Turkish cinema night in Los Angeles: 'Hayat' on the road to the Oscars

Many actors from Turkey attended the event, which was organized for foreign audiences in America to discover the rich texture of Turkish culture through the lens of cinema and which demonstrated the influence of Turkish cinema in the international community.

OGM Pictures contributed as the main sponsor to this event, which was organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

On the first day of the event, the gala of Zeki Demirkubuz's film "Hayat," which Turkey has submitted for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards (Oscars), brought together industry professionals and cinema enthusiasts.

Demirkubuz and the lead actors Cem Davran, Miray Daner, and Burak Dakak attended the gala.

In his statement, Davran said, "Dear Zeki Demirkubuz's film Hayat is our country's Oscar candidate.

There will be various screenings that everyone will watch, and hopefully, we will move step by step toward the finals. We will get the best result achieved so far, hopefully; that is why we are here."

Stating that it was a very enjoyable and beautiful night, actress Daner said, "I am excited and very happy to be here with you and to watch our film Hayat.

We shot a film that we are very satisfied with; Zeki Demirkubuz is truly a very valuable director whom any idealist actor would want to work with.

The feedback on the film has also been very good. Our audience liked the film to a great extent, and receiving such beautiful feedback is very valuable."

Actor Akın Akınözü, who stated that he was honored to be invited to this event, drew attention to the high viewership of Turkish drama series abroad.

Akınözü said, "Because I think the lands of Anatolia are very suitable for drama.

We have very strong stories. Emotions are universal, and because of that, we have developed the ability to tell our own local culture in a universal way."

Mohamed Hadid, father of the world-famous Palestinian-American models Bella and Gigi Hadid, and his wife Yolanda Hadid also spoke.

Mohamed Hadid and his wife stated that they are great fans of Turkish cinema and history and that they are excited about the film being nominated for an Oscar.

Responding to a question about the situation in Palestine, Mohamed Hadid said, "As you know, it is sad; what is happening right now is very sad. I hope it will be a better place in the near future."

Actress Dilan Çiçek Deniz expressed, "I am very excited to watch the film Hayat. The presence of Turkish films globally is a source of happiness for me; at the same time, I feel a great responsibility on my shoulders, and it also inspires me."

Brazilian actress Luciana Faulhaber said, "I think it is an important time to be together, to be with our community, to find a home away from our country, and to celebrate art regardless of where it comes from.

A lot of artistic richness is coming from outside the US."

Event president Barbaros Tapan wished the film "Hayat" success on its road to the Oscars.

Tapan said, "We want to celebrate the Hollywood Turkish Film Festival, where we have brought the Turkish film and series industry together for the 4th time, by continuing it every year.

We will grow this even further; of course, while doing this, I would like to thank our Ministry of Culture and all the organizations that support us."

Emphasizing that Turkish films and series have begun to take important steps toward becoming a global brand, Tapan said the following:

"Especially in the series industry, we now have a massive structure that comes in second in some regions and third in others after America in the world. We should be proud of this.

Of course, we want this to be the case in cinema as well. I believe that our very young brothers and sisters in Turkey will make their voices heard better at such festivals by coming here with short films, documentaries, and festivals."