The American Turkish Society’s signature cultural event, the New York Turkish Film Festival will take place between December 12-15, 2019 at the SVA Theatre in New York.
This year’s Festival showcases a selection of five feature films, one documentary and four short films, bringing the best of contemporary Turkish cinema to you. This unique selection represents this year’s Festival Theme: “Contemporary Struggles”. We live in times of constant change, of continuous tensions, in times where building walls and barriers seems like the answer to pressing issues. Yet, problems can only be solved through dialogue and cinema can be a strong and beautiful tool to create that dialogue. The films and the Q&A sessions after each screening offer an invaluable opportunity to reflect on the difficulties ordinary people face at a personal and family level, on societal pressures to maintain the status quo and at the same time on the courage and resourcefulness of those who challenge the status quo and embrace change as a way to move forward. While there are no easy answers, there is certainty, which is the common thread connecting all films, whether it materializes or fails to materialize: solidarity is what makes us human and hope is what keeps us going.
So let this year’s festival theme take you to new places, enlighten and entertain you, as we usher you into the world of Turkish cinema. We believe there is no better way to tell a story than through cinema and we encourage you to take part in our post-film sessions with several directors whose work is featured at this Festival. We hope you will engage in the dialogue. We think you will find these sessions fascinating and rewarding enhancements to your Festival experience.
