Young Masters of Short Film Received Their Awards at Luma
Young Voices of Cinema Competed at the 5th Luma Short Film Festival
The 5th Luma Short Film Festival, organized to support students aiming to realize their short film projects and encourage young talent, announced this year's winners.
Hosted by Yeditepe University and held in cooperation with Ay Yapım and the Yeditepe University Cinema Club between 14–17 October 2025, the 5th Luma Short Film Festival brought together young filmmakers, industry professionals, and cinema lovers once again. At the end of the festival, awards were presented at a ceremony held on the evening of Friday, 17 October 2025, at the university's İnan Kıraç Hall.
More than 275 students applied to the festival. This year, competitions were held in three main categories: short film, short film script, and feature film script. More than 100 short films, 140 short film scripts, and 35 feature film scripts were submitted.
Young Filmmakers Met With Industry Professionals
During the four-day festival, workshops, screenings, and talks created a motivating environment for young filmmakers. Students from many universities met with professionals and learned about filmmaking processes while exploring new perspectives through short films.
The festival began with a Special Effects Makeup Workshop led by Murat Polat. In the evening, an open-air screening of the ten finalist short films brought the festival atmosphere to the campus.
On the second day, the festival hosted a Producing Talk with producer Vildan Erşen, a Foley Workshop led by sound designers Bukle Naz Acar and Ümit Özbek, and a screening and talk of the short film Mükemmel, written and directed by Ece Dizdar, with actors Ece Dizdar and Ayşenil Şamlıoğlu meeting the audience.
On the third day, after an Editing Workshop led by editor Melike Kasaplar, the screening of Hangi Gece Büyüdüysem, featuring director Onur Güler and cinematographer Orçun Özkılınç, took place as one of the festival’s key events.
On the last day, writer Tayfun Pirselimoğlu, actor Nalan Kuruçim, and producer Vildan Erşen took part in a talk moderated by producer Yamaç Okur, who also led a pitching workshop with students.
Strong Support for Young Cinema
The Luma Short Film Selection, comprising 10 short films selected by the main jury—Ali Aga, Ece Dizdar, and Yamaç Okur —was screened over three days at Yeditepe University, with the participation of directors and crews.
Awards were presented at a ceremony in the İnan Kıraç Hall on the festival's final evening.
The 80,000 TL Best Short Film Award was given to Dünya’da Öyle Şeyler Olmuyor, directed by Ali Emre Ceylan. The 50,000 TL Jury Special Awards were presented to Karasular Zamanı by Ege Topoyan and to Rehber by Mert Erez.
After the pitches of ten short film projects selected by the pre-jury were presented to the main jury consisting of Melisa Önel, Nalan Kuruçim, and Vildan Erşen, three projects were chosen for the 100,000 TL Best Script Awards: Bir Gece Kadar Uzak by Yaşar Güney Yurdukul, İstiğfar ya da Kar by Ecre Begüm Bayrak, and Orlando by Halime Usta.
In addition to the cash prize, these three projects also received color and sound design support, access to Ay Yapım’s art and costume archive, distribution guidance from Başka Sinema, and one mentoring session with the main jury members.
In the feature film script category, the jury consisting of Feride Çiçek, Nadir Öperli, and Soner Caner awarded the 100,000 TL Best Script Award to Yaratıcı İntiharlar Departmanı by Batıkan Köse, while the 80,000 TL Honorable Mention Award was given to Sitem by Dilara Sarısoy.
The festival continues to support young filmmakers in developing their creativity, gaining professional experience, and making their work visible.
With growing interest every year, the Luma Short Film Festival has become one of the key meeting points for young cinema.
Press: Haberler | Son Dakika | Sanat Okur | DHA