BEST FILMS ON DISABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY HONOURED: "VISIBILITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR AN ACCESSIBLE WORLD"

The Eskişehir National Short Film Competition on Disability and Accessibility, organized by the Special Needs Branch Directorate of the Social Services Department of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality in cooperation with Anadolu University and Espark Shopping Mall, came to a close with a prestigious award ceremony held at the Phrygia Hall of the Haller Youth Center. Under the slogan "Take Your Camera, Tell Your Story, Make a Difference," the competition celebrated and rewarded powerful stories that raised awareness of disability and accessibility.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Mayor Hasan Ünal emphasized the vital importance of accessibility and visibility in social life within the framework of the "Year of Eskişehir 2026" objectives. Conveying Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce's greetings and congratulations to the award winners, Ünal stated that the municipality would continue to support art and artists in pursuit of the vision of a barrier-free Eskişehir.

Certificates of appreciation were presented by Seda Karapazar, Director of the Special Needs Branch of the Social Services Department, to the competition's jury members--Prof. Dr. Erol Nezih Orhon, Prof. Dr. Davut Alper Altunay, Dr. Hakan Uğurlu, Prof. Dr. Özge Karadağ, Engin Yıldız, and Emel Kapanoğlu--who conducted the meticulous evaluation process for entries submitted between 2 April and 16 May.

One of the highlights of the evening was the captivating dance performance by Derya Soyiç, Türkiye's first and only amputee tango dancer, and her dance-partner Koray Orbay, which received enthusiastic applause from the audience. A plaque of appreciation was presented to the duo, regarded as a symbol of determination and elegance, by Selim Öztop, Head of the Social Services Department. Throughout the evening, all speeches and presentations were interpreted into sign language by Oğuz Arslan.

Following the film screenings, the awards were presented to their recipients. After careful evaluation by the jury, the Grand Prize was awarded to Teoman Dere for his film Broken Record (Kırık Plak). As Dere was unable to attend the ceremony, the first-place award was accepted on his behalf by his team members Sıla Buğse Güler, Mehmet Ali Genç, and Hilal Yıldız. The second prize was awarded to Erkan Ceylan for We Must Find a Way (Bir Yolunu Bulmalıyız), while Mustafa Yılmaz received the third prize for Wingless Angel (Kanatsız Melek). The fourth-place award went to Nehir Şimşek for How Will It Be? (Nasıl Olacak).

One of the evening's most meaningful recognitions, the ESPARK Special Award, was presented to Berat Yüksel for his film Picasso Muhammed.

In addition to the main award winners, several honorary mentions and special sponsor awards were also presented. The Black Sea Tour, sponsored by Geziall.com, was awarded to Nijat Malikov, Tuğrul Çağrı Yılmaz, Sahar Alhoz, and Eyüp Kızılcık. Day-trip tour awards were presented to Defne Hürrem Demirler and Hafize Nur Ak. Meal awards sponsored by Sağlık Pide were given to Rümeysa Kağıtçı, Anastassiya Davidenko, and Zehra Nur Cengiz.