The 45th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival- Turkey’s premier outdoor movie event- failed on organization and security on its first day by leaving the city’s locals locked out of the opening ceremony. While the famous faces of the silver screen – cinema critics, artists and directors – walked the red carpet and saluted to cameras and people waiting to see them as they exited their limousines, the locals who were invited were left waiting at the back door of the Konyaaltı Open air theater, where the opening ceremony was held Friday night.
The shuttles took press members and guests who were invited to the ceremony and brought them to the back door, which has traditionally been open for them to enter the outdoor movie venue without having to weave through the crowds on the red carpet. This year a closed, guarded door greeted locals in lieu of a welcoming committee.
“We cannot let you in from this door,” said the security guard, whereas the locals objected, shouting that the entrance was the one used for entering the theater for the opening of the outdoor film festival for many years. Some locals left in disappointment, while others waited until they were let in – 40 minutes after the start of the ceremony.
“I have attended all the opening ceremonies of the festival for the past 10 years and I have never experienced anything this rude,” said Sıdal Işık, one of the guests who stayed out. “I hate telling this kind of things, but I am the wife of one of the founding members of this festival, Melih Işık. I attend the festival every year and we are always invited to the opening ceremonies of the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival,” said Işık, standing next to a close friend with disappointment written all over her face.
She was not the only one who was outraged. An elderly woman with an injured leg was told by a security guide to walk to the main gate, where the red carpet leads the guests inside the open air theater. A guest from Cyprus, Murat Obenler, was surprised that such a thing could happen at one of the biggest festivals in Turkey. Having been invited for the first time, Obenler said, “This is an unbelievably rude attitude toward the guests.” Obenler, who is organizing film festivals back in Cyprus, emphasized that no organizer listened to what they were saying. “The door was shut to our face, and from the other side of the fences we heard the security guards saying, ‘We cannot let you in; you have to walk to the main gate.’”
İsmail İzgi, who is responsible for security, told the Turkish Daily News they were instructed not to let anybody in the back door this year. Saying there was no one responsible for warning the guests or the shuttle drivers not to come to the gate, İzgi acknowledged there was a lack of communication.
Most of the guests left the venue saying they would never attend to the festival again, and others were let in by İzgi later. He apologized after the ceremony started.
Int’l Eurasia Outdoor Film Festival kicks off
The opening of the Golden Orange Film Festival was followed by the opening ceremony of the fourth International Eurasia Film Festival. The ceremony was held in the beautiful outdoor film venue: Festival Palace Atatürk Culture Center, or AKM. After the ceremony the Turkey premiere of celebrated director Ferzan Özpetek’s latest film “A Perfect Day” took place. Presented by actress and beauty queen Azra Akın, the ceremony started with a performance delivered by renowned musicians Barbaros Erköse and İlhan Erşahin. The president of the festival and the TURSAK Foundation, Engin Yiğitgil, presented the festival’s honorary award to composer Zbigniew Preisner, famous for the original scores he composed for Krzysztof Kieslowski’s “Three Colors” trilogy and “Dekalog.” The presentation of the awards continued with actor Michael York, who is celebrating the 44th year of his performing career. The president of the fourth International Eurasia Film Festival Grand Jury, storyteller and master director Paul Verhoeven, presented the honorary award of the festival along with Antalya’s mayor, Menderes Türel, and Engin Yiğitgil. Saluting the audience in his speech, Verhoeven said he had been working on a film set in Turkey and had perused locations in Antalya and Istanbul. Before the launching of the festival’s opening film, film director Özpetek, star of the film “Isabella Ferrari” and producer “Domenico Procacci,” greeted the audience.
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