The German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund, established by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein and Meetings on the Bridge — organised within the scope of the Istanbul Film Festival, which is run by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) — has announced the projects to be granted in 2025.
The German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund was launched in 2011 by Meetings on the Bridge, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein to support feature-length films from Türkiye and Germany. This year, the fund received a record number of applications, and for the first time, it will distribute grants to 10 projects. Following the evaluations, a total of €125,000 was allocated to the 10 selected co-productions. Half of the supported projects are debut feature films, demonstrating the fund’s ongoing commitment to supporting emerging filmmakers alongside established talents. This commitment is further strengthened by the contribution of İKSV’s Young Artist Fund, which supports Meetings on the Bridge’s participation in the programme.
Projects to be granted
Chasing the Wind
Director: Rezan Yeşilbaş
Co-Producers: Rez Film, Bredok Film
Dream Girl
Director: Kaan Müjdeci
Co-Producers: Kaan Film, Watchmen Productions
Goodbye for Now
Director: Kasım Ördek
Co-Producers: Parda Film, DGS Berlin
Ivanov
Director: Emre Kayış
Co-Producers: EMK Film, Mîtos Film
Keklik
Director: Seda Kaçak
Co-Producers: Istos Film, Fünferfilm
Season of Fire
Director: Cansu Baydar
Co-Producers: Liman Film, Jyoti Film
That Country
Director: Yusuf Elbaşı
Co-Producers: Fol Films, Tamtam Film
The Guardians of the Old Lady
Director: Selda Taşkın
Co-Producers: Sezz Film, Schiwago Film
The Hunchback
Director: Ahu Öztürk
Co-Producers: Roni Film, Kaio Film
The Mouth of the Whale
Director: Amirali Navaee
Co-Producers: Sinecera Film, Marlene Film
The selected projects highlight the vibrant creative exchange between filmmakers from Türkiye and Germany, strengthening intercultural collaboration and bringing distinctive stories to the screen. The German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund continues to play a key role in championing new voices and expanding the scope of international co-productions.
Among the 77 films supported by the fund to date are A Tale of Three Sisters (Emin Alper), which premiered in the Berlinale Main Competition; Album (Mehmetcan Mertoğlu), showcased at Cannes Critics’ Week; All of a Sudden (Aslı Özge), which premiered in Berlinale Panorama; Until I Lose My Breath (Emine Emel Balcı), featured in Berlinale Forum; Blue Bicycle (Ümit Köreken) and Come to My Voice (Hüseyin Karabey), both of which premiered in Berlinale Generation; The Wounded Angels (Kıvanç Sezer) and Brothers (Ömür Atay), which competed in the Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s main competition; When I’m Done Dying (Nisan Dağ), which premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival; Zuhal (Nazlı Elif Durlu), featured at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival; and Les Enfants Terribles (Ahmet Necdet Cupur), which premiered at Visions du Réel. Additionally, Ela with Hilmi and Ali (Ziya Demirel) returned from the Istanbul Film Festival with four awards, while Snow and the Bear (Selcen Ergun) premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and The Dormitory (Nehir Tuna) at the Venice Film Festival.
To date, the Fund has provided a total of €1,221,000 in support for German-Turkish co-productions.
For your questions: onthebridge@iksv.org
