sofrası”, which won awards by taking part in the Istanbul Film Festival this year, 4 of the other 6 competing films were awarded in various categories. The “Audience Award”, which is determined by the votes of the Adana audience every year, goes to the movie “Suna” by Çiğdem Sezgin this year; Yılmaz Güney Special Award was not given to any film by the jury this year. As far as we understand from the reasoned decision of the jury, the reason why the award was not given is that none of the films in the competition are political enough. Who knows, maybe this decision was a reproach to the preliminary jury. In addition, the Best Documentary award was added to the festival this year after the criticism that the Best Film Award went to a documentary (Naughty Children) last year; It was not acceptable until now.

As far as I can see, the participation of the public in the festival was intense this year, as it is every year. However, my comment is limited only to the screenings in the cinema, since we were staying in a hotel quite far from the city, so I could not observe how much the public showed interest in the events taking place in the city.

I have always loved Adana and Adana’s passion for art and cinema, I hope that in the coming years, much better and more diverse films will be shot and selected and we will enjoy the selection to the fullest.

• My favorite movie of the festival: Locksmith’s Table
• Best player performances: Locksmith Table (Ahmet Rıfat Sungar – Barış Gonenen)
• The most theatrical: Tell Me About Your Darkness
• The bravest: Once Upon a Time 2121
• The shortest passer in the narrowest field: Ela and Hilmi and Ali
• Most audience-friendly/most uncompromising: Suna

Hande Kara