ISTANBUL

The 9th Turkish World Documentary Film Festival, with this year’s theme “Freedom for the Oppressed,” has garnered significant attention, drawing 300 submissions from nine countries.

Countries sending submissions include Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Hungary, and North Macedonia.

The festival aims to promote unity and cultural expression through the theme of “Freedom for the Oppressed.”

Out of the 300 submitted works, 147 films, or nearly half, have been forwarded to a preliminary jury for review.

The festival was spearheaded by the Turkic World Journalists Federation and supported by Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY), Turkic World Municipalities Union, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, and Türkiye's Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities.

The opening of the festival will be held at TURKSOY headquarters in the Turkish capital Ankara, including a variety of award categories.

Ten films will receive recognition in categories such as long documentary, short documentary, and student documentary.

The winners will be determined by a panel of judges including documentary filmmakers and academics from the Turkic world.

The jury will convene online on Sept. 14 to finalize the selections.

The gala and award ceremony are scheduled for Oct. 11, with screenings planned in several cities.

The festival will conclude on Nov. 15 with a closing ceremony and the announcement of the final results.