28/10/2019 - Two projects in development and two films in post-production shared the awards handed out in the industry section of the seventh Bosphorus Film Festival

Producer Nefes Polat receives the TRT Co-Production Award for the winning project Snow and the Bear, written and directed by Selcen Ergun

The Bosphorus Film Lab (BFL) wrapped its latest edition during the awards ceremony of the seventh Bosphorus Film Festival on 25 October. Unspooling for six days, from 19-24 October, the BFL focused on local projects that have an international approach and are either in development or in production.

In the Pitching Platform, ten projects were competing, and the jury comprising TRT’s Co-productions and Foreign Productions manager Faruk Güven, head of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s Eastern Promises Industry Days Hugo Rosák, and Moscow International Film Festival’s selection committee member Evgeniya Tirdatova selected two winners.

The main TRT Co-production Award, provided by Turkey’s pubcaster and a partner of the BFL, went to Snow and the Bear [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Selcen Ergun
film profile], the debut feature film by Selcen Ergun. Set in a small snow-covered Turkish border town, where rumour has it that bears have risen early and killed some animals, the story follows Aslı, a young nurse who has been appointed there recently. When a man from the town, Hasan, goes missing after arguing with Aslı, there are different theories about it. Some people point out Samet, a young man who had some troubles with Hasan before, but he is the only one who knows the truth. Written by Ergun and Yeşim Aslan it is being produced by Nefes Polat for (Nefes’ Film), the director and Michael Eckelt, the shooting is scheduled for early next year.

The Postbıyık Color Correction Award went to Let Who Has the Most Grudge Cast the First Stone by Atıl İnanç, whose previous film Circle was awarded in various festivals. The film follows two brothers that, after walking opposite paths in life, have become ruthless rivals to each other. On one hand, the younger brother who is a trade lawyer returns to Istanbul after many years abroad, and on the other, the older brother is involved in internet scams, blackmailing and other petty crime jobs. They have to live under the same roof and their mother wants them to reconcile. Produced by Derya Tarım (Lacivert Film), the film aims for a 2021 release and is looking for co-producers.

In the Work in Progress platform, International Film Festival Rotterdam programmer Bianca Taal, CGV Mars Distribution general manager Serdar Can, and senior programme manager at the Edinburgh International Film Festival Emma Boa picked two winners from among the six projects presented.

The Special Prize of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which comes with 25,000 TL (€4,000), went to Mauser, directed by debutant Fatih Özcan and produced by Enes Erbay. Set in a mountain village of Anatolia, the film follows a local guy attacked by wolves when he goes to his sheep herd. That incident will give him the chance to get a Mauser rifle that he much wanted, on the condition that if he kills a wolf, the dealer will give it to him for free. The very day he succeeds in doing it, he will also have to his father’s funeral and his brother getting ready to fight with him for the inheritance.

The CGV Mars Film Distribution Prize, which was handed out for the second consecutive year, was given to Going Blind, directed and produced by Hacı Osman. Sinan is a visually-impaired poet, he is a humorous man at peace with his blindness. After a successful operation, that was a gift from his wife, Sinan sees vaguely but he has trouble to adapt to the new chaotic world. His wife pressures him to adapt but this tension will lead to a tragic face-off.

Here is the complete list of winners at the 2019 Bosphorus Film Lab:

TRT Co-production Award
Snow and the Bear [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Selcen Ergun
film profile] - Selcen Ergun
Producer: Nefes Polat (Nefes’ Film), Selcen Ergun, Michael Eckelt

Postbıyık Color Correction Award
Let Who Has the Most Grudge Cast the First Stone - Atıl İnanç
Producer: Derya Tarım (Lacivert Film)

Special Prize of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Mauser - Fatih Özcan
Producer: Enes Erbay (Teferruat Film)

CGV Mars Film Distribution Prize
Going Blind - Hacı Osman
Producer: Hacı Orman (Praksis Film)