Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Time: 15.15

Venue: Institut Français

Participants: Betal Özay, Engin Sarıkaya, and Hacer Çulcu from the Gupi team.

The festival program also features a session on animation production processes and copyright. The event will focus on the creative ecosystem of an animation series and-using Gupi as a case study-on bringing a character to life across various media platforms. Additionally, the role of copyright in creative production will be discussed.

The festival program also features a session on animation production processes and copyright. The event will focus on the creative ecosystem of an animation series and-using the example of “Gupi”-on bringing a character to life across various media platforms. Additionally, the role of copyright in creative production will be addressed.

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026

Time: 17:45

Venue: Institut Français

Clémence Lebatteux, one of the screenwriters of the film Blaise, will participate in a talk at the Institut français on screenwriting for animation. The discussion will cover the process ranging from the creation of the story and characters to the development of the narrative.

Date: Thursday, October 24, 2026

Time: 15:30

Venue: Institut Français

This year, the festival’s traditional “Tribute” segment focuses on Maarif (1988), a lesser-known work in the history of Turkish animation. Directed by M. Kazım Sönmez and written by Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Büyükerşen, this award-winning short film serves not only as a critique of the education system but also as a historical record documenting the origins of animation production in Turkey and animation education at Anadolu University. In addition to the screening, the program will feature excerpts from a video interview conducted in Eskişehir by Berat İlk with the film’s crew; the full interview will be available on the “Canlandıranlar” YouTube channel. A discussion on Maarif will also be held, featuring Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Şiray from the MSGSÜ Department of Philosophy and moderated by Başak Ürkmez. It is a rare gem of a film—an opportunity not to be missed.