Don’t stay indifferent to problems in education!

The winners of the Sabancı Foundation Short Film Competition, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year under the slogan “Short Film, Long Impact,” were announced at a ceremony held on January 21, 2026, at Sabancı Center. Organized with the theme “Inequalities in Education,” the competition highlighted creative short films that address educational challenges from a broad perspective. The First Prize was awarded to Emirhan Cangül for his film “Arena.”

In her speech at the ceremony, Güler Sabancı, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation, stated:

“As the Sabancı Foundation, we prioritize the fight against inequalities in our strategy. We know that among all forms of inequality, educational inequality has the most lasting impact. Because education is the most fundamental right of every child, and inequality in education determines not only today, but also a child’s tomorrow, a family’s hope, and a society’s future. A sentence from one of the films we watched perfectly reflected our work: ‘Inequality does not limit talents, it only limits opportunities.’”

The winners of the Sabancı Foundation Short Film Competition—organized since 2016 to draw attention to social issues through cinema and celebrating its 10th anniversary this year—have been announced. Held this year with the theme “Inequalities in Education” and the slogan “Do Not Remain Indifferent to Educational Problems,” the winners were revealed at a ceremony hosted by Güler Sabancı, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation, at Sabancı Center.

Among the 14 finalist films, the First Prize was awarded to Emirhan Cangül for “Arena.” Cangül received his award from Güler Sabancı, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation. The Second Prize and the Social Impact Award were awarded to Berat Yüksel for his film “Picasso Muhammed,” and were presented by Nevgül Bilsel Safkan, General Manager of the Sabancı Foundation.

The Third Prize went to Zehra Asal, director of the film “İkizler (Twins),” and was presented by Zeynep Atakan, Artistic Director of the Sabancı Foundation Short Film Competition. Following the jury’s evaluation, it was decided to grant two Honorable Mention Awards this year: the first Honorable Mention was awarded to Hüseyin Demirtaş for “Yarım (Half),” and the second Honorable Mention went to Havva Sülün for “Siyah Hiçbir Zaman Kirli Değildir Ki (Black Is Never Dirty).”

Prize amounts were awarded as follows: 80,000 TL to the First Prize winner, 60,000 TL to the Second Prize winner, and 30,000 TL each to the Third Prize winner and the recipient of the Social Impact Award.

The winners of the 10th Sabancı Foundation Short Film Competition were selected by a distinguished jury consisting of acclaimed writer, actor, and director Ercan Kesal; renowned actress Funda Eryiğit; international film marketing and strategy expert John Durie; prominent new-generation European producer Jordanco Petkovski; and successful screenwriter and director Gözde Kural.

Film it Before The Immigrate

The winners of the Sabancı Foundation Short Film Competition, organized for the 9th time this year under the slogan “Short Film, Long Impact,” were announced at a ceremony held on February 5, 2025, at The Seed, Sakıp Sabancı Museum.

Held with the theme of “Climate Migration,” the competition highlighted creative productions that portray the impacts of the climate crisis on people. The First Prize and the Social Impact Award were both awarded to the film “Son Yuva (The Last Nest)”, directed by Hasan Hüseyin Alkan.

In her speech at the award ceremony, Güler Sabancı, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation, stated:

“Data from the International Organization for Migration reveals that due to climate change, an average of 22 million people worldwide have been forced to migrate within their own countries each year over the past 10 years. In the next 10 years, it is projected that 1 billion people may face major challenges such as rising sea levels, floods, drought, extreme temperatures, and food insecurity, and may be forced to migrate.”

Among the 10 finalist films, the First Prize and the Social Impact Award were both awarded to Hasan Hüseyin Alkan for his film “Son Yuva (The Last Nest).” Alkan received his award from Güler Sabancı, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation.

The second prize went to Çağrı Erdoğdu for his film “Beyaz Geceler (White Nights),” and was presented by Nevgül Bilsel Safkan, General Manager of the Sabancı Foundation.

The third prize was awarded to Turan Güngör, director of the film “Minare,” and presented by Zeynep Atakan, Artistic Director of the Sabancı Foundation Short Film Competition.

The Honorable Mention Award was given to Muhammed Emin Çırçır and Mahmut Enes Şahin for their film “Ardımızda Kalanlar (Those Left Behind).”

In Short we suffer from thirst

The winners of the 8th Short Film Competition, organized by the Sabancı Foundation under the slogan “Short Films, Long Impact,” have been announced. The award ceremony of the competition, organized at Sabancı Center with the theme of “Water Crisis”, was hosted by Sabancı Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı and Sabancı Foundation General Manager Nevgül Bilsel Safkan and under the artistic direction of Zeynep Atakan.

