This film views the sea not as a landscape, but as a living space. Here, the sea is not a romantic backdrop; it is a life woven with sweat, patience and repetition. We approach Mavişehir Fishermen's Shelter not as a place, but as a memory. This harbour, whose location has changed with the filling of the shores, bears the traces of over a century of labour. Against concrete, time and transformation, we defend the continuity of the relationship established with the sea. This manifesto aims to make the great stories of small boats visible. The labour of fishermen who set sail in boats less than seven metres long is a form of living knowledge that is in danger of being forgotten in the shadow of industrial production. We stand against the loss of this knowledge. Repeating the mending of nets, the threading of needles, the setting out to sea before dawn... Because repetition here is not ordinary; it is resistance. This order, re-established every day, is an expression of the ancient covenant between man and the sea. While telling the story of the fishermen, this film focuses on silence, modesty, and the power of collective production. It sees accepting what the sea provides as a virtue. We take on the responsibility of photography, the camera, and witnessing. We advocate not just looking, but seeing; not just recording, but understanding. A Lifetime at Sea is not an elegy for the past; it is a mark left for the future. As long as this way of life built with the sea continues, cultural memory will also continue to live on. Some lives are not written on land, but in the wake of the waves.

Le chien qui boit le thé, is a film that explores Beninese Voodoo as it is lived on a daily basis. It's a rare immersion in cults and ceremonies, in traditions shaped by men for men. Populated by magical and supernatural creatures, voodoo enchants photographer Jean-Claude Moschetti, who for over 20 years has been making visible to the uninitiated a parallel world that is superimposed on reality. The face of the Dog who drinks tea, he is the one who opens doors, knows secrets and codes. Neither an ethnologist nor a researcher, he is simply on a quest for magic. In his lens: mermaids smoking by the ocean, the dead dancing, a bird-woman spreading fear... His studio is in the modest ghost convent of Affinon, his friend and Egungun dignitary. It was Egungun who initiated him into the secrets and sacred cults of the ancestors. But this year, their destinies take opposite paths: one rises to the sacred, the other is struck by a curse. Fate or destiny? Voodoo offers those who dare to step forward the chance to negotiate their path. But beware of the unwary: a vengeful pig is on the prowl, stalking evil.

Chanting of the Dunes has so far won over 40 awards and 20 nominations! The film takes viewers on a dazzling journey through multiple countries and during momentous world events that extend from the Levant in the 1920s to the U.S. and China in the 1990s. Chanting of the Dunes recounts the life of Wahbi Al-Hariri-Rifai who was an accomplished international artist, architect, archeologist, and author. It is told through the mixed perspective of his wife, Widad Marachi, who married him at the age of 15. The fascinating storyline is full of unexpected turns and is accompanied by a superb award-winning soundtrack. The film is beautifully illustrated through hundreds of meticulously restored black/white and color archival photographs and original footage. According to festival managers, the film exceeds all expectations and represents a new cinematographic genre between narrative feature and documentary. Many have called it “extraordinary, moving, mesmerizing, full of messages...”

Free Fish — filmed entirely in Gaza during the ongoing genocide tells the story of two brothers separated by war and displacement, whose daily struggle to fish under blockade becomes an act of survival and resistance. Because in Gaza, even the sea is under siege. Fishing has become an act of defiance — and creation, an essential exercise of freedom.

Tevfik, who moved to New York with his family at the age of 2, relocated to his grandfather's home in Rize, where his father was born, at the age of 35 and started a new life there. Tevfik has been living in Rize for 19 years and is now the father of two children, working in agriculture. He sustains his life by producing tea and kiwi.

"Son Yuva" (The Last Nest) tells the story of Ahmet Karakaya, a shepherd in Anatolia facing the harsh impact of the climate crisis. Torn between leaving his homeland or staying to fight for it, Ahmet must make a difficult choice. His struggle reflects the profound and universal disruptions caused by climate change, as well as the resilience required to face an uncertain future.

Mukunã prepares to become the Shaman of the Potiguara Katu village in Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), older than us, the power plants become the teacher teaching environmental care.

An American, a Japanese, a Canadian, a Frenchman and a Brazilian work as ballet dancers in very different Russian cities. The world around them collapses for reasons beyond their control, and the characters have to make the most difficult choice in their lives. A choice on which not only their career, but also their destiny depends.

