YAREN
SPECIAL MENTION
BTF's 19th Documentary & Short Film Competition
APRIL 4 - 15, 2025
Directed by Mehmet Ali Poyraz
Doc. / 7 min. / 2024 / with English subtitles
Uluabat Lake, a vital source of livelihood for the surrounding villagers, is the setting for a heartwarming human story. This documentary follows Fisherman Adem Yılmaz's extraordinary friendship with a stork named Yaren. While celebrating this bond, the film also highlights the diminishing natural beauty of the region.
Selected Festivals and Awards
- Boston Turkish Festival’s 19th Annual Documentary & Short Film Competition (2024): Special Mention
- Cibo Corto Film Festival, Italy (2024): Best Documentary
- Yed-i Velayet 7 Vilayet Short Film Festival, Türkiye (2024): Best Documentary
- Heritale International Heritage Film Festival, Portugal (2024): Special Selection
- Foça Film Platform, Türkiye (2024): Special Screening
Director MEHMET ALİ POYRAZ
Mehmet Ali Poyraz (1983, Balıkesir) graduated from the Department of Journalism at Selçuk University's Faculty of Communication in 2007. During his university years, he initiated the "Last Migration" project, documenting the lives of the Yörüks, one of the last nomadic Turkic tribes. Poyraz's work focuses on social issues, including illness, migration, political conflicts, and climate change. Since 2012, he has expanded his artistic endeavors to include documentary filmmaking with a human-centered approach. Operating independently under the banner of "Human Affairs" documentaries, Poyraz continues to explore real-life stories in the Middle East and Africa, with projects in Pakistan, Egypt, Kenya, Somalia, Syria, Palestine, and Bangladesh. Poyraz runs his own production company, Image 8 Production, where he continues to work on video and photography projects. He remains actively involved in documentary and short film endeavors. |