This year, the competition, which garnered significant interest from young filmmakers, saw 12 works advance to the finals. The award recipients were determined by the jury of the 8th Short Film Competition, consisting of film critic Alin Taşçıyan, accomplished actors Salih Bademci and Tilbe Saran, producer and director Jamillah Van Der Lust Hulst from the world cinema arena, and creative producer and script consultant Suzanne Pradel.

The first-place award went to Can Yeşiloğlu for his film “Life in Dreams,’’ The Sabancı Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı presented Yeşiloğlu with his award. The director of the film “Towards the End”, which came in second, Cihan Yıldırım was presented with his award by Sabancı Foundation General Manager Nevgül Bilsel Safkan, while the director of the film “Anthropocene”, which came in third, Mehmet Gürü Avcu was presented with his award by the art director of the competition, Zeynep Atakan. The Honorable Mention Award of the competition was given to Sinan Kaldan for his film “Vahşi”; while the Social Impact Award went to Cihan Yıldırım, who is also the second place winner, for his film “Towards the End”.

The winner of the Sabancı Foundation Short Film Competition was awarded 60 thousand TL, the second place winner 40 thousand TL, and the third place winner 25 thousand TL. The Social Impact Award was also awarded 25 thousand TL for the first time this year.

You can learn all the details about the competition organized with the slogan “Short Film Long Impact” at www.kisafilmuzunetki.org and follow the developments on social media addresses facebook.com/kisafilmplatformu, twitter.com/kisafilmplat, instagram.com/kisafilmplatformu.

First Time in the Lead Role

The winners of the Short Film Competition organized by Sabancı Foundation for the seventh time this year with the slogan “Short Film, Long Impact” have been announced. The awards ceremony of the competition, which was held at Sabancı Center with the theme of “Young Women Neither in Education Nor Employment”, was hosted by Sabancı Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı, Sabancı Foundation General Manager Nevgül Bilsel Safkan and under the artistic direction of Zeynep Atakan.

This year’s competition, which continued to attract significant interest from young filmmakers, saw 11 works advance to the finals. The award recipients were determined by the evaluations of the jury of the 7th Short Film Competition, which included director and screenwriter Biket İlhan, European Film Academy (EFA) President, producer, and writer Mike Downey, director Zeynep Günay Tan, actor Kaan Urgancıoğlu, and award-winning Spanish actress Beatriz Rico. The Social Impact Jury comprised dramaturg Dr. Sündüz Haşar, Associate Professor Dr. Ayşecan Terzioğlu from Sabancı University’s Cultural Studies and Gender Studies programs, and education expert Ali Koç.

First place went to Ece Akın and Mustafa Solmaz with their film "Kız Evi"!

While the awards of Ece Akın and Mustafa Solmaz, who came in first place with their film "Kız Evi", were announced by Sabancı Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı, the award of Dilşad Demir, who came in second place with her film "So Who Is This Woman?" was announced by Sabancı Foundation General Manager Nevgül Bilsel Safkan and the award of Hüseyin Urçuk, who came in third place with his film "Çamaşır İpi" was announced by the competition's Art Director Zeynep Atakan. The awards of Melihat Ağgül, the director of the film "Balık Tutmak İstiyorum" and Erkan Selçin, the director of the film "Örüntü", who were deemed worthy of honorable mention awards, were announced by competition jury members Kaan Urgancıoğlu and Zeynep Günay Tan. The Social Impact Award, given for the second time this year, was given to Süheyla Noyan with her film “Çiçek Açar” (Flower Blooms). The first place winner of the films was awarded 25 thousand TL, the second place winner 20 thousand TL, and the third place winner 15 thousand TL.

You can learn all the details about the competition organized with the slogan “Short Film Long Impact” at www.kisafilmuzunetki.org and follow the developments on social media addresses facebook.com/kisafilmplatformu, twitter.com/kisafilmplat, instagram.com/kisafilmplatformu.

Short Film Long Impact

The winners of the Short Film Competition, organized for the sixth time this year with the slogan of "Short Film Long Impact" by Sabancı Foundation, have been announced. The award ceremony of the competition, organized with the theme of “New Jobs in the new world”, was hosted by Chair, Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation Güler Sabancı and Sabancı Foundation General Manager Nevgül Bilsel Safkan.

Young filmmakers showed great interest in the Competition this year, and 12 works qualified for the finals. The finalists were assessed, and the winners of the 6th Short Film Competition were decided by the Social Impact Jury consisting of award-winning actress Öykü Karayel and film critic Melikşah Altuntaş, internationally known award-winning directors Michel Franco and Blerta Basholli, award-winning actor Ingvar Sigurdsson, and Evrim Kuran, Gamze Elibol and Yörük Kurtaran.

