30/01/2023 - The new film by Elvin Adigozel has emerged as the victor of the latest edition of First Cut+

At the latest session of the First Cut+ programme, eight projects took part (see the news), with My Magical World, directed by Azeri writer-director Elvin Adigozel (Bilesuvar [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), receiving the TRT Prize, valued at €5,000 (see the news).

The story follows Babek and Sahil, two people who have been best friends since childhood, and who front a wedding band in rural Azerbaijan and dream of appearing on the famous TV show Baku Star. Soon enough, things are not what they seem – dreams are upended, loyalties are tested, and the band’s world unravels in tragicomic ways. Written by Adigozel, the film is being produced by Maria Ibrahimova (Cinex Productions) and Emil Najafov (Ultra Productions).

The presence of TRT Cinema has intensified over the last few years, thanks to numerous collaborations with markets and film festivals. Some of the most highly acclaimed recent films that have received support from TRT include international co-productions such as the Palme d’Or winner and three-time Oscar-nominated Triangle of Sadness [+see also:
film review
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interview: Ruben Östlund
interview: Ruben Östlund
film profile] by Ruben Östlund (Sweden/Germany/France/Turkey/Greece/Denmark/UK/USA), the Sundance-awarded Klondike [+see also:
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interview: Maryna Er Gorbach
film profile] by Maryna Er Gorbach (Ukraine/Turkey), the Locarno-awarded Sermon to the Fish [+see also:
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film profile] by Hilal Baydarov (Azerbaijan/Mexico/Switzerland/Turkey), along with A Piece of Sky [+see also:
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interview: Michael Koch
film profile] by Michael Koch (Switzerland/Germany), which scooped the TRT Award at KVIFF First Cut+ in 2021. Moreover, A Ballad [+see also:
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interview: Aida Begic
film profile] by Aida Begić (Bosnia and Herzegovina/France) won the 2021 CineLink Works in Progress TRT Award, and Victim [+see also:
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interview: Michal Blaško
film profile] by Michal Blaško (Slovakia/Czech Republic/Germany) snagged the TRT Award at the 2021 edition of KVIFF Eastern Promises WIP.

As for the Turkish-majority films that are also being supported by TRT, they include Snow and the Bear [+see also:
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interview: Selcen Ergun
film profile] by Selcen Ergun (Turkey/Germany/Serbia), which premiered in Toronto’s Discovery section and won multiple prizes at the Antalya and Bosphorus Film Festivals; the Tokyo-premiered Cloves & Carnations [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Bekir Bülbül (Belgium/Turkey); Hara by Atalay Taşdiken, which pocketed the TRT Prebuy Award at 12 Punto 2020; and A Hope by Ümit Köreken. Furthermore, the project in development Hesitation Wound [+see also:
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interview: Selman Nacar
film profile] by Turkish writer-director Selman Nacar received the Post Republic Award of €40,000 in kind at CineLink Works in Progress, was the winner of WIP Industry Europa and the WIP Europa Award at San Sebastián WIP Europa, and received the Başka Sinema Distribution and Promotion Award in the Antalya Film Forum.

TRT Cinema also continued its collaborations with major markets last year, as two TRT Awards were given out in Karlovy Vary’s Eastern Promises industry section: in Works in Progress, a cash prize of €5,000 went to Windless, directed and co-written by Bulgarian filmmaker Pavel G Vesnakov (see the news); and in the First Cut+ section, Graham Foy’s The Maiden also received €5,000 in cash (see the news). In Sarajevo’s CineLink Co-production Market, the Turkish project Hear the Yellow by Banu Sivaci snagged the Film Centre Montenegro CineLink Award (see the news), while the TRT Award, valued at €25,000 in cash, was bestowed upon Blaga’s Lessons [+see also:
film review
interview: Stephan Komandarev
film profile] by Bulgaria’s Stephan Komandarev (see the news). In 2022, for the first time, TRT granted an award to one of the projects in development in South Africa’s Durban FilmMart, and the winner was the documentary The Missing Camel by Cheikh N’diaye.

At Turkish festivals, TRT’s presence was also particularly prominent. In the Antalya Film Festival’s Forum, the TRT Award in the Works in Progress platform was given to Confrontation by Filiz Kuka (see the news), and in the Bosphorus Film Festival’s industry section, the Bosphorus Film Lab, Nothing New Under the Sun by Murad Zaloğlu received the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Special Award in the Works in Progress strand. Also, debuting director Yeşim Tonbaz was the winner of the TRT Coproduction Award in the BFL Pitching Platform for her project Hacer.

Faruk Guven, head of TRT Cinema, stated: “TRT Cinema co-produces and supports films not only from Turkey, but also those from other regions of the world. In the last year, films supported by TRT premiered at festivals of the likes of Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Locarno and Tokyo, won awards and are currently continuing their festival runs all over the place. With the 12 Punto TRT International Coproduction Award, TRT co-produces international films as well. By collaborating with film festivals in Turkey and in different parts of the world, TRT supports the journey of international movies, too.”