Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival

Overview

The Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival is a FIAPF-accredited competitive festival organized by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality. Founded in 1963, it is Turkey's longest-running film festival and the only Turkish festival accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), classified as a festival specialized in organizing feature-length film competitions. The 63rd edition runs October 24 to 31, 2026.

The festival distributes 11 million TL in total prize money across 31 categories. The Best Film award in the National Feature Competition is 5 million TL, increased from 3.5 million TL in 2025. The festival also operates the Antalya Film Forum, a co-production and project development market for Turkish projects in pre-production, production, or post-production, distributing 1,450,000 TL in development support.

For filmmakers: the National Competition is the highest-profile domestic awards platform for Turkish cinema. The International Competition accepts feature films that have not been commercially released, broadcast, or made available on VOD, and requires a Turkiye premiere. The festival does not cover travel expenses for invited filmmakers but allocates a limited number of hotel rooms. Submission applications for national competitions open June 29, 2026 and close August 31, 2026. Film Forum applications close September 21, 2026 at 23:59.

Key Sections

• National Feature Film Competition: Turkish-produced feature films (60+ minutes) competing for the Golden Orange. The producing company must be Turkish, or in co-productions, at least 50.01% of the production company ownership must be Turkish.
• International Competition: Feature films (60+ minutes) completed after November 2024, requiring a Turkiye premiere. Films must not have been commercially released, broadcast on television, or available on VOD platforms. Selected by the International Film Coordinator and programming team appointed by the Festival Artistic Director.
• National Short Film Competition: Turkish short films.
• National Documentary Competition: Turkish documentary features.
• Film Schools Student Films Competition: Works from cinema school students.
• Antalya Film Forum: A co-production and project development market running October 25 to 27, 2026, for the 13th time. Accepts projects from Turkey in pre-production, production, or post-production stages.
• World Cinema: Non-competitive international selections.
• Retrospectives and Special Screenings: Tributes and curated programs.
• Children and Youth Program: Programming for younger audiences.

Submission Details

National Competitions

Submissions are made online through the festival's official website. After completing the online form, applicants must send a signed physical copy by mail or a signed PDF by email to the relevant competition address (e.g., ulusaluzunmetraj@antalyaff.com for national features). There is no submission fee for national competitions. Selected national feature films receive a screening fee of 20,000 TL per film.

International Competition

Films may be admitted through submission or invitation. The submission deadline for the 2025 edition was September 24, 2025. The 2026 deadline has not yet been published but is expected in September 2026. All applications and preview copies must be submitted by the deadline without exception. Screening format is DCP.

Eligibility Requirements (International Competition)

• Completed no earlier than 12 months before the festival start (after November 2024 for the 2025 edition)
• Turkiye premiere required
• Runtime longer than 60 minutes
• Must not have been commercially released, broadcast on television, or available on VOD
• Must not conflict with regulations of other FIAPF-accredited festivals
• Non-English films require English subtitles; non-Turkish films also require Turkish subtitles (if a Turkish distributor exists, they cover subtitle costs; otherwise the festival provides them)

Past Winners

2025 (62nd Edition) - National Feature Film Competition

• Best Film: Tavsan Imparatorlugu (Empire of the Rabbits), dir. Seyfettin Tokmak - won 7 awards total including Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction. The film is a Turkey/Mexico/Croatia/Lebanon co-production about a boy in rural Turkey forced to fake a disability so his father can claim a government pension. Distributed by CJ ENM, it received a Turkish theatrical release on March 6, 2026.
• Best First Film (Behlul Dal Award): Sahibinden Rahmet, dir. Emre Sert and Gozde Yetiskin
• Jury Special Award (Dr. Avni Tolunay): Aldigimiz Nefes, producers Seyhmus Altun and Fevziye Hazal Yazan

2025 (62nd Edition) - International Feature Film Competition

• Best Film: A Poet (Un Poeta), dir. Simon Mesa Soto (Colombia) - also won Best Actor for Ubeimar Rios. The film previously won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at Cannes 2025 and was Colombia's Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film. Picked up for US distribution by 1-2 Special with a January 2026 theatrical release.

2024 (61st Edition) - National Feature Film Competition

• Best Film: Mukadderat (Fate), dir. Nadim Guc - a dark comedy about a widow who decides to remarry and becomes an entrepreneur, starring Nur Surer. The film premiered at Antalya before its Turkish theatrical release on March 7, 2025, and later aired on NOW TV.
• Best Director: Necmi Sancak for Ayse (also won Best First Film)

2022 (59th Edition) - National Feature Film Competition

• Best Film: Black Night (Kara Gece), dir. Ozcan Alper (Turkey/France/Germany) - also won Best Screenplay
• International Competition Best Film: The Visitor, dir. Martin Boulocq (Bolivia/Uruguay)

Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up

• A Poet (Simon Mesa Soto, 2025 International Competition winner): Premiered at Cannes Un Certain Regard 2025 where it won the Jury Prize. Selected as Colombia's official Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film. US distribution by 1-2 Special, theatrical release January 2026.
• Empire of the Rabbits (Seyfettin Tokmak, 2025 National Competition winner): World premiered at Poff (Black Nights Film Festival) in Tartu before sweeping the Antalya awards with 7 prizes. Turkish distribution by CJ ENM with theatrical release March 2026. Screened at Cinema4aCause events in the US through Bridge to Turkiye Fund.
• Mukadderat (Nadim Guc, 2024 National Competition winner): Premiered at Antalya, received Turkish theatrical distribution by A90 Pictures on March 7, 2025, and later aired on NOW TV in January 2026.
• Gulizar (Belkis Bayrak, 2024 competition): Won the Cahide Sonku Award at Antalya and was selected as Turkey's submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

Submission Tips Specific to This Festival

The National Feature Film Competition requires that the producing company be Turkish, or in co-productions, at least 50.01% of the production company ownership must be Turkish. This makes Antalya primarily a domestic festival for Turkish producers, with the International Competition serving as a separate window for global cinema.

