Altın Koza International Film Festival (The Golden Boll) is a film festival

Film festival

A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...

 of Adana

Adana

Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...

, that was held 17 times since 1969 and took place every year since 2005. The event is organized by the Greater Adana Municipality and takes place in June. Beginning from 2006, the scope of the festival is broadened to an international dimension within the framework of the cinema in Mediterranean

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 basin countries.

The festival, taking its name from cotton boll

Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

, the traditional crop grown in the region, includes national feature films along with international short subjects (since 2006) and student films of young Mediterranean filmmakers (from 2008 on). The 15th edition of the festival will be held between June 2 - 8 2008.

History

The Altın Koza Film Festival was organized for the first time in 1969 jointly by the Adana Cinema Club, Adana Municipality and the State Films Archives under the simple name "Film Festival". The event recurred until 1973 uninterrupted. However, in 1974 it came to an end, discontinuing 18 years long. In 1992, the festival was revived with its 6th edition and was held until 1997 under the name "Altın Koza Culture, Arts and Film Festival". Due to earthquakes occurred in 1998 and 1999

1999 Izmit earthquake

The 1999 İzmit earthquake was a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northwestern Turkey on August 17, 1999, at about 3:02am local time. The event lasted for 37 seconds, killing around 17,000 people and leaving approximately half a million people homeless...

, and later because of economical reasons, the festival could not be continued for seven successive years. In 2005, the Altın Koza Festival resumed with its 12th edition. In 2009, in celebration of its 40th anniversary, the festival published a catalogue prepared by Burçak Evren

Burçak Evren

Burçak Evren is a Turkish film historian, author, journalist, researcher, and film critic. He is currently the editor-in-chief of the Sinematürk film magazine published in Istanbul...

 and edited by Candan Yaygın on the recipients of its honorary awards in its past editions.

National feature film competition

Money prizes are given in major categories and a Golden Boll statuette is awarded in addition in all the categories:

Picture awards:

• Grand Jury Best Picture: TRY 250,000 (approx. US$205,000)
• Grand Jury Yılmaz Güney
  Yilmaz Güney
  Yılmaz Güney, was a Kurdish film director, scenarist, novelist and actor from Turkey. Many of his works are devoted to the plight of ordinary, working class people in Turkey.- Biography :...
  
  Best Picture: TRY 75,000 (approx. US$61,500)
• Audience Jury Best Picture: TRY 50,000 (approx. US$41,000)

Director awards:

• Best Director: TRY 50,000 (approx. US$41,000)
• Best Camera Direction
• Best Art Direction

Actor awards:

• Best Actress
• Best Actor
• Best Supporting Actress
• Best Supporting Actor
• Most Promising Newcomer (actress)
• Most Promising Newcomer (actor)

Screenplay, music and cinematography awards:

• Best Screenplay
• Best Music
• Best Cinematography
• Best Film Editing

Student films competition

This competition, from 2008 on international, aims to encourage the young filmmakers, who are still students. A Golden Boll statuette is awarded along with money prizes in all categories.

• Best Fiction Picture: TRY 5,000 (approx. US$4,100)
• Best Animation Picture: TRY 5,000 (approx. US$4,100)
• Best Documentary Picture: TRY 5,000 (approx. US$4,100)
• Best Experimental Picture: TRY 5,000 (approx. US$4,100)

Mediterranean countries international short subject competition

This contest is dedicated to the promotion of the development of short subjects and creative film making in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The festival only accepts short subjects no longer than 20 minutes and documentary films no longer than 30 minutes in English, with English subtitles or sent with English dialogue list.

• Best Fiction Picture: US$ 4,000
• Best Animation Picture: US$ 4,000
• Best Documentary Picture: US$ 4,000
• Best Experimental Picture: US$ 4,000
• Special Jury awards for each category: US$ 1,000