Akbank Short Film Festival (Akbank Kısa Film Festivali)

Akbank Short Film Festival

Akbank Kısa Film Festivali

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Akbank Short Film Festival combines national and international short-film competitions with non-competitive screenings in Istanbul, Türkiye. Established in 2004 and organised by Akbank Sanat, it accepts fiction, documentary, experimental and animated work. Its Forum Screenplay competition supports projects before production, while New Talents connects filmmakers aged 22 and under with a development programme. Talks, workshops, masterclasses and industry meetings accompany the screenings.

The 23rd edition dates are 16–24 March 2027, with screenings in two cinemas and events across the city. The Forum project presentations take place on 20–21 March 2027.

Country

Turkey

Categories

Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Short, Short Script

Dates

16 March 2027 — 24 March 2027

Awards and prizes

2027 edition: The national competition presents Best Film, Jury Special, Best Director and Best First Film awards. The international competition presents Best Film and Jury Special awards. Additional special awards are possible. The regulations state that prize amounts and detailed award provisions are announced separately. The Forum Screenplay jury selects the Akbank Sanat Short Film Forum Best Screenplay award. New Talents selection provides access to the development programme, and the films receiving distinctions are awarded. The published Forum and New Talents regulations do not specify prize amounts.

Festival rules

2027 edition: The national competition is open to citizens of Türkiye; the international competition accepts films from all countries, including Türkiye. Fiction, documentary, experimental and animated shorts of 1–30 minutes, including credits, are eligible. Films must be completed after 1 January 2026. Previous festival participation is permitted, and directors may enter multiple films. Akbank employees are ineligible. Applications close on 11 December 2026 at 23:59. Applications use the official online form. A scanned, signed application must also be emailed to the festival. An English-subtitled, password-protected screener must remain available for at least six months. Selected films require English-subtitled screening copies; national competition films in languages other than Turkish also require Turkish subtitles. Applicants must hold the necessary rights and agree to the screening and promotional provisions in the official regulations. Films cannot be withdrawn after the programme is announced. The Forum Screenplay competition accepts citizens of Türkiye, excluding Akbank employees, with completed, unproduced Turkish-language scripts of no more than 30 A4 pages, in 12-point Courier. Applications close on 11 December 2026. Eight finalists present their projects on 20–21 March 2027. New Talents accepts citizens of Türkiye aged 22 or under on 11 December 2026, excluding Akbank employees. Eligible films run 1–20 minutes including credits and are completed from 1 January 2026. The deadline is 11 December 2026. An English-subtitled private or password-protected screener is required. Selected participants under 18 must provide parental or guardian consent.

Contacts

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