Two movies shared the Golden Orange award for the best picture as the festival celebrated its half century at a resplendent ceremony, despite cutbacks on associated costs, on the evening of Oct. 11 in Antalya.

Ferit Karahan’s “Cennetten Kovulmak” (The Fall From Heaven), which tackles the sensitive issue of the Kurdish language and Turkey-born French director Ramin Matin’s second feature length film “Kusursuzlar” (Flawless Life), which focuses on the story of two sisters, received the top awards at the festival’s 50th edition.

Matin, whose first movie “Canavarlar Sofrası” (The Table of Monsters) clinched the special jury award in 2011, also received the award for the best director.

Zeynep Çamcı, known for her role in the blockbuster movie Recep İvedik 3, got the best actress award for her convincing performance in Atalay Taşdikan’s character drama “Meryem,” which also got the special jury award. The award for the best actor went to Hakan Yufkacıgil who starred in Nihat Seven’s “Uzun Yol” (Little Happiness).

Eight-year-old Rojin Tekin, a little actress trined from the cradle, was awarded by the jury for her dazzling performance in The Fall From Heaven.

“Mavi Dalga” (Blue Wave) co-directed by Zeynep Dadak and Merve Kayan, which tells of the search for a purpose in life of four young women from the province, was also one of the movies that caught the attention of the jury. The duo not only got the best debut movie award, but they also clinched the best original script as well as adapted screenplay awards.

The best International Feature Film award meanwhile went to the young Thai director, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s 36.

This year’s jury gathered some prestigious names, including the iconic Turkish actress Türkan Şoray, directors Reis Çelik and Ümit Ünal, producer Şükrü Avşar, actor Mahir Günşiray, cinema critic Burçak Evren, opera artist Rahman Altın, and screen director Zekeriya Kurtuluş. Iranian director Asghar Farhadi was this year’s honorary guest of the festival.

Ten films competed for the awards after a pre-selection by the jury among 62 movies.

Reis Çelik said during the announcement of the awards that the jury’s session for selecting the winners lasted more than 13 hours.

Hurriyet daily News