The winners of the 2024 TRT World Citizen “Humanitarian Film Festival,” organized by Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), have been announced. In its sixth year, the festival addressed important topics such as war, conflict, human rights, and the climate crisis. Throughout the day, attendees participated in film screenings, panels, and workshops. The event concluded with an award ceremony, where the top three films received their accolades.

With the aim of providing a significant platform for filmmakers to address humanitarian issues from unique perspectives, Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) hosted its TRT World Citizen “Humanitarian Film Festival” for the sixth time this year. Participants had the opportunity to watch award-winning films and engage in discussions with prominent figures from around the world. The award ceremony, held at the Ataturk Cultural Center, was hosted by Director General of TRT, Mehmet Zahid Sobaci and attended by Presidency's Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun, along with numerous guests from the cinema and arts community.

Head of Communications Altun: “We support this festival for bringing together producers and directors who serve humanity with their works.”

Speaking at the award ceremony, by Presidency's Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun stated, “This festival underscores the significance of safeguarding human rights, social justice, peace, and addressing the effects of environmental problems on human life. It serves as a reminder of the significance of human life and its pivotal nature as truth.”

He expressed pride in TRT's commitment to representing Turkiye's dedication to global peace and stability through its work. “The TRT World Citizen Humanitarian Film Festival serves as an institutional manifestation of Turkiye's sensitivities regarding this matter. We strongly support this festival, which has now become a tradition, to bring together valuable producers and directors who also serve humanity with their works,” he added.

Director General of TRT Sobaci: “The world is perhaps in more need than ever of the profound narratives of cinema.”

Director General of TRT Mehmet Zahid Sobaci, speaking at the award ceremony, emphasized that the Humanitarian Film Festival aims to draw attention to global humanitarian issues and inspire positive change around the world. He stated that each year, the festival honors filmmakers who focus their lenses on regions and issues where justice is imbalanced. Sobaci highlighted that the films competing in the festival address numerous global problems using the visual and auditory power of cinema. He added that filmmakers can present complex issues, which might otherwise be endlessly debated, in the most comprehensible way through their work.

Sobaci continued, “As Turkiye's public broadcaster, TRT bears the responsibility of being the voice of the overlooked and making the invisible visible, in all our broadcasts, productions, and activities, including cinema. The Humanitarian Film Festival is a significant reflection of this duty. Through this festival, we strive to bring the struggles of the marginalized and disregarded to the forefront of humanity’s consciousness, opening a door of understanding from Turkiye to the world and channeling the power of cinema toward global humanitarian issues.”

Panels and workshops with industry experts

The festival featured screenings of the ten finalist films and several panels and workshops with leading figures in the industry. These included the “Humanitarian Filmmaking Panel,” featuring jury president Aida Begic and jury members Abdulhamid Guler, Faysal Soysal, and Darin J. Sallam; the “Film Analysis Masterclass” with Busra Bulbul and Sina Salimi; and an “Acting Masterclass” with actor Olgun Simek.

This year, the “Best Film” award went to Roberto Valencia from Ecuador for “The Strange Case of the Human Cannonball”. The second prize was awarded to Ali Sohail Jaura from Pakistan for “Murder Tongue”, and the third prize went to Jimmy Ming Shum from Japan for “Talk to Me”.

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