Awards Presented at Fenerbahçe University’s 1st National Short Film Festival

The 1st National Short Film Festival, organized by the Fenerbahçe University Faculty of Communication, was held with great enthusiasm from May 12–16, 2025. The festival brought together cinema enthusiasts through film screenings, interviews, and workshops held at the university's Block B Conference Hall.

At the closing award ceremony, attended by Fenerbahçe University Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Kanca, the winning films were announced from among 35 finalists, selected through a preliminary evaluation of 454 submissions.

Student Category Awards
Best Fiction Short Film:
Your Eyes – Korhan Topçu
The film was awarded for its satirical and technically successful portrayal of the transformation of livelihood problems into a social problem.

Honorable Mention – Fiction Short Film:
220 – İsmail Hakkı Koçak
It was appreciated for its handling of child labor without exploitation and with a natural expression.

Best Documentary Short Film:
Nasrin – Betül Benli
It was deemed worthy of the award for its poetic expression of the women’s issue on a universal level.

Honorable Mention – Documentary Short Film:
Unlimited Dream – Gnamiem Axell Landry Kablan, Abubakar Abbas Dhakaba
Awarded for its hopeful expression of the universal value of pursuing dreams.

Best Artificial Intelligence and Animation Short Film:
White Dove – Berkay Ellek
It stood out with its success in telling the story of a Palestinian child with realistic designs and digital technologies.

Honorable Mention – Artificial Intelligence and Animation:
On the Shore – Rojin Aslan Vesek
Awarded for the technical choices and execution skills appropriate to the story.

Professional Category Awards
Best Fiction Short Film:
We Need to Talk About Dilan – Umut Şilan Oğurlu
It was appreciated for its ability to present the common problems of young people with a creative, humorous language and mock documentary technique.

Honorable Mention – Fiction Short Film:
Hello Mom, It’s Me, Lou Lou – Atakan Yılmaz
The film stood out by depicting the human struggle for identity within the framework of a powerful family drama.

Best Documentary Short Film:
Good Death – Hasan Ete
It was awarded for its narrative of death honoring life and impressive cinematography.

Honorable Mention – Documentary Short Film:
The Spirit of Ice – Kadircan Arabacı
It attracted attention with its successful combination of different narrative techniques and visual mastery.

The main jury of the festival included Nefes Polat, Emre Pekçakır, Kübra Kip, Deniz Işın, and Assist. Prof. Dr. Pınar Tınaz, well-known names in the world of cinema, as well as Prof. Dr. Neşe Kars Tayanç, Hakan Karsak, and Fırat Özeler in the student category.

The event, organized under the leadership of Festival Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deniz Telek and Chair of the Organizing Committee Prof. Dr. Gülay Öztürk, was an important step in supporting young filmmakers and promoting cinema culture.