“Dostlar Sağolsun,” a short film developed as a graduation project by Orhan Kerem Kartal, a student at Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU), Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), Department of Radio, Television and Cinema, has been selected as a finalist in the Cinema Schools Student Film Competition of the 63rd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.
Written by Kartal, “Dostlar Sağolsun” was developed as part of his graduation project in the Department of Radio, Television and Cinema at Istanbul Gelisim University. While still in the production stage, the film was included in the 2026 support program of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Cinema, and was awarded 255,000 TL in Short Film Production Support. According to the list announced by the Ministry, the project was among the 15 short films deemed eligible for support.
Following the production support it received during the project stage, the completion of the film and its selection as a finalist in the Golden Orange student film competition mark a new stage in the journey of “Dostlar Sağolsun” from production to festival selection.
Competing alongside young filmmakers at the Golden Orange
The 63rd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival will be held between 24 and 31 October 2026. The Cinema Schools Student Film Competition, organized within the scope of the festival, aims to evaluate the works of students studying cinema in Türkiye and to encourage new productions by young filmmakers. According to the competition regulations, the finalist films will be presented to the jury during the festival, and the results will be announced as part of the festival program.
According to information announced by the festival, 70 applications were submitted to this year’s student film competition from 70 faculties at 48 universities across Türkiye. During the preliminary evaluation process, the films were assessed by film critic Cumhur Canbazoğlu, screenwriter-author Ceyda Aşar, and screenwriter-director Fırat Özeler. The main jury consists of Nihan Okutucu, Natali Yeres, and Uğur İçbak.
Focusing on Kasım’s silent grief
Set in the Karasu district of Sakarya, “Dostlar Sağolsun” centers on the internal and social conflicts experienced over the course of one evening by 15- to 16-year-old Kasım as he waits for the arrival of his grandfather’s funeral. While family members and neighbors gather under a tent set up in front of the house, Kasım is left to deal with the responsibilities imposed on him by adults and by tradition, without being given the space to experience his own grief.
Constantly occupied with tasks such as serving tea, carrying plates, and attending to guests, Kasım’s emotions go unnoticed by those around him. The film makes visible, through everyday details, his sense of being caught between the bond he shared with his grandfather and the social roles expected of him. Rather than turning into an open confrontation, Kasım’s accumulated anger takes the form of a silent rebellion. The phrase “Dostlar sağolsun,” which gives the film its title, conveys both a reproach toward what he is experiencing and a reluctant acceptance of the order surrounding him.
The tension between personal grief and social expectations
Built around a minimalist cinematic language, the film focuses on the relationship between grief, family, neighborhood culture, tradition, and the responsibilities imposed on the individual. The tension between Kasım’s need for space to experience his personal loss and the duties expected of him by those around him forms the central conflict of the story.
In this respect, the film explores the individual’s loneliness within a traditional social structure, silent resistance, and the process of coming of age through learning to carry the burdens placed upon him.
The journey of “Dostlar Sağolsun” also reflects a production process extending from public support during the development stage to selection for a major film festival. Kartal’s project had previously been supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Cinema, and Istanbul Gelisim University had announced that the film was being developed as a graduation project.
As Faculty of Fine Arts, we congratulate our student Orhan Kerem Kartal and wish “Dostlar Sağolsun” success in its journey at the Golden Orange Film Festival.