The Malatya International Film Festival (MUFF), a joint effort between the Malatya Governor’s Office and the local Malatya Foundation of Apricot Research, Improvement and Promotion, will be held from Nov. 26-Dec. 2, the festival’s organizers announced in a written statement released on Friday.The city, famous around the world for its apricot orchards which contribute more than half of the apricots produced in Turkey, will host around 100 titles from Turkey and abroad throughout the week-long festival, which will feature two competition programs; one international competition for features and another for short films from Turkey.
MUFF will achieve a first among its Turkish peers as both its feature and short film competitions will accept submissions exclusively in the genre of comedy and its sub-genres. A 12-film selection from Turkey and overseas will vie for the international feature competition’s Golden Apricot Prizes, which will be handed out in five categories: best film, best director, best screenplay, best actor and best actress. The Golden Apricot Prize for Best Film will come with a modest cash prize of 10,000 euros while the rest of the awards will bring their winners a 3,000-euro cash award. The international competition will also hand out a Jury’s Special Prize, a Turkish Film Critics Association (SİYAD) prize and an Audience Award named after the late comedic Turkish actor Kemal Sunal.
In total, MUFF will offer 65 feature films from around the world in several programs including the Official Selection, which makes up the 12-film competition program; the Panorama, which will offer a look at contemporary world cinema; In Memory of Kemal Sunal, which will pay tribute to the legendary Turkish big screen comedian; The Seven Faces of Japanese Cinema; and Children’s Films, among others. With the inclusion of short films and documentaries, the number of titles offered in the lineup will near a hundred.
MUFF’s national short film competition, on the other hand, will accept 15 fiction and animation productions in the genre of comedy.
The festival is planning to showcase a restored version of a classic Turkish movie, which will then be added to the national film archive, each year. The festival’s side events will include admission-free cinema classes, workshops and panel discussions with film professionals.
The official selection and full program is expected to be announced in a press conference in late October. For more information, check the festival’s official website at: www.malatyafilmfest.com.
