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The Youth Filmmaking Project, led by SUNY Fredonia’s Communication Department Associate Professor Nefin Dinc and Chair Ted Schwalbe, received a $9,400 grant from the American Embassy in Ankara, Turkey to give even more exposure to the already award-winning films.
The grant will enable SUNY Fredonia to submit the student films created by Turkish youth to more international festivals.
“We decided to continue sending the films to the film festivals because they were being accepted to many prestigious film festivals and receiving awards,” said, Professor Nefin Dinc, who traveled to the International Cannes Film Festival last year to distribute DVDs.
The Youth Filmmaking project, which started back in November 2008, was originally funded by an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of State. The 18-month project began when Professor Dinc went to Turkey to teach 72 Turkish students how to create short films based on important social issues going on in their country. Filming took place in six cities over the next year, followed by film editing that was done by 18 Turkish students who traveled to SUNY Fredonia to complete the collection of films.
The 18 films produced were then screened locally with the Turkish students present--in the Reg Lenna Theater of Jamestown Community College, the University of Buffalo and Jewett Hall on the SUNY Fredonia campus. After the students returned to Turkey, SUNY Fredonia continued to screen the films in different locations across the U.S., including the World Bank in Washington DC, Tisch Center at New York University and Boston University. Professor Dinc has since been submitting the films to different film festivals around the globe.
So far, seven of the films have won at least 13 awards at international film festivals:
- “Close Your Eyes” won the Media Education Award, the SunChild International Center Award, and the Turkish Cultural Center Friendship Dinner Award at the United Nations Plural + Video Festival;
- "Shoes" won the Best Film College Award at the Balston Spa festival;
- At the Cork (Ireland) Film Festival, 1st Prize went to “Love in One Breath,” while “Now There Is, Now There Isn’t,” was a runner up;
- At the Wildlife Vassa Festival in Finland, "Now There Is, Now There Isn't," won a Youth Award;
- At the Istanbul International Teen Short Film Festival, Second Prize went to "Spring;"
- At the International Rotary Film Festival in Ankara, Turkey, Second Prize went to “Spring” and Third Prize to "Love in One Breath.” “15 Steps Ahead” won a Recognition Award;
- At the Istanbul International Film Festival, “Sirya” and “Spring” were included in the its Top Ten films.
To learn more about the project, contact Professor Dinc.
