1st İzmir International Film and Music Festival
Hosted by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality with support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism General Directorate of Cinema and in cooperation with the Intercultural Art Association, the festival was held between June 21 and July 1, 2021.
At the opening ceremony held at the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center, the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality El Ele Music Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Hakan Şensoy, performed a selection of film scores by this year's masters Yalçın Tura, Arif Erkin, and Cahit Berkay, as well as two esteemed composers we lost, Atilla Özdemiroğlu and Timur Selçuk. İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer presented honorary awards to the veteran composers of Turkish cinema, Yalçın Tura, Arif Erkin, and Cahit Berkay. The awards for the late Atilla Özdemiroğlu and Timur Selçuk were presented to their wives Hepgül Özdemiroğlu and Handan Selçuk, respectively.
The festival program featured 87 films in sections titled “My Life is Music,” “Music and Society,” “Music Documentaries,” “For Children of All Ages,” and “Short Films by Masters,” focusing on music and musicians. The festival also included panels and concerts.
At the award ceremony held at Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center, renowned pianist Maxime Zecchini performed. The Honorary Award was given to Hümeyra, and the Intercultural Art Achievement Award went to Antoni Konmasa Lazarkiewicz.
National Competition Awards
The jury, chaired by director Ezel Akay and including musician-academic Berrak Taranç, composer Cem İdiz, academician-author Oğuz Makal, lyricist Mehmet Teoman, actress Tülay Günal, and academic Feyzi Erçin, decided to award the following productions:
Best Sound Design: Serdar Kökçeoğlu for "Mimaroğlu"
Best Original Composition: Erdem Helvacıoğlu for "Ah Gözel İstanbul"
Best Actor: Ercan Kesal for "Nasipse Adayız"
Best Actress: Selen Uçar and Ece Dizdar for "Aşk, Büyü, vs."
Jury Special Award: Serdar Kökçeoğlu
Best Film: Ölü Ekmeği
Television Series Music Awards
The jury of the TV Series Music Awards, consisting of TV critics Elçin Yahşi, Özlem Özdemir, Sina Koloğlu, and Yazgülü Aldoğan; cinema writer Burak Göral; cinema and music writer Cumhur Canbazoğlu; and composer Serdar Kalafatoğlu, decided to award the following productions:
Best Original Song for Digital Platform Series: Alp Yenier and Peyk group for "Yarım Kalan Aşklar"
Best Original Song for National Channel Series: Aytekin Ataş for "Ramo" and "Sen Çal Kapımı"
Best Original Music for Digital Platform Series: Cenk Erdoğan and Aria group for "Yeşilçam"
Best Original Music for National Channel Series: Gökhan Kırdar for "Uyanış Büyük Selçuklu"