For the International Competition, the Turkiye premiere requirement and the restriction against films that have been commercially released, broadcast, or available on VOD means you should plan Antalya early in your festival strategy. The eligibility window (films completed after November 2024 for the 2025 edition) is narrower than many festivals. Non-Turkish films require both English and Turkish subtitles, though the festival provides Turkish subtitles if no local distributor exists.

The Film Forum is the most industry-facing element. If you have a Turkish project in development, the Forum offers 1,450,000 TL in support and direct access to Turkish co-production partners. Submit to the Forum separately from the competition sections, as it has its own regulations and earlier deadline (September 21, 2026).

Industry Reputation Notes

Antalya is the dominant domestic awards platform for Turkish cinema. Within Turkey, winning the Golden Orange carries weight comparable to a national film prize. However, the festival's international industry footprint is smaller than its FIAPF status might suggest. Unlike Istanbul Film Festival, which attracts more international buyers and sales agents, Antalya functions primarily as a national competition with an international showcase attached.

The Film Forum has grown into a useful co-production market for Turkish projects, but it does not compare in scale to regional markets like the Berlinale Co-Production Market or Marche du Film. International sales agents attend Antalya mainly for the International Competition and to scout Turkish co-productions, not for active acquisitions. Compared to peer FIAPF-accredited festivals in the region (such as Cairo and Tallinn Black Nights), Antalya offers higher prize money but less international market activity.

Awards / Accreditation

National Feature Film Competition

International Competition

International Competition jury awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Jury Special Award (no monetary prize). The jury consists of at least five members selected from art, cinema, criticism, and production fields. Per FIAPF regulations, at least two-thirds of the jury must be non-Turkish nationals. In a 5-member jury, no more than 1 member can be Turkish; in a 7-member jury, no more than 2.

Film Forum

1,450,000 TL in development support distributed across selected projects at the Film Forum (October 25 to 27, 2026).

Accreditation Status

The Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival is FIAPF-accredited as a competitive feature film festival. It is not an Academy Award-qualifying festival for short films or any other category. FIAPF accreditation places it among approximately 15 competitive festivals worldwide in this category, alongside festivals like Shanghai, Moscow, and Cairo.

Market and Industry Activity

The Antalya Film Forum is the festival's industry component. It is a co-production and project development market exclusively for projects from Turkey. The 13th edition runs October 25 to 27, 2026. Projects can be in pre-production, production, or post-production. The Film Forum operates under its own regulations, separate from the competition sections.

The festival does not operate a full-scale film market comparable to Marche du Film or the European Film Market. Industry activity is concentrated around the Film Forum and the networking opportunities of the competition sections.

Festival History

Founded in 1963, the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival is one of the oldest film festivals in the Middle East and Mediterranean region. It has operated continuously for over six decades, organized by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality. The festival received FIAPF accreditation as a specialized competitive festival for feature films. The Golden Orange Award has been the central prize in Turkish cinema culture since its inception.

The festival has evolved from a national awards ceremony into a dual-format event combining national competitions with an international competition and the Film Forum industry platform. The prize money has increased substantially in recent years, with the Best Film award growing from 3.5 million TL in 2025 to 5 million TL in 2026.

Practical Information for Attendees

• 2026 Dates: October 24 to 31, 2026
• Location: Antalya, Turkey (Mediterranean coast)
• Screening Format: DCP (other digital formats may be accepted with technical team approval)
• Language: Films screened in original language. Non-English films require English subtitles. Non-Turkish films require Turkish subtitles.
• Travel: The festival does not cover travel expenses for invited filmmakers but allocates a limited number of hotel rooms managed by the guest office.
• Promotional Obligations: Invited filmmakers are expected to attend press conferences, photo sessions, pre-screening introductions, and media interviews. The official festival logo must appear on all promotional materials for selected films.
• Official Regulations: International Competition Regulations (PDF) | Festival Website

What Filmmakers Should Know

Antalya is the highest-profile national awards platform for Turkish cinema. If you are a Turkish producer, the National Competition is where the domestic industry gathers, and the 5 million TL Best Film prize is the largest cash award in Turkish cinema. The festival does not cover travel expenses for invited filmmakers, though it allocates a limited number of hotel rooms through its guest office. Invited filmmakers are expected to attend press conferences, photo sessions, pre-screening introductions, and media interviews.

For international filmmakers, the International Competition offers Turkiye premiere exposure and jury recognition, but limited acquisition activity. The festival's Mediterranean coastal setting in October is a draw for attendees. Submit early through the official website rather than a third-party platform, and note that national competition submissions require a signed physical copy or signed PDF sent by email in addition to the online form. Selected national feature films receive a 20,000 TL screening fee per film.

Watch

See Also

For Turkish cinema market context, see International Film Markets. For festival submission strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate the cost-benefit of submitting to Antalya and other festivals. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator.