Poster for the Ayvalık International Film Festival Unveiled,“Rising Star” Prize Selection Committee Announced

The highly anticipated poster for the Ayvalık International Film Festival, organized between the dates of September 16-21 by the Seyir Association in collaboration with Ayvalık Municipality, has been announced, along with the selection committee for the "Rising Star" Prize, brought to you with the support of Diageo Türkiye.

The Ayvalık International Film Festival displays its commitment to the local art scene by commissioning a poster every year to an artist strongly linked to Ayvalık. This year’s poster, designed by Erdem Yılmaz, has been inspired by eminent artist Teoman Madra, a man with deep connections to the city, who sadly passed away in April this year. The selection committee for the "Rising Star" Prize, which is in its fourth year with the support of Diageo Türkiye, has also been announced. The winner of the 100,000 TL award will be selected by a jury consisting of Serra Yılmaz, Nermin Er, Tolga Karaçelik, Ayris Alptekin, and Hasan Nadir Derin, and will be revealed on the opening night of the festival.

Festival Poster Paying Tribute to Teoman Madra

Ayvalık International Film Festival has always been aware of the city’s creative spirit, home to artists from various fields, both in the past and in the present. It has now become a festival tradition to commission each year’s poster to an artist who has lived in Ayvalık or who demonstrates strong bonds to the city, thereby building a bridge between cinema and other art forms. This year's poster pays tribute to Teoman Madra, one of the first artists in Türkiye to use digital technology in his work, who passed away in April at the age of 93.

Erdem Yılmaz designed the poster by taking inspiration from the art of Teoman Madra, who often featured in his works the fragility of light and the aesthetics of nature, closely paying attention to the visual perception of the human eye. Erdem Yılmaz’s poster resonates with the same spirit, evoking the powerful show that Ayvalık puts on over the sea at every sunset, with colour and light. Teoman Madra may no longer be with us, but the festival posters across the streets of Ayvalık will revive the brush strokes of light he used in his work, this time inviting audiences to meet in the luminosity of cinema. 

 "Rising Star" Prize will be presented for the 4th time with the support of Diageo Türkiye!

With the contributions of Diageo Türkiye, who firmly believe in the importance of culture and arts in our lives, and who stand out with their consistent and sustainable support in this field, "Rising Star" Prize will be presented for the fourth time. Reinforcing the festival's mission to nurture and encourage young filmmakers, "Rising Star" Prize selection committee will include actress Serra Yılmaz, artist Nermin Er, director/screenwriter Tolga Karaçelik, editor Ayris Alptekin and film critic Hasan Nadir Derin. 

The winner of the 100,000 TL prize, with the contributions of Diageo Türkiye, will be chosen from a selection of films that have been released or screened at festivals in Türkiye within the last year. 

Known for its non-competitive nature, Ayvalık International Film Festival grants the "Rising Star" Prize to a new figure in the cinema industry, whether a director, actor, screenwriter, editor, cinematographer, or sound designer, who has made a notable beginning with their first film. The winner of the award will be announced at the opening ceremony at the Ayvalık Municipality Grand Park Amphitheater on the evening of September 16.

Previous recipients of the "Rising Star" Prize include director Ziya Demirel for Ela and Hilmi with Ali (2022), director/screenwriter Umut Subaşı for Almost Entirely a Slight Disaster (2023), and editor Sinan Kesova for The Grand Siege (2024).

Ayvalık International Film Festival will be held with the valuable contributions of the Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality, Ayvalık Municipality, Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, Paribu, Spaces of Culture, Asteros Film, OGM Pictures, Macaron Kolonyaları, Macaron Muhallebicisi, Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Diageo Türkiye, Goethe-Institut Türkiye, the French Embassy, Bilginer-Melin Ayvalık Art Culture and Education Foundation, Ayvalık Chamber of Commerce, and Çöp(m)adam.