The award ceremony of the II. International Mythology Film Festival (UMFF) took place at the Necati Cumalı Memorial and Culture House in Urla. Hosted by Toygar Köse, this special event announced the winners of the screenplay competition while the Mergen (Wisdom) and Ülgen (Goodness) awards were also presented.

The festival was organized by the TÜMAV Foundation under the directorship of writer Gülşah Elikbank and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. As a first in its field, the award ceremony was attended by numerous guests.

Mergen (Wisdom) Award Goes to Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özdoğan

Alev Parsa, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Design, and Architecture at Ege University, announced that the Mergen (Wisdom) award was presented to Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özdoğan by the festival committee. Archaeologist Prof. Dr. Özdoğan is known for his studies on Neolithic culture in Anatolia and significant archaeological excavations in Thrace. This award honors his contributions to the field.

Ülgen (Goodness) Award Goes to Dr. Ercan Kesal

TÜMAV President Filiz Ulusoy noted that the festival impressively brought mythology together with the past, present, and future. She announced that the Ülgen (Goodness) award was given to Dr. Ercan Kesal. Dr. Kesal expressed his happiness in being honored with this award, highlighting the importance of goodness in today’s world.

Screenplay Competition Winner: “Bebe Mezarlığı”

Festival Director Gülşah Elikbank reminded everyone that the screenplay award, in collaboration with Gain TV, is worth 50,000 TL. Elikbank thanked all the screenwriters who participated in the competition and the jury members. The winner of the competition was Ali Uygur Selçuk with his screenplay “Bebe Mezarlığı.”

Istanbul Programs Continue

The II. International Mythology Film Festival will continue on October 9 and 10 at the BiletiniAl Torun Center in Istanbul, following discussions, concerts, and film screenings in Manisa. All film screenings and discussions in the festival, supported by the General Directorate of Cinema of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, are open to the public and free of charge.

Festival Program in Istanbul:

October 9, Thursday – BiletiniAl Torun Center

• 18:30 – TALK: What Does Mythology Tell Us?
  Speakers: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serap Alper, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatih Bakırcı, Gülşah Elikbank
• 20:00 – Film Screening: Narsistle Aşk

October 10, Thursday – BiletiniAl Torun Center

• 20:00 – Film Screening: İkizler Takımı – Animation

The II. International Mythology Film Festival aims to bring together cinema and mythology enthusiasts while making significant contributions to Turkish cinema.