The 15th TRT International Documentary Awards have been announced!

The 15th TRT International Documentary Awards, featuring national and international documentary screenings and expert guest appearances, concluded with an awards ceremony held at Fişekhane.

The event, organized by TRT with the motto “No Matter How Far, It’s Actually Very Close,” aimed to draw attention to the chaos in the world, threats of war, and the humanitarian tragedy unfolding particularly in Gaza. The awards ceremony, broadcast live on TRT Documentary Television, began with a Rubato concert.

Speaking at the opening of the ceremony, which was also attended by the Presidential Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun, TRT General Manager Mehmet Zahid Sobacı stated that the production process of each documentary, a narrative form with its unique language and construction methods, is essentially about tracing a path.

Sobacı stated that documentaries trace the traces of history, culture, science, nature, and humanity in the world, saying, “In this process of tracing, we see that events and truths occurring in different regions of the world are not free from distances. We see how closely developments we perceive as distant in time and space actually concern us. Through documentaries, we can also grasp how closely we can experience the emotions evoked by events we perceive as occurring far away. That’s why we chose this year’s festival theme as ‘No Matter How Far, It’s Actually Very Close.'”

“1,417 documentary films competed in the international category, and 93 in the national professional category.”

Sobacı stated that TRT, celebrating its 60th anniversary, has brought hundreds of original content and productions to audiences on the TRT Documentary channel, which launched in 2009, thus making a unique contribution to expanding the documentary audience in Türkiye.

Sobacı emphasized that the TRT International Documentary Awards are one of the most valuable reflections of the care they place on documentary filmmaking, continuing:

“Our festival, first held in 2009, gained an international dimension in 2010 and has become a prestigious organization known and followed worldwide. The 1,651 applications submitted to our festival this year from 100 different countries are the most fundamental indicators of the progress our festival has made in the past few years and its international reach.” This number of applications also marks a new record in our festival’s 15-year journey. 1,417 ambitious documentary films competed in the international category, and 93 in the national professional category. This year, 71 applications were submitted for the national student film category, a festival eagerly awaited by our students every year. Furthermore, 70 documentary film proposals submitted for project support from TRT were also evaluated by our esteemed jury members.

“Documentaries should shed light on the solution of global issues.”

The 15th TRT International Documentary Awards, featuring national and international documentary screenings and expert guest appearances, concluded with an awards ceremony held at Fişekhane. Organized by TRT under the motto “No Matter How Far, It’s Actually Very Close,” the event aimed to draw attention to the global chaos, threats of war, and the humanitarian tragedy unfolding especially in Gaza. The awards ceremony, broadcast live on TRT Documentary Television, opened with a performance by Rubato.

Speaking at the ceremony’s opening—which was also attended by Presidential Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun—TRT General Manager Mehmet Zahid Sobacı emphasized that the production process of each documentary, a narrative form with its own unique language and structure, is essentially about tracing a path.

Sobacı stated that documentaries trace the footprints of history, culture, science, nature, and humanity around the world, saying:

“In this tracing process, we see that events and truths occurring in different parts of the world are not distant from us. We realize how closely developments we perceive as far in time and space actually concern us. Through documentaries, we can also feel the emotions evoked by events we once thought happened far away. That is why this year’s festival theme is ‘No Matter How Far, It’s Actually Very Close.’”

He added that this year, 1,417 documentary films competed in the international category, while 93 entries competed in the national professional category.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, TRT has brought hundreds of original productions to audiences through its TRT Documentary channel—launched in 2009—making a unique contribution to expanding the documentary audience in Türkiye.

Sobacı highlighted the TRT International Documentary Awards as a testament to TRT’s commitment to documentary filmmaking:

“Our festival, first held in 2009, gained an international dimension in 2010 and has since become a prestigious event recognized worldwide. This year, 1,651 applications from 100 different countries were submitted—an all-time record for our 15-year journey and proof of our international reach. Among these, 1,417 were in the international category and 93 in the national professional category. Additionally, 71 entries were submitted in the national student film category—a segment eagerly awaited by students each year. TRT also evaluated 70 documentary project proposals for project support, reviewed by our esteemed jury.”