Ankara KuirFest transforms its 14-year history of resistance and solidarity into a queer memory space through its founders, volunteers, and artists. Despite increasing bans, the festival's continued existence as a form of cultural resistance lies at the heart of the documentary. The film makes visible both the personal and collective dimensions of queer existence by declaring, ‘We are here, we remember, we resist.’ Memory-like; a queer memory laboratory, a solidarity manifesto, and a living archive built with hope in defiance of every ban.

The film follows the internationally renowned British nerve surgeon, Dr Mohammed Tahir as he returns to Gaza for his third medical aid mission. Dr Tahir’s medical team risk their lives to capture footage of his work amidst the carnage of Gaza’s operating rooms. Bound by the impartiality of their oaths, Dr Tahir and his team are the only neutral and reliable witnesses to the genocide. The unique footage they capture is a historic testimony to the grotesque reality of a genocide filmed in real time.

Among the Galician mountains hides Vilar do Courel, a small village that has been resisting to disappear for decades. Its last three inhabitants are the guardians of a timeless space, which transits its past and looks to its future from an empty, immobile and fragile present. With Branca's return from Barcelona, the reality of the place begins to transform. At night, memories, dreams and ancient legends guide the characters through magical forests and forgotten paths.

"Bocuk" traces the remnants of a Balkan-Turkic belief said to date back to the Middle Ages, still alive in a remote village of Thrace. This docudrama explores the contemporary meaning of an ancient winter ritual and documents the local narratives surrounding it. Blending fear with tradition, the film invites viewers to discover the extraordinary Night of Bocuk, a practice still observed across generations in Turkey.

A Legend of Foça: Nihat Dirim A Legend of Foça: Nihat Dirim is a 60-minute documentary that chronicles the life and legacy of Nihat Dirim, the legendary mayor of Foça, a district renowned for its historical and natural beauty on Turkey's Aegean coast. Serving two terms as mayor from 1989 to 1999, Dirim shaped Foça's identity through his commitment to environmental protection, cultural heritage preservation, and a people-centered governance approach. Despite today's generally adverse climate, his influence continues to be a defining force in the town. The documentary delves into Dirim's profound passion, love, and dedication to Foça, illustrating how this emotional bond contributed to the town's development. His visionary leadership is exemplified by initiatives such as building bridges of friendship with Greece's Lesbos Island and Palea Fokea, leading environmental campaigns against a proposed thermal power plant in Aliağa, and launching projects to protect the endangered Mediterranean monk seals. Beginning with Dirim's childhood, the film explores his journey through his mayoral tenure to his enduring impact on Foça today. This narrative is conveyed through interviews with nearly 40 individuals conducted over a year, led by his close friend Hakan Barçın. These interviews provide deep insights into Dirim's genuine relationships with the public, his leadership style, and his unwavering devotion to Foça.

He has amazing hands. With the most delicate gestures he directs a symphony orchestra. He worked with great people: Maya Plisetskaya, Rodion Shchedrin, Mstislav Rostropovich. He conducted at the Bolshoi Theater, the Bavarian Ballet, the Royal Swedish Opera. One of the best conductors in the world, Renat Salavatov shares the secrets of his mastery.

In Forty Days Road, two colleagues (Ali and Ian) set out on a captivating journey across Egypt to trace the long route of camels traveling from Sudan to a market near Cairo. Along the way, they uncover the tough conditions of transport and join the camels on a 24-hour journey from the Sudanese border to one of the biggest Egyptian camel market near Cairo.

After the devastating earthquake on February 6, 2023, which affected 11 provinces in Turkey, the Kimyonok family, whose homes were rendered uninhabitable, moved into their cinema business and set up a home in the lobby.

World Premiere: Antalya Film Festival Documentary Competition This mid-length documentary follows Deniz (28) and Can (30), two siblings with SMA who are bedridden and live with the support of their mother, Aysel. Highlighting issues such as societal neglect, restricted rights, and equality, the film aims to raise awareness. After losing their home in the Maraş earthquake, the family now resides in a relative’s house in Alaçatı. Through five days of interviews and observations, the documentary sheds light on their lives and perspectives.

"Palestine Lentils" is a documentary film that tells the story of a Palestinian chef and his role in using his hobby as a shield against the famine caused by the war on Gaza, preserving the spirit of resilience and hope within his community.

A tribute to Mehmet Akgün, a camera repairman in Konya who has been restoring memories for nearly 50 years. Foto Akgün tells the inspiring story of resilience, craftsmanship, and passion—despite physical limitations.