37th Ankara Film Festival Meets Cinema Lovers from November 12-20

The 37th Ankara Film Festival, organized by the World Mass Media Research Foundation, brings the cinema world together in Ankara between November 12 and 20, 2026. In addition to film screenings, the festival offers a comprehensive side event program focusing on industry working conditions, urban memory, and the transformative role of artificial intelligence in cinema.

The festival program begins on November 13 with a session featuring the participation of the Actors' Union. President Zuhal Olcay and Board Member Esin Aslan will open a discussion at the Kızılay Büyülü Fener Cinema on professional realities such as working hours in the industry, job insecurity, and copyright issues. On the same day, Atillâ Dorsay and Leman Dorsay will also meet their readers at a book signing event.

Within the scope of the urban memory theme, the event titled "The Ankara of Two Zekis," to be held on November 15, will examine the cinematographic past of the capital through the films of Zeki Ökten and Zeki Demirkubuz. German director Doris Dörrie will share her experiences on the relationship between literature and cinema on November 18.

Artificial intelligence technologies constitute one of the main agenda items of the festival. Jacob Russo from the Luma AI Creative Research Team will explain visual construction processes on November 14 and conduct a practical workshop on November 15. On November 19, directors Vikki Bardot and Alkan Avcıoğlu will evaluate the effects of artificial intelligence on cinematic language.