The 1st Prize goes to Zafer Geyikçi for his film "Visitor"

Chair, Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation Güler Sabancı presented first prize to Zafer Geyikçi with the film named "Ziyaretçi” (Visitor) Emre Sezgin received second prize from Sabancı Foundation General Manager Nevgül Bilsel Safkan with the film named “Kırmızı Elbise’’ (The Red Dress) and Said Sakıp Demir received third prize from Art Director Zeynep Atakan with the film named “Yâren” (Crony). Efe Tuncay, the director of the movie "Sufle” (Sufle), Kenan Olpak, the director of the movie ‘’Kadraja Girmeyen Pandemi’’ (Pandemic not included in the frame) which was deemed worthy of an honorable mention, received his award from Director Melikşah Altuntaş.

Chair, Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation Güler Sabancı presented Social Impact Award prize to Kenan Olpak with the film named ‘’Kadraja Girmeyen Pandemi’’ (Pandemic not included in the frame)

You can learn all details of the competition, which has the motto “Short Film Long Impact”, on www.kisafilmuzunetki.org and follow the latest news on our social media accounts: facebook.com/kisafilmplatformu, twitter.com/kisafilm_sv, instagram.com/kisafilmplatformu.

For the catalog of the Short Film Competition please click here.

Changing Climates, Changing Lives

The Sabancı Foundation organized the Short Film Competition for the fifth time this year, again with the motto "Short Film Long Impact", and the winners have been announced. The theme of this year’s competition was “Changing Climates, Changing Lives” and the award ceremony was hosted by Güler Sabancı, Chairperson of Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation, and Nevgül Bilsel Safkan, General Manager of the Sabancı Foundation, and Zeynep Atakan as the art director.

13 works made it to the finals in the Competition, which attracted great attention once again this year. The award winners were decided by the Jury consisting of director-screenwriter Tayfun Pirselimoğlu, award-winning actress Belçim Bilgin, world-renowned Georgian director Ana Urushadze, film critic Barbara Lorey de Lacharrière and filmmaker Mirsad Purivatra, who is also the founder and festival director of Sarajevo Film Festival.

Anıl Gök won the first prize with his film "Water is Life."

The award winners, i.e. Anıl Gök awarded the first prize for his film “Water if Life,” Ömer Faruk Güler the second prize for his film “Fresh Milk,” and Aral Ariel Goldenberg the third prize for his film “Leaving for Holiday", were announced respectively by Güler Sabancı, Chairperson of Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation, Nevgül Bilsel Safkan, General Manager of the Sabancı Foundation, and Tamara Kotevska, as the Opinion Leader of the Competition. The films “Who Cares” directed by Yeliz Gürkan and “No!” directed by Can Yeşiloğlu were awarded the Honorable Mention, as announced by the Art Director Zeynep Atakan. The winners were awarded the following prizes: First Prize TRY 20 thousand, Second Prize TRY 15 thousand, and Third Prize TRY 10 thousand.

You can learn all details of the competition, which has the motto “Short Film Long Impact”, on www.kisafilmuzunetki.org and follow the latest news on our social media accounts: facebook.com/kisafilmplatformu, twitter.com/kisafilm_sv, instagram.com/kisafilmplatformu.

For the catalog of the Short Film Competition please click here.

Take One Of Me by Myself!

The winners of the Short Film Competition, organized for the fourth time this year with the slogan of "Short Film Long Impact" by Sabancı Foundation, have been announced. The award ceremony of the competition, organized with the theme of “Digital Loneliness”, was hosted by Sabancı Foundation Chair of the Board of Trustees Güler Sabancı and Sabancı Foundation General Manager Nevgül Bilsel Safkan.

In the competition, which received a record number of applications with 490 films this year, 13 films made it to the finals. Those entitled to receive an award were determined by the evaluation of the jury consisting of director-screenwriter Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun, actress Hazar Ergüçlü, world-renowned Palestinian contemporary director Najwa Najjar, famous producer and actress Labina Mitevska from Macedonia and Venice Film Festival programmer Teresa Cavina from Italy.

The 1st Prize goes to Efe Can Yıldız for his film "Parti"

Sabancı Foundation Chair of the Board of Trustees Güler Sabancı presented first prize to Efe Can Yıldız with the film named "Parti” (Party). Ayşenur Erdoğan Gökçe received second prize from Sabancı Foundation General Manager Nevgül Bilsel Safkan with the film named “Nasıl Bilirdiniz?” (How Do You Remember Them?) and Veysel Aslan received third prize from Opinion leader Ludovic Bource with the film named “Dijital Pizza” (Digital Pizza). Cüneyt Işık, the director of the movie "Girdap” (Vortex), which was deemed worthy of an honorable mention, received his award from Art Director Zeynep Atakan.

You can learn all details of the competition, which has the motto “Short Film Long Impact”, on www.kisafilmuzunetki.org and follow the latest news on our social media accounts: facebook.com/kisafilmplatformu, twitter.com/kisafilmplat, instagram.com/kisafilmplatformu.

