TRT 12 Punto, Türkiye’s first and only project dedicated to the national film industry, returns for its seventh edition from July 13-20. Ahead of the event, organizers held a press conference Sunday with opening remarks by TRT Secretary General Ibrahim Keleş and TRT Cinema Director Faruk Güven.
Billed as Türkiye’s largest script development and coproduction platform, TRT 12 Punto aims to support projects in their early script stages, contribute quality screenplays to Turkish cinema, and help transform those projects into completed films.
The weeklong program, which includes participants from 35 countries – directors, producers, and cinema professionals – will bring together prominent figures from the global film industry. The event will feature masterclasses, panels and presentations by award-winning directors, producers, and industry experts.
Speaking at the press conference, Keleş said TRT 12 Punto has become a common ground for cinema enthusiasts and has grown to be one of Turkish state broadcaster TRT’s most prominent brands over the past seven years. Güven emphasized the platform’s role in bringing together leading filmmakers and professionals to develop important projects for both Turkish and global cinema.
Each year, the international jury of TRT 12 Punto comprises some of the most influential names in world cinema. This year’s jury includes celebrated Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev, Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner, Golden Globe President Helen Hoehne, ARTE France Cinema Director Olivier Père and award-winning Palestinian actress Yasmine Al Massri.
As part of the program, two contemporary Palestinian short films, "Orange from Jaffa" and "UNDR," will screen at the TRT 12 Punto Open Air Cinema. Feature films such as "Uzun Hikâye" directed and produced by Osman Sınav and the TRT coproduced Club Zero, which competed at Cannes in 2023 under Hausner’s direction, will also be screened for free and open to the public.
A new initiative added this year is the “Editing Consultation” program. Acclaimed editor Benjamin Mirguet will provide guidance on two previous 12 Punto-winning projects currently in post-production.
Winners of the “TRT Short Film Production Award,” first introduced in 2020, will again receive script development consultation from Wim Vanacker, a selection committee member for the Official Short Film Competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
Events at Istanbul’s Feriye venue will be broadcast live on TRT 12 Punto’s social media accounts. TRT 2 will also air a special daily program titled 12 Punto Special each evening at 7 p.m. from July 13 to 20.
On July 19, the international jury will evaluate pitches from 12 finalist projects. Of these, three will receive the “TRT Co-Production Award,” three will earn the “TRT Pre-Buy Award,” and six will be granted the “TRT Project Development Award.” Projects winning the “TRT International Co-Production Award” will also be announced during the ceremony.
Since its inception in 2019, TRT 12 Punto has become one of the most closely watched events in the international film calendar, helping support and shape some of the most notable recent works in Turkish and world cinema. Over seven years, it has granted awards to 128 projects in various categories, including 21 Co-Production Awards, 21 Pre-Buy Awards, 18 Project Development Awards, 14 International Co-Production Awards, and 54 Short Film Production Awards.
The platform has awarded 97 Turkish feature-length and short film projects with co-production or pre-buy support since 2019. This year’s selections will bring that number to 103. Films like "Gülizar," "Bir Tutam Karanfil," "Kanto," "Tavşan Imparatorluğu," Tereddüt Çizgisi," "Hayat," "Neandria," "Kamış" and "Hara" – many of them supported by TRT 12 Punto – have premiered at major festivals in Venice, Berlin, Tokyo, Tallinn, Toronto, Shanghai, Warsaw, Antalya, Istanbul and Boğaziçi, often winning international recognition.
Since 2020, the program has extended support to international films where Turkish producers are minority co-producers. All 14 films awarded under the “TRT International Co-Production Award” have premiered at A-list festivals. Among them are "Klondike" (Ukraine-Türkiye), "Quiet Life" (France-Türkiye-Germany-Sweden-Greece-Estonia-Finland), "The Sacred Spirit" (Spain-Türkiye-France), "Advice to the Fish" (Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Mexico), "The Green Border" (Poland-Türkiye-France) and "Shambhala" (Nepal-Türkiye-France), all of which debuted at prestigious festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Locarno, and Venice, earning awards and international acclaim.
Since 2019, more than 100 feature-length film projects in the script or development phase have applied annually to TRT 12 Punto. A five-member pre-selection jury of independent Turkish filmmakers, producers, and screenwriters selects 12 finalists each year.
Additionally, 54 short films have received production support through the “TRT Short Film Production Award” since 2020. Some of these films have had world premieres at top festivals: "Rutubet" at Venice, "Birlikte Yalnız" and "Zemberek" at Sarajevo. More than 2,100 short film projects have applied to the award program, and winning entries now receive script consultation from Wim Vanacker, bringing global industry expertise to emerging filmmakers.
TRT 12 Punto has consistently attracted top names in international cinema. Past jurors have included Academy President John Bailey, European Film Academy President Mike Downey, Oscar-winning director Pawel Pawlikowski, actor Ghassan Massoud, director Rithy Panh, Oscar-winning producers Cat Villiers and Ewa Puszczynska, Cannes Cinefondation Director Georges Goldenstern, Berlinale Co-Production Market Director Martina Bleis, European Film Market Director Dennis Ruh, Oscar-nominated director Jasmila Žbanić, Palme d’Or-winning producer Philippe Bober, Eurimages Director Susan Newman-Baudais, FIPRESCI President Ahmed Shawky, Oscar-winning filmmaker Danis Tanović, and Sarajevo Film Festival Founder Mirsad Purivatra.
This year’s jury continues that tradition.
When it launched in 2019, TRT 12 Punto focused on script and pitching development. Over time, it evolved into a globally recognized industry event. In 2022, the “TRT 12 Punto Meetings” program was introduced, bringing representatives from top festivals, production companies, and sales agencies to Türkiye to meet with finalists. In 2023, experts from 22 countries participated; this year, that number has grown to 35.
Over the past seven years, masterclasses and panels hosted during TRT 12 Punto have become major highlights for industry professionals and cinephiles alike.
Leading figures from across the film world have shared insights on current trends, while veteran directors and producers have spoken about their careers in detail. These events have helped establish TRT 12 Punto as a central hub for the Turkish film industry, providing a platform for education, discussion and collaboration.
