Category: Culture

Israeli musician Riff Cohen announced the cancellation of her Istanbul concert.

The concert, which was planned to take place on Thursday, October 12, at the 5th Istanbul International Folk Music Festival, was canceled at Cohen's request due to the ongoing conflicts following the 'Aqsa Storm' operation initiated by Palestinian resistance groups led by Hamas' armed wing, the Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, against Israel last week.

In her social media statement, Cohen mentioned, "Due to the events in my country, I have chosen to stay with my loved ones and family."

It was announced that those who had purchased tickets for the Riff Cohen concert could use them for the Angelique Kidjo concert at the Atatürk Cultural Center Theater Stage on October 11 or request a refund

Source: English Bianet

The opening ceremony of the World Cultures Festival 2023, organized with the participation of 55 embassies and the Yunus Emre Institute (YEE), was held Friday at the Cermodern Culture Center in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gokhan Yazgi, who attended the opening of the festival, organized by the Ebrisem and Sirus Foundation, visited the stands of different countries and talked to ambassadors at the stand of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Yazgi said the festivals are not only platforms that bring together the richness of different cultures but also are symbols of friendship and cooperation.

"In this year's festival, gastronomy, dance, fashion, music and branches of art that reflect their history with their unique features will find their place here as a reflection of our cultural diversity," he said.

Noting that the festival, held with the participation of YEE, will be held around four main topics, Yazgi said it is also important from an international relations perspective.

UAE Ambassador to Ankara Said Sani al-Zahiri said his country has great richness in terms of Arab and Islamic historical heritage.

Explaining that the UAE hosts people from more than 200 nationalities, Zahiri pointed out that it hosts more than 15 million tourists annually.

South Korea's Ambassador to Ankara Lee Won-Ik said the World Cultures Festival is a very meaningful event.

'Nations show their love'

Iran's Ambassador to Ankara Muhammed Hasan Habibullahzade said the festival is an event where nations show their love and appreciation for each other. "This festival, where world cultures come together, is the basis for getting to know cultures and people better and for people to have more respect and love for each other," he said.

Arab League Turkey Representative Ambassador Abdulhamid Hamza pointed out that the festival is not just a celebration of art, music, dance and traditions. "Every rhythm we danced today, every song we sang, every food we tasted tells a unique story," he said.

Ambassador Korhan Karakoc, general director of Global and Humanitarian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said this year's festival coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Trkiye and it is very valuable and meaningful.

Sirus Foundation President Serap Grkan Firdevsi said 30 embassies, including at least three to four countries from each continent, participated in the festival, which was held for the first time last year, and this year, 55 countries, including eight to 10 from each continent participated.

Following speeches, traditional dance performances from South Korea and the UAE were performed.

World Cultures Festival 2023

The festival program, which consists of public and completely free events, includes traditional dances from 55 countries, music recitals and concerts, clothing fashion shows, art workshops, gastronomy workshops, traditional food offerings, cultural interviews, national promotional videos, films, competitions and raffle programs.

The festival, which was held under the theme: "100th Anniversary of the Republic of Trkiye and Gordion," also included a painting exhibition consisting of the personal works of Mehmet Gunay, Deputy General Director of Foreign Promotion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and various antiques from the personal collection of Osman Ilhan Sener, Deputy General Director of Cultural Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There are also works about archery, a traditional Turkish sport.

The event, which started Friday and is free to attend, will continue Saturday.

Source: Anadolu Agency

A large traditional male figure with a folklore costume, known as the "Vrakas", who has come to be the signature of the Limassol Wine Festival, was put up on Tuesday, ready to welcome thousands of locals and visitors to the well known event taking place annually at the coastal town of Limassol. Addressing a press conference, Limassol mayor, Nicos Nicolaides, invited guests to visit the 62nd Wine Festival to take place between October 7 and 15 at the town's municipal garden. The seven-metre imposing figure of the viticulturist, was placed in the entrance of the garden today to the sounds of popular songs about wine. The mayor said that every year their aim is to further upgrade and improve the festival keeping the tradition alive. He said that they have added many new elements and touches to the traditional and very popular festival adding that further details on the program will be unveiled during a press conference next week. Replying to a question he said that this year two events will be held in wine villages of the Limassol region on October 8 and 15. Nicolaides also said that the Wine Festival extends to the districts of the city, as events will be held in the context of the Euro-Mediterranean Festival of Traditional Dances, where Cypriot wine and Cypriot dishes based on the grape will be offered to the guests. Free bus transportation will be offered to visitors travelling to the festival from other cities.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The five-day Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival hosts projects with a beautiful story, said Adel Ksiksi, the director of the Industry Days platform. The festival began in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, last Friday. Ksiksi told Anadolu that there are very high-quality documentaries in this year's festival. "The program is going as planned. We have very useful conversations and discussions. I particularly like this," Ksiksi said. "We see very talented producers presenting their projects. Some of them are here for the first time and some producers are doing great work. We have projects from the regions we follow from the Middle East, Southeast Europe, and the Caucasus that cover different topics such as culture, sports, human stories, and social issues." Industry Days platform organized in collaboration with the Al Jazeera Documentary channel from Saturday to Monday. The platform will allow documentary film writers and producers from the region and worldwide to meet and exchange views. 'The Balkans al ways hosts talented filmmakers' Ksiksi said that Industry Days was organized to spread documentary filmmaking around the world and to bring together talented filmmakers from many parts of the world. "The Balkans always host talented filmmakers. The projects in the Balkans are in great competition on the platform," said Ksiksi. Krisksi said that the viewers want to hear human stories directly and that documentaries are a window into what is going on in society. The platform offers participants the opportunity to win a co-production prize worth $70,000. According to Ksiksi, there is also a Work in Progress category on the Industry Days platform. "Some projects have very good stories, while others are under construction. I hope that a certain amount of cash will be provided for all projects, and as a reward, the Al Jazeera Documentary Channel and will be broadcast on other Al Jazeera channels," said Ksiksi. 24 documentaries will be screened Among the festival's jury members are Russian director Vitali Manski, Hu ngarian director Bernadett Tuza-Ritter, Bosnian director Nermin Hamzagic, Croatian producer Vanja Jambrovic, and producer Mohamed Elmongy. The five-day festival, which started today in Bosnia and Herzegovina, will present 24 documentaries from different parts of the world and regional countries to cinema enthusiasts. The competition section of the festival has three awards: the Main Award, the Program Award, and the Audience Award. The festival aims to promote writers and documentaries dealing with social issues by focusing on universal human values.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The Flamingo Festival in Izmir will start with the 20th Turkey Bird Conference, and continue with other activities in the Mavisehir Fishing Port and the Gediz Delta where one of every ten flamingos worldwide lives. The "Flamingo Festival" will be organized by the Nature Association and the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality between September 15-17, 2023 in Izmir.