Documentaries as a Light on Global Issues

Sobacı emphasized that one of the core motivations behind documentary broadcasting is the pursuit of truth and its dissemination:

“What makes documentaries special is their ability to illuminate solutions to global issues and raise awareness in humanity’s collective conscience. The world, shadowed by humanitarian crises such as war, genocide, poverty, deprivation, and hunger, has recently been tested by distorted truths and the injustices they reveal. Gaza stands as one of the most tragic examples—crying out under Israeli oppression for 435 days before the eyes of the world. Western countries, which often claim to protect human rights and international law, have turned a deaf ear to Gaza’s cries. While Israel’s ongoing genocide since October 7, 2023, is laid bare, the so-called leading media agencies largely ignore the suffering of the Palestinian people.”

Sobacı praised Türkiye’s honorable stance, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, advocating for justice and fairness wherever oppression persists:

“As TRT, Türkiye’s public broadcaster committed to human dignity, we do not hesitate to be the voice of these righteous yet powerless people. Beyond our news and special programs, we contribute significantly to humanity’s search for truth through documentary productions.”

He cited recent TRT productions such as Holy Occupation and the festival’s opening documentary I See Gaza as reflections of TRT’s dedication.

Documenting Human Rights in Syria and Palestine

Sobacı also noted Türkiye’s longstanding humanitarian efforts during Syria’s civil war:

“During the 13-year conflict, Türkiye and its people have never turned their backs on oppressed Syrians, etching their name in golden letters in human history. TRT’s documentaries have documented the crimes committed by the Assad regime against its people. For example, our 2018 documentary Off The Grid uncovered the atrocities in Sednaya Prison—horrifying the world with testimonies from survivors.”

He added:

“Our numerous awards, including the International Emmy for Ukraine War Diaries, symbolize our achievements. TRT will continue its mission to seek and share the truth, not only in Palestine and Syria but wherever the truth is pursued.”

Following the event, Fahrettin Altun, Sobacı, and award recipients took the stage for a commemorative photo.

Awards Ceremony Highlights

Fifteen awards were presented across four categories: International, National Professional, National Student Films, and Project Support. The ceremony also featured the TRT 60th Anniversary Special Awards.

In the International Category, Kamay, directed by İlyas Yourish and Shahrokh Bikaran, won Best Documentary. Ross Killeen’s Don’t Forget To Remember took second place, and Kanishka Sonthalia and Siddesh Shetty’s Until I Fly placed third. Lin Alluna’s Twice Colonized received the 60th Anniversary Special Award.

Palestinian director Mohamed Jabaly accepted the award for Kamay, saying:

“I am proud to be in Istanbul, Türkiye. I receive this award on behalf of İlyas and his team. I congratulate them all. As you know, a grave human tragedy and genocide has been ongoing in Gaza for 435 days. As a filmmaker, I know how difficult it is to create films under these conditions. I accept this award on behalf of all who have suffered during this genocide and for my own family in Gaza.”

At the 15th TRT International Documentary Awards, Hasan Ete received the Best Documentary award in the National Professional Category for his production “Good Death.” Cansın Güven’s “I See You in the Dark” won second place, Oğulcan Atayol’s “Extremely Personal Documentary” won third place, and Müjgan Yıldırım’s documentary “Once Upon a Time: Once Upon a Time” received the 60th Anniversary Special Award. In the National Student Films Category, Mert Kartal won Best Documentary for his film “Red Bag.” Nihal Atasoy’s “Novruz Ateşi” came in second, Furkan Aydın’s “Deq” came in third, and Damla Çağlar’s “Smile Monument” won the 60th Anniversary Special Award. In the Project Support Category, awards were presented to Abdurrahim Ayaz Bilgiç for his project “An Unusual Migration Story,” Muhammed Emre Özdemir and Esad Can Öner for “High Voltage,” and Selçuk Azmanoğlu for “Pictures in Pursuit – Children of War.”