Korkut Ata Cinema Symposium to convene in Istanbul

The first International Turkic World Korkut Ata Cinema Symposium is scheduled to take place in Istanbul from November 4 to 7, 2026. Coordinated by the Turkish World Journalists Federation and supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s General Directorate of Cinema and the International Cinema Association, the event aims to bring together academics, filmmakers, and industry professionals.

The symposium will explore the shared cultural heritage of the Turkic world, spanning from Turkey to Turkestan, the Caucasus, and the Balkans. Key discussion topics include film theory, history, production, and the cinema industry, alongside modern developments such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, new media, and film education.

A primary goal of the gathering is to establish a common academic ground for researching Turkic cinematic identity. This includes addressing the preservation and digitalization of physical film archives to ensure cinematic memory is passed to future generations. The event will offer both in-person and online participation options to facilitate international academic collaboration and support co-production cultures across the region.