Submission

The Antakya International Film Festival (AFF) is a competitive international film festival and a key destination on the global festival circuit. It is recognized by leading cinema institutions as a qualifying festival across multiple film categories. AFF serves as an important meeting point for the international film and media industries in the Mediterranean region.

The mission of the festival is to provide a public platform in Antakya that enhances interest in cinema and supports independent film production. It also aims to position Antakya as a globally recognized center for filmmaking. The festival promotes artistic excellence, defends the creative freedom of artists against censorship, and seeks to ensure that all residents of Antakya can access and experience the power of independent cinema.

In 2025, the festival presented over 800 films from 45 countries, offering a rich and diverse program. AFF provides a comprehensive experience that has become a significant milestone in the careers of many filmmakers.

The festival is organized for and by independent filmmakers, with an organizing team bringing more than a decade of experience. The Antakya International Film Festival accepts submissions in the following categories:

Awards & Prizes
Narrative Feature
Documentary Feature
Short Narrative
Short Documentary
Experimental
Student Films
Animation
Artificial Intelligence

Submissions are open annually from October to September. The official selection, consisting of more than 150 films, is announced in September, and the festival takes place in October.

Selected films compete for various awards within their categories. In addition to film screenings, the festival hosts filmmaker meetups, industry panels, and networking events across multiple venues in Antakya and Hatay.

Awards & Prizes
Jury Awards
The festival presents Jury Awards in the following categories:
• Best Narrative Feature
• Best Narrative Medium-Length Film
• Best Documentary Feature
• Best Narrative Short
• Best Documentary Short
• Best Animation Short
• Best Experimental Short
• Best Student Short
If a film is shortlisted for a Jury Award, additional preview copies must be provided or authorized by the submitting party upon request by the Antakya Film Festival.

Audience Awards
Narrative Feature Categories:
• Best Film – Festival Sculpture
• Best Director – Festival Sculpture
• Best Screenplay – Festival Sculpture
• Best Cinematography – Festival Sculpture
• Best Original Score – Festival Sculpture
• Best Actress – Festival Sculpture
• Best Actor – Festival Sculpture
• Best Editing – Festival Sculpture
• Best Art Direction – Festival Sculpture
• Jury Special Award – Festival Sculpture
• Audience Award (Best Film) – Festival Sculpture
• Greenpine Award – Festival Sculpture

Documentary Feature
• Best Documentary Feature – Festival Sculpture
• Jury Special Award – Festival Sculpture

Short Film Categories
• (Fiction, Experimental, Documentary, Animation, Student, Artificial Intelligence)
• Best Short Film – Festival Sculpture
• Jury Special Award – Festival Sculpture

Rules and Regulations
Requirements for Participating Films
Feature-length films applying for the competition must have been completed after September 1, 2025, and must not have applied to the Antakya International Film Festival previously.

Screening of Competition Films
Films applying for the competition are submitted to the Festival Selection Committee for preliminary evaluation.

Finalist films will be screened for the Grand Jury, Audience Jury, and film enthusiasts in Antakya theaters between October 2–8, 2026.

All revenues generated from the screenings belong to the Antakya International Film Festival. The festival management may organize special screenings for promotional purposes.

Only the legal right holder of the film may apply to the festival. If there are multiple right holders, the written consent of the other parties is required.

The applicant is responsible for documenting that they hold all rights regarding the film's participation in the festival and that all necessary permissions have been obtained.

Submission Deadline
The final deadline for submission to the competition is September 1, 2026. Submissions made after this date will not be accepted.

Applicants must fill out the application form completely and submit it to the Festival Center with a signature.

Screening Schedule
Films participating in the competition will be screened between October 2–8, 2026, as part of the festival program.

By applying, the producer is deemed to have accepted these terms.

Required Documents for Submission
All materials and the signed application form must be sent to the e-mail address provided above.

a. Film Credits/Fact Sheet
b. Production Permit
c. Film Synopsis (maximum 1200 characters – in Turkish and English)
d. Director’s Biography and Filmography (maximum 1000 characters – in Turkish and English)
e. Director’s Photo (JPG, 300 DPI)
f. 10 Stills from the Film (JPG, 300 DPI)
g. Film Poster (JPG, 300 DPI)
h. List of Participated Festivals and Awards Won (if any – in Turkish and English)
i. English Dialogue List (with timecodes)
j. Turkish Dialogue List (required if the film is not in Turkish – with timecodes)
k. Film Soundtrack
l. Promotional Usage: In the absence of a suitable trailer, the festival management reserves the right to use up to a 3-minute excerpt from the film for promotional purposes.

Special Conditions
The accuracy of the information provided in the application form is entirely the responsibility of the applicant. Any legal liability that may arise belongs to the signatory.

Films participating in the competition may be screened in indoor or outdoor venues, either for a fee or free of charge, during the festival. All screening revenues belong to the festival management. The festival may organize special screenings for promotional purposes.

The producers and teams of the films selected for the competition are invited to the festival on dates determined by the festival management; they shall participate in screenings, interviews, galas, award ceremonies, and press events.

Producers of award-winning films are obliged to indicate the award they have won along with the festival logo in all promotional materials.

Formation and Operation of the Juries
Pre-Selection Committee (Selection Committee)

The preliminary evaluation is conducted by the Festival Selection Committee.

The films to be presented to the Grand Jury for the finals are determined by this committee.