New FIAF Associate Members | Sinematek/Sinema Evi and Filmmuseum Potsdam

Mavi Boncuk |

At its meeting in Brussels on 27-28 November 2023, FIAF[1] 's Executive Committee carefully examined the applications for FIAF affiliation submitted by two film heritage institutions in Germany and Turkey, and decided to unanimously admit both as FIAF Associates. These are the FILMMUSEUM POTSDAM - FILMUNIVERSITÄT BABELSBERG KONRAD WOLF (Potsdam, Germany), and the SINEMATEK / SINEMA EVI (Istanbul, Turkey). The representatives of these two new Associates have written the short description of their institution below, which will also be published in the December 2023 issue of the FIAF Bulletin Online. 

The number of active FIAF affiliates now stands at a record 174 (94 Members and 80 Associates).

Sinematek/Sinema Evi (Kadıköy / Istanbul, Turkey) [2]

https://sinematek.kadikoy.bel.tr/

Filmmuseum Potsdam - Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF (Potsdam, Germany)

https://www.filmmuseum-potsdam.de/

https://www.filmuniversitaet.de/en/

[1] The International Federation of Film Archives (French: Fédération internationale des archives du film, FIAF) was founded in Paris in 1938 by the Cinémathèque Française, the Reichsfilmarchiv in Berlin, the British Film Institute and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

[2] Sinematek/Sinema Evi is a young cinematheque based in Istanbul. It was founded by and works under the roof of the Kadıköy Municipality since 2018, with the aim of carrying on the legacy of the Turkish Cinematheque Association[*], the first cinematheque in Turkey which had been closed down by the military coup in 1980 after making significant strides in advancing film literacy and spreading global film culture.

Sinematek/Sinema Evi is designed as a modern cinematheque, placing a strong emphasis on public film screenings with the aim of cultivating an audience with a deeper appreciation of cinema as an art form and an awareness on film heritage. Since 2021, it presents carefully curated repertory film programs accompanied with film-related events, such as exhibitions, lectures, panel discussions, interviews, talks and analyses in its own historical building rebuilt to meet the needs of a modern public film center. Besides the screening hall all other Sinematek/Sinema Evi facilities are open to the public free of charge; the library with a collection of 2300 books and 161 periodicals on cinema, reading rooms, the archives dedicated to all types of film-related printed materials, the exhibition hall, and meeting and event rooms which can be booked for any non-commercial film-related projects and film events.

The current season at Sinematek/Sinema Evi (October 24th 2023-January 21st 2024) features a main selection dedicated to Jean Luc Godard in the 60’s, in collaboration with Institut Français Istanbul. In addition to the main program, six newly restored classics will meet the audience within the second edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato in Istanbul section, in cooperation with Il Cinema Ritrovato Film Festival and Cineteca di Bologna. Silent Thursdays, the regular section dedicated to early cinema with live music, focuses on the fantastic universe of French writer Pierre Loti in his 100th anniversary. Another side section presents a retrospective of Erden Kıral, one of the prominent figures of modern Turkish Cinema. Erden Kıral Retrospective includes A Season in Hakkâri (Hakkâri’de Bir Mevsim, 1982), which is the first restoration project of Sinematek/Sinema Evi, carried out and presented in memory of this brilliant filmmaker who passed away in 2022. As part of its efforts to preserve film heritage, Sinematek/Sinema Evi aims to undertake the restoration of one film each year through collaborations with public and private institutions.

Committed to defending its mission within a culture and art scene that is gradually shrinking due to the challenging economic and political conditions of the country, Sinematek/Sinema Evi highly values and appreciates the trust and support of the FIAF Executive Committee who confirmed its status as a FIAF associate recently. Proud to be a part of this valuable institution, it aims to be an active and dedicated associate that works efficiently for the shared objectives of the Federation.

Senem Erdine, Programming Advisor

[*] Cinematheque in Turkey

Among the audiences of the French Cinematheque in the 60s were Onat Kutlar, Hüseyin Baş and Şakir Eczacıbaşı from Turkey. The Turkish Cinematheque Association was established on August 25, 1965, with the participation of people such as Sabahattin Eyüboğlu, Cevat Çapan, Nijat Özön and Muhsin Ertuğrul in this team that dreamed of realizing such an institution in Turkey. Cinematheque, which organizes screenings first in Şişli and then in Taksim, not only becomes the meeting point for moviegoers who want to watch films with historical and artistic value that are different from those shown in movie theaters operated with purely commercial concerns, but also plays an important role in the development of cinema literacy with the Yeni Sinema magazine it publishes. . Turkish Cinematheque Association was closed down along with all other associations during the September 12 Coup.