Films about Conscience aims to expose the different colours of conscience via short films produced by both amateurs and professionals. Films about Conscience hosts 322 short films, more than 7,000 members and thousands of visitors every year since 2010 through the website and invites everyone who can grab a camera to shoot a short film for five minutes at most, with Hrant Dink’s motto, “Let’s take a look through our conscience.” It is the first time, the project has added new theme that will change every year in 2014. The project aimed to look at our conscience from the street with new motto ‘Films about Conscience takes to the street!’ For fifth period of the project, it will be announced with new theme in 2015.
In 2013, in the fourth year of the project, 21 films were selected by Ahmet Boyacıoğlu, Cem Mansur, Petros Markaris, Rakel Dink, Susanna Harutyunyan, Thomas Balkenhol and Yeşim Ustaoğlu. 20 short films were put together in a DVD. All these films were announced on Human Rights Day, December 10th. They were screened at the International Istanbul Film Festival, Gaziantep International Zeugma Film Festival, Lake Van International Film Festival, Yerevan International Film Festival, International Izmir Short Film Festival, Short Film Festival in Ayvalık and many universities.
In 2013, the films also hosted an event as part of the International Istanbul Film Festival, in cooperation with Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. Films about Conscience was celebrated at an Happy Hour organised at the Cezayir Meeting Hall within the framework of the Festival and brought together many directors, jury members as well as the guests of the International Istanbul Film Festival.
The fifth period of the project started on March 31st, and ended on December 10th, on Human Rights Day. From March 31st to November 30th, a total of 59 consciencethemed short films were uploaded on website by producers and filmmakers from Turkey and abroad. Between these dates, thousands of people from all over the world watched the uploaded films and most of them rated, commented and shared these films. The international jury, comprising of Amat Escalante, Azize Tan, Ercan Kesal, Jay Weissberg, Rakel Dink, Şebnem İşigüzel, Tuğrul Eryılmaz and Zeynep Özbatur Atakan evaluated the films as well.
The top 20 films selected by the votes of the international jury were announced on December 10th. The results were shared with the print and broadcast media. Additionally, Burkay Doğan who directed ‘Şem’ about politic-experimental short film will be awarded with a cinema scholarship. Top 20 films listed below put under their lens the issues of Gezi Resistance, children rights, labour murders, solid waste worker, militarism, gender, conscience, border and many others. The selected films will be collected in a DVD and meet viewers in various festivals. You can see current and previous film submissions on the website of Films about Conscience.
You can reach the DVDs of Films About Conscience at Hrant Dink Foundation.