Turkish, Dutch film professionals to meet in utrecht

Filmmakers and other movie professionals from Turkey and the Netherlands will discuss prospects for collaboration between the two countries in a gathering titled "A Look at Turkish Cinema" later next month in the Dutch city of Utrecht, the Turkish organizers of the event announced on Monday. The gathering, part of a series of cultural events marking the 400th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Turkey and the Netherlands, is scheduled for Sept. 27-Oct. 1, on the sidelines of this year's Netherlands Film Festival, according to a written statement issued on Monday by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Art (IKSV). A joint effort between the Istanbul International Film Festival's "Meetings on the Bridge" film development platform and the Netherlands Film Festival, the gathering is aimed at fostering co-productions between the two countries. A panel discussion on potential co-productions between Turkish and Dutch filmmakers was held in Istanbul in April, during this year's Istanbul Film Festival, and the second leg of that panel is scheduled for Sept. 27 in Utrecht as part of the Netherlands Film Festival, the statement said. Film producers, television network representatives and film distributors from both countries are expected to attend the panel, which will focus on the Turkish movie industry. Productions currently in the works from both countries will also be presented to other international guests in attendance, the statement added. Director Semih Kaplanoglu is also expected to speak in the 2012 edition of an annual panel discussion titled Cinema Militants Lecture as part of the Netherlands Film Festival, and an interview conducted with the director following the panel discussion will be published in Sight & Sound magazine. Kaplanoglu's three films that make up his Trilogy of Yusuf, "Yumurta" (Egg), "Sut" (Milk) and "Bal" (Honey) will be screened at the Netherlands Film Festival.