For the catalog of the Short Film Competition please click here.

Shoot Discrimination

The Sabancı Foundation has organized its third Short Film Competition this year with the theme “Discrimination” and the winners have received their awards. The awards ceremony for the competition, which is called “Short Film, Long Impact” and organized to raise awareness of social issues using the power of arts, was hosted by Güler Sabancı, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation, and Nevgül Bilsel Safkan, General Manager of the Sabancı Foundation, on 16 January 2019.

The competition with the theme “Discrimination” also drew great interest in its third year and approximately 200 films were submitted for the competition. The winners were selected from a 10-film shortlist by a jury consisting of Aida Begic, Rebecca O’Brien, Sergei Dvortsevoy, Derviş Zaim, and Ceyda Düvenci.

The 1st Prize goes to Yahya Ozan Çalışkan for his film "Gülizar"

Yahya Ozan Çalışkan won the competition with “Gülizar” and received his award from Güler Sabancı, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation. Furkan Han Mert, who won the second prize with “Biilaç (Incurable)”, received his award from Nevgül Bilsel Safkan, General Manager of the Sabancı Foundation. Ercan Akan, who came third with “Afaf-Günahsız (Afaf-Sinless)”, received his award from Zeynep Atakan, who was the Art Director of the competition.

The honorable mention went to “Çentik (Notch)” by Ahmet Kızıl, who received the award from Ben Gibson, director of the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin, who met the young movie-makers during the Short Film Meetings.

You can learn all details of the competition, which has the motto “Short Film Long Impact”, on www.kisafilmuzunetki.org and follow the latest news on our social media accounts: facebook.com/kisafilmplatformu, twitter.com/kisafilmplat, instagram.com/kisafilmplatformu.

For the catalog of the Short Film Competition please click here.

Short Film Long Impact

The Sabancı Foundation has organized its second Short Film Competition with the theme “Child Labor” and it was open to films with a duration of 5 minutes or less, and the winners have received their awards. The awards ceremony for the competition organized with the motto “Short Film, Long Impact” to raise awareness of social issues using the power of arts was hosted by Güler Sabancı, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation, and Zerrin Koyunsağan, General Manager of the Sabancı Foundation, on January 17, 2018.

The competition with the theme “child labor” also drew great interest in its second year 395 films were submitted for the competition. The winners were selected from a 15-film shortlist by a jury consisting of Ai Weiwei, Antonio Saura, Bergüzar Korel, Calin Peter Netzer and Gürcan Keltek.

The first prize goes to “Nilüfer” by Tolga Özdemir

Tolga Özdemir won the competition with “Nilüfer” and received his award from Güler Sabancı, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation. Şeref Akçay, who won the second prize with "Between the Lines”, received his award from Zerrin Koyunsağan, General Manager of the Sabancı Foundation. Mehmet İsmail Çeçen and Ramazan Akkuş, who came third with “Mist”, received their award from Danis Tanovic, world-famous director and the Opinion Leader of this year’s Competition.

The honorable mention went to “Hand” by Nahid Abbaszade, who received the award from Zeynep Atakan, the Art Director of the Competition.

You can learn all details of the competition, which has the motto “Short Film Long Impact”, on www.kisafilmuzunetki.org and follow the latest news on our social media accounts: facebook.com/kisafilmplatformu, twitter.com/kisafilmplat, instagram.com/kisafilmplatformu.

For the catalog of the Short Film Competition please click here.

Short Film Long Impact

The Sabancı Foundation has organized its first Short Film Competition “Short Film Long Impact” and the winners have received their awards. The aims of the Short Film Competition include addressing social issues through art and raising awareness of social issues by making use of the creative perspective of cinema. The award ceremony of the Competition was hosted by Güler Sabancı, Chairperson of Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation, and Zerrin Koyunsağan, General Manager of the Sabancı Foundation on January 26, 2017.

The theme of the Competition was “Refugee Women” and it received 126 applications. The winners were selected from a 15-film shortlist by a jury consisting of Emin Alper, Tuba Büyüküstün, Ebru Ceylan, Stefan Arsenijevic and Guy Seligmann.

The first prize goes to “The Wall” by Mustafa Koray Polat

Mustafa Koray Polat won the competition with “The Wall” and received his award from Güler Sabancı, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation. Ramazan Kılıç, who won the second prize with “Refugee”, received his award from Zerrin Koyunsağan, General Manager of the Sabancı Foundation. Ali Rıza Erdemir, who came third with “Border”, received his award from Reza Deghati, world-famous photographer and creator of this year’s theme of the Competition.

The honorable mention went to “Life in the Eye” by Melih Can Dürser and Beyza Kaya , who received the award from Zeynep Atakan, the Art Director of the Competition.

For the catalog of the Short Film Competition please click here.