TURKISH CINEMA GROWS WITH SUPPORT

The General Directorate of Cinema strengthens Turkish cinema with a wide range of support, from festival support to theater incentives

As the film industry rapidly changes in the digital age, the number of domestic films and audience numbers are increasing every year with the support of the General Directorate of Cinema. General Director Birol Güven spoke to Business Diplomacy readers about the current state of the industry, support systems, and opportunities offered to young directors.

WHAT IS THE MAIN MISSION OF THE GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF CINEMA IN THE SECTOR? IN WHICH AREAS DO YOU PROVIDE SUPPORT TO PRODUCERS?

The structure of the General Directorate of Cinema is quite different from other cultural institutions. While institutions such as the State Theaters or the State Opera and Ballet are directly involved in production, we, as the General Directorate of Cinema, do not directly produce films. In Türkiye, cinema is entirely driven by the private sector and independent producers. We are only a supporting institution; our legislation is also shaped accordingly.

WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTIONS ARE PRIORITIZED FOR STATE SUPPORT? CAN YOU PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE BUDGET AND THE TREND IN RECENT YEARS?

Our support covers a wide range. We provide production and post-production support in many areas, from feature films to short films, documentaries, and directors shooting their first film. We also provide support for co-productions. In particular, through a system known as “minority co-production” at the international level, for example, under an agreement with Italy, if an Italian producer develops a project with a Turkish partner, we can also support this project. This system works both ways, with Turkish producers also able to apply for similar support in countries such as Italy.

On the other hand, event support is one of the important areas of work of the General Directorate of Cinema. We support both festivals in Türkiye and international cinema events. For example, we participate in international organizations such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Shanghai Film Festival, and the Singapore TV Market on behalf of Türkiye. We open stands at these organizations and try to increase the visibility of our producers. However, we do not organize these events directly; we support the teams participating here through professional associations such as FİYAB or institutions such as İTO.

ARE THE SUPPORTS PROVIDED BY THE GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF CINEMA LIMITED TO THE PRODUCTION STAGE?

No, our support is quite broad and covers all stages of film production. We provide support in many areas, from script and dialogue writing to documentary, animation, short and feature film production, and from first film support to post-production support. We also contribute to cultural and artistic events held in Türkiye and abroad.

In 2024, a total of 256 million TL was allocated to 156 projects under these support programs. As of June 2025, we have provided 167 million TL in support to 98 projects. During the same period, 42 million 750 thousand TL was allocated to 101 cinemas under the “Domestic Film Screening Support” program.

Thus, by mid-2025, a total of 270 million TL has been allocated to the cinema sector. Thanks to this support, the number of domestic films, which was only 9 in 2002, increased to 223 in 2024, and the number of domestic film viewers rose from 2 million to 18 million.

In 2024, the total number of cinema attendees exceeded 32 million, with box office revenue reaching approximately 4.9 billion TL. With a domestic film viewing rate of 57%, we are the clear leader in Europe, and we have maintained this success for 11 years.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF FILMING IN TÜRKİYE FOR INTERNATIONAL PRODUCERS, AND WHAT INCENTIVES ARE OFFERED? ARE THERE ANY EXAMPLE PROJECTS IN THIS CONTEXT?

Our biggest advantage is the quality of the teams behind the camera. The world’s best sound engineers, cinematographers, and art directors work in Türkiye. For this reason, foreign teams no longer have to come with huge productions for filming. Everything is ready here, from generators to caravans, from makeup artists to costume designers.

On the other hand, we say to foreign producers, “Come and shoot your film in Türkiye, and we will reimburse you for up to 30% of your expenses here.” Of course, we have certain conditions. The film must be promotional in nature for Türkiye. The board evaluates this and provides support if it deems it appropriate.

We have a very important system in place for this. The state allocates a budget for this area, but we do not distribute it directly. The support process is carried out through eight-member evaluation committees. Only one member of these committees is a public official –that’s me– and the remaining seven members come from the industry. The committee includes experts such as directors, screenwriters, and producers. Support decisions are made by this committee. This ensures that the process is completely transparent, participatory, and sector-based.

Separate evaluation committees are formed for each genre. Support for different areas, such as documentaries, short films, feature films, screenwriting, and first-time director projects, is evaluated by committees composed of experts in these fields.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SUPPORT MECHANISMS FOR MOVIE THEATERS?

Yes, we implement the “Domestic Film Screening Support” program, which is specifically designed to promote domestic films. This support is provided to theaters on the condition that they screen the films we support. In 2024, we provided a total of 28 million TL in support to 108 cinema operators under this program. This is a highly effective method for increasing the visibility of domestic films and facilitating their access to audiences.

WATCHING MOVIES ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS INSTEAD OF GOING TO MOVIE THEATERS HAS BECOME VERY COMMON. HOW DO YOU ASSESS THIS SITUATION?

Cinema is not just the art of telling a story, but also the art of evoking emotions. The place where those emotions are truly felt is in a dark theater, on a big screen, watching a movie with high-quality sound. Content watched on the subway or on a phone is certainly valuable in its own right, but it cannot replace the cinema experience. Our main focus is the unique atmosphere of the cinema. Even someone making a TikTok video today learns the power of storytelling from cinema. Because cinema continues to be the most powerful medium for transforming emotion into narrative.

HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THE CURRENT STATE OF TURKISH CINEMA?

In terms of technical capacity, Turkish cinema has reached the highest levels in the world today. Our behind-the-camera teams, equipment, and production power are really strong. However, in terms of content, I think there has been a decline, especially in mainstream cinema. The industry has not fully recovered in the post-COVID-19 period. Cinemas are still not reaching the desired occupancy rates. This makes it difficult for domestic productions to make an impact abroad. Because for a film to achieve international success, it first needs to demonstrate a strong box office performance in its own country.

WHAT ROADMAP DO YOU OFFER NEW FILMMAKERS?

We have very strong support for young directors. We provide separate support for script development, first films, production, and post-production. When a director finishes a film and is accepted to a festival, we accompany them on their journey. Sometimes, even if we haven’t supported the film at all, we cover their travel expenses when they receive an invitation to a festival. Turkish films that have won awards at festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, and Tokyo have this support system behind them. In short, we support new directors and accompany them on their festival journeys.