Ayvalık International Film Festival at Küçük Han
April 2023 - March 2024
BALIKESİR
The venues of the Ayvalık International Film Festival are carefully selected so that they reflect the historical and cultural context and texture of the region. One of these venues is Küçük Han. Built in mid-19th century in the historical İsmet Paşa quarter of Ayvalık, Küçük Han takes it upon itself to become the "agora" of the city again. This building, which was reopened following a comprehensive restoration, is the permanent office for the Ayvalık International Film Festival. The festival have its permanent office and 2 employees located in this building, which aims to be a meeting point especially in the field of culture and arts in Ayvalık. So this location strengthened the relationship of the festival with the city, established a more permanent bond with the audience, and serves as a driving force for organizing different activities outside the festival throughout the year. Announcements were made for the meetings and events held in Küçük Han. Moreover the local authorities, civil initiatives and tradesmen were involved in the process. During the Ayvalık International Film Festival, Küçük Han was utilized as a venue to socialize where festival guests meet. The main goal of the project was to enhance the visibility and permanence of the Seyir Derneği, which is the association organizing the Ayvalık International Film Festival. Thus, the association took firm steps in its journey of institutionalization.
Ayvalık International Film Festival team at Küçük Han
Seyir Association
Azize Tan worked at İKSV (Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts) for many years, directed the Istanbul Film Festival for 9 years, and founded the Meetings on the Bridge Co-Production Platform. Later she worked at Başka Sinema platform for 5 years. She has founded Seyir Association in January 2022. Although it is a recent member of the rich cultural and artistic life in Ayvalık, the association, which was founded by an experienced team in the field, aims to prioritize the projects especially for young people and to make Ayvalık a centre for both cinema and other arts.
Ayvalık offers the perfect environment for a film festival thanks to its rich history, culture, architecture, cuisine, location and responsible residents. Ayvalık International Film Festival has a different model from other festivals in Turkey; no competition is organized within the scope of the festival, and it is aimed to create a speaking space by supporting film screenings, panels and interviews. Festival venues are carefully selected to reflect the historical and cultural texture of the region. One of these places is Küçük Han. The Küçük Han, which was built in the middle of the 19th century in the historical İsmet Paşa quarter of Ayvalık, takes it upon itself to become the "agora" of the city again. The festival aims to answer the question of how the city and the festival can complement each other, and to stand as a social creativity platform where people and institutions working to create this change come together.
Seyir Association social media accounts:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seyirdernegi/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/seyirdernegi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seyirdernegi
Website: https://www.seyirdernek.org
Ayvalık International Film Festival social media accounts:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayvalikff/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ayvalikff
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ayvalikff
Website: https://www.ayvalikff.org
This page is published on 5 October 2023.