The festival will start with the 20th Turkey Bird Conference, and continue with other activities in the Mavisehir Fishing Port and the Gediz Delta.

One of every ten flamingos worldwide lives in the Gediz Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage candidate. This region, one of the breeding and migration areas for flamingos in Turkey, serves as a habitat for numerous waterfowl throughout the year.

There will be presentations by many researchers, nature conservationists, and scientists from Slovenia, France, Bulgaria, and Turkey at the 20th Turkey Bird Conference, which is part of the festival.

There will also be many events, games, and tours to introduce the Gediz Delta.

Some of the topics to be discussed at the conference are as follows: How to protect the flamingos in Tuz Lake, coexisting with birds in Alakir, the importance of records in birdwatching, and the literature on bird observation and research in the Ottoman Empire

Source: English Bianet

As part of the Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), participants of the festival are receiving training on "smartphone documentary-making" in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital Sarajevo. On the third day of the festival, media professionals and students from the region attended the training led by journalist Faris Bajric. "With this training, our goal is to provide young writers, journalists, and producers with insights into creating content using smartphones for documentary filmmaking," Bajric told Anadolu. "Technology is advancing rapidly, and smartphones are now widely employed in documentary shooting and production, even in Hollywood," he noted. Following the training, a documentary film competition will be held within 30 days, with the most accomplished participant receiving a prize of 1,500 euros ($1,600). 24 documentaries will be screened The 5-day Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), of which Anadolu is a global communication partner, began in the capital Sarajevo on Friday. Among the jury members of the festival are Russian director Vitali Manski, Hungarian director Bernadett Tuza-Ritter, Bosnian director Nermin Hamzagic, Croatian producer Vanja Jambrovic, and producer Mohamed Elmongy. The AJB DOC will present 24 documentaries from different parts of the world and regional countries to cinema enthusiasts. In the competition section of AJB DOC, there will be three awards: "AJB Main Award," "AJB Program Award," and "Audience Award." The festival aims to promote writers and documentaries dealing with social issues by focusing on universal human values. *Writing by Zehra Nur Duz

Source: Anadolu Agency

As part of the 5-day Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), a platform called "Industry Days" was launched in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital Sarajevo on Saturday. The event was attended by Adel Ksiksi, the Al Jazeera Documentary channel Manager of Planning and Scheduling, and Edhem Foco, the director of the AJB DOC. Speaking at the event, Ksiksi said: "We are delighted to hear that we will receive project submissions from a diverse range of countries including Somalia, Germany, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Arab world. We are excited to collaborate with young talents who are presenting their inaugural projects.' Industry Days will be organized in collaboration with the Al Jazeera Documentary channel and AJB DOC from Saturday to Monday. The Industry Days platform is dedicated to bolstering and facilitating the global dissemination of documentary film productions. The platform will allow documentary film writers and producers from the region and around the world to meet and exchange views. This year, participants have the chance to compete for the prestigious "co-production prize" worth $70,000. 24 documentaries will be screened The 5-day Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), of which Anadolu is a global communication partner, began in the capital Sarajevo on Friday. Among the jury members of the festival are Russian director Vitali Manski, Hungarian director Bernadett Tuza-Ritter, Bosnian director Nermin Hamzagic, Croatian producer Vanja Jambrovic, and producer Mohamed Elmongy. The AJB DOC will present 24 documentaries from different parts of the world and regional countries to cinema enthusiasts. In the competition section of AJB DOC, there will be three awards: "AJB Main Award," "AJB Program Award," and "Audience Award." The festival aims to promote writers and documentaries dealing with social issues by focusing on universal human values. *Writing by Zehra Nur Duz

Source: Anadolu Agency