President Altay Thanks Sufi Cinema Festival

Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay sincerely thanked all art lovers, guests and contributors who participated in the 6th Sufi Cinema Festival, which was successfully organized by Konya Metropolitan Municipality.

Drawing attention to the international nature of the festival, President Altay said, “We were honored to host many valuable artists from different cultures, from Bosnia to America, from England to Iran, from Uzbekistan to Italy, in Konya, the city of Hazrat Mevlana. In this sense, the 6th Sufi Cinema Festival makes an important contribution to the cultural and spiritual heritage of our city.”

Recalling his vision of turning Konya into a film, documentary and series production center, President Altay said, “The 6th Sufi Cinema Festival successfully fulfills its mission of conveying the cultural and spiritual richness of Konya to wider audiences through cinema. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all my teammates who contributed to the preparation of this valuable festival, to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for their unwavering support, to the General Directorate of Cinema, to TRT, to all our valuable artists and to our valuable art lovers who showed great interest in our festival.”

Sufi Cinema Stakeholders Meet in Konya's Spiritual Atmosphere

The 6th Sufi Cinema Festival, which aims to convey the universal and profound messages of Sufism to all humanity through the seventh art, cinema, and to add a spiritual dimension to the art of cinema, brought together many important producers, directors and actors from Turkey and abroad in the unique spiritual climate of Konya. The interviews, panels and workshops held throughout the festival provided an opportunity for a productive sharing of knowledge and experience between cinema professionals and art lovers.

A Full Festival Program Meets Art Lovers

The 6th Sufi Cinema Festival offered an unforgettable week to art lovers with its rich and diverse content. The screenings of impressive Sufi themed movies and documentaries were followed with great interest in the important cultural and artistic venues of the city such as the Metropolitan Municipality Taş Bina Culture and Art Center, Mevlana Culture Center, Depo No: 4 and Kültürpark.

Under the “People’s Film” heading, which was brought to life within the scope of the festival’s “Teşrif-i Mevlana” events, important productions such as “Ayla” and “Pocket Hercules: Naim Süleymanoğlu”, which have won the appreciation of the masses, were presented to the public free of charge in Kültürpark and AVM cinemas. Children were not forgotten at the festival, and beloved animation films such as “Tay”, “Rafadan Tayfa Göbeklitepe” and “Nasreddin Hodja Zaman Yolcusu: Kadim Medeniyetler” provided enjoyable moments for young moviegoers under the “Children’s Films Selection” heading.

It was also noteworthy that the festival was not limited to movie screenings. The little participants had a great time for three days, with face painting activities, cotton candy treats, sapling distribution, popcorn and surprise gifts in a special area set up in Kültürpark. These colorful events revealed the festival's inclusive structure that appeals to art lovers of all ages.