Saving the Turkish film heritage 

Sinema-TV Enstitüsü (Turkish Film & TV Institute) conducted a project in order to renovate the audio-visual document archive of Turkey’s recent history between the years of 2009-2014.
This Project aims to repair the nitrate based films of Ottoman Empire, the founding years of Republic and Atatürk, which are protected in our archive, with digital techniques and to put them into service of public and researchers by transferring them to digital format. All digitalization and restoration works that require specialization and labor have been made by our academic sta and students under the presidency of Prof. Sami Şekeroğlu who is the founder of our Institue. With the financial support of the ministry of Culture and Tourism, approximately 600.000 meter nitrate films have been processed. The State Planning Organization has substantially supported digital restoration infrastructure projects and enabled the film restorations. The collection includes the images of the period of Sultan Reşat and Sultan Vahdeddin, the visits of German and Austrian Emperors to Istanbul, Anafartalar Front, Ankara the Heart of Turkey, Nationwide Tours of Atatürk, Opening Speeches of the Assembly, Congress records of the first years of Republic, statesmen visiting Turkey (King Edward VIII of England, Reza Pahlavi Shah of Iran, etc.), the documents of İsmet İnönü, Celal Bayar, Adnan Menderes, and also many films of military education and military exercises.
The early silent nitrate documents that may be presented during the festival include the visits of German (1917) and Austrian Emperors (1918) to Istanbul, Troop Inspection by the ministry of War and Scenery from Batumi (1915), Welcoming Ceremony of the Lausanne Peace Treaty Delegation (1923).

Asiye Korkmas