They shot and directed, and won the prize

Yağmur Canpolat and Berna Oduncu, students of Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Department of Cinema and Digital Media, won the first prize at the Adana International Golden Boll Film Festival (Altın Koza) with their 11-minute documentary ‘In My Early Twenties’. The duo, who reflected the views of young people on different issues such as freedom, individual and society in the documentary they shot and directed themselves, won the ‘Best Documentary Film Award’ in the National Student Film Competition organized within the scope of the festival, which received a total of 201 applications. Canpolat and Oduncu also won a 30 thousand Turkish lira prize. 

IUE Faculty of Communication, Department of Cinema and Digital Media students Yağmur Canpolat and Berna Oduncu shot the documentary film they prepared as part of their digital film studio course in Izmir and Istanbul. They interviewed 15 students for the film. The documentary titled ‘Yirmili Yaşlarımın Başında’ (In My Early Twenties) presented a portrait of young people living in Turkey. Yağmur Canpolat and Berna Oduncu, who have previously won awards at the Gumusluk Academy Foundation, the International 2 Sides Short Film Festival and Bornova Short Film Days, as well as Directed by Women Turkey, managed to reach the first prize at the Golden Boll.

WE WERE EXPECTING AN AWARD    

Expressing their happiness to receive an award in such a prestigious and internationally followed competition, Canpolat and Oduncu said, “The documentary film we prepared was different from the classical understanding. We also included visual abstracts in the film. For example, when a person spoke in the film, we used both abstract and concrete reflections on the subject in the background. There was the voice of the person speaking in the film, but the viewers watched the special visuals we shot in the background instead of classical portraits. We asked university students questions on different topics such as youth, society and freedom. We focused on effectively conveying the thoughts and feelings of young people. We were successful in this. Frankly, we were expecting to receive an award. We were thinking, ‘Why shouldn't we be first?’ We were not wrong and we achieved our goal. We are very happy and proud at the same time.”

SHOWER OF AWARDS

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Gürata, Head of IUE Department of Cinema and Digital Media, congratulated the students and said, “In 2020, our student Çağıl Saydam was awarded the ‘Best Experimental Film’ award at Golden Boll with her work ‘61 Sokak No 4’ (61st Street No.4). Last year, another student of ours, Ecem Çörtle won third place at the Infinite Frames Film Festival in Hong Kong with her animated film ‘Galaktik Hazine’ (Galactic Treasure). While our students made their mark in national and international competitions, Yağmur and Berna also received good news from Golden Boll. We are reaping the fruits of our innovative, practice-oriented education system and the devoted efforts of our strong teaching staff. The awards received by our students show that we are raising successful filmmakers of the future. I congratulate all students who make our University and our department proud